Tretower Court & Castle South Wales

At Tretower we can see that by the 14th century there was change in fashions and in the need for defences because we are left with the remains of a medieval castle and a manor house. The transition from the need for protection to the need to comfort is apparent here. 

Tretower started life on the English and Welsh in the 11th century, this would have been a timber motte and bailey castle of which nothing remains as in the 12th century the wooden buildings were replaced in stone.

The stone keep was constructed with gatehouse in the 12th century, the circular tower that remains dates from the early 13th century.   This type of round keep is characteristic of  this area in the first half of the 13th century.  We can see something similar at Pembroke and Skenfrith.  The keep at Tretower would have been three stories high with a basement.

The construction of the manor house began in the early 14th century although the castle was also still in use at this time and it appears both buildings were lived in consecutively for some years. 

There are four distinctive periods of building at the court with the north range being the oldest and dating from the 14th century.  The west range dates from the 15th century with the gatehouse and wall-walks being added after in the late 15th century.