Treago Castle
Encyclopedia
Treago Castle is a fortified manor house in the Parish of St Weonards, Herefordshire
, England . Built c.1500, it was recorded as a Grade I listed building on 30 April 1986—based on its extant medieval architecture
, quadrangle
courtyard
layout and defensive wall
corner towers. No sign remains of a believed original water-filled moat
.
), a tax collector in Wales. The name originates from "Tre" (homestead or farm) and "Ago" ( being the Welsh
form of the name "James
"), suggesting there was a previous dwelling on the land. The fortified house was built to keep the Welsh
out, but was never under attack.
Originally the building was of a secure design, featuring a central courtyard and no externally facing windows. Later, the courtyard area in the centre of the building was covered over in stages and new windows added to the outside walls, forming a more traditional house. Mason's mark
s matching those at Raglan Castle
and traced to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke were detected following a visit in 1975 by the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments, A. J. Taylor
. There are similarities to Croft Castle
, also in Herefordshire.
Whilst Treago Castle remains a private family home, wine tasting sessions and local charity events do allow the public a limited opportunity to view inside the castle.
, although early plans of the estate do show a leat
following the contour line across the estate, to the adjacent Furnace Farm. The parkland grounds became neglected for a period between the 1790s and 1840s. Four major improvements were constructed after c.1840:
Since 1991, the roses planted in the grounds have been primarily David C.H. Austin English rose
s.
was added and other renovations were carried out including of a grand piano.
Behind the cottages and main building are a joint garden and small quarry
, traces of a Japanese garden
and vineyard
used for producing Treago branded award-winning red, white and sparkling wine
s.
A fountain
was added in 1990, designed and made by Vanessa Marston, using ideas from the Mynors family crest
. The Mynors' crest—a man's hand holding a bear
's paw—is derived from the French
sound a like (bear hand).
initiatives were underway to heat the castle in a more "green" way, using ground-source geothermal heat pump and compost-based biomass heating systems
. The addition of a north porch has helped the process of making Treago an all year round family home.
and vintner
—and his wife Lady Fiona Mynors who works as an educational consultant
. The couple have inhabited the main building since 1989, along with their three daughters: Alexandra, Frances and Victoria. As a result of the move, major restoration and modernisation work took place.
Although some family history can be traced back to the 11th century, the direct association between the Baskerville Mynors and the local area of St. Weonards is only recorded back to the mid-15th century, around the time of the construction of the present building.
named steam engine No. 5019 Treago Castle. The Castle Class
locomotive continued to carry this name for 30 years, before finally being withdrawn in 1962.
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England . Built c.1500, it was recorded as a Grade I listed building on 30 April 1986—based on its extant medieval architecture
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
, quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
layout and defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
corner towers. No sign remains of a believed original water-filled moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
.
Main building
The building was probably built by Sir Richard Mynors (c.1440–1528), a tax collector in Wales. The name originates from "Tre" (homestead or farm) and "Ago" ( being the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
form of the name "James
James (name)
The name James is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jacob, meaning "Supplanter" ....
"), suggesting there was a previous dwelling on the land. The fortified house was built to keep the Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
out, but was never under attack.
Originally the building was of a secure design, featuring a central courtyard and no externally facing windows. Later, the courtyard area in the centre of the building was covered over in stages and new windows added to the outside walls, forming a more traditional house. Mason's mark
Mason's mark
A mason's mark is a symbol often found on dressed stone in buildings and other public structures.-In stonemasonry:Scottish rules issued in 1598 stated that on admission to the guild, every mason had to enter his name and his mark in a register....
s matching those at Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
and traced to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke were detected following a visit in 1975 by the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments, A. J. Taylor
AJ Taylor
Dr Arnold Joseph Taylor CBE was a distinguished medieval historian, who specialised in his study of castles. His work on Edward I's Welsh castles is particularly notable.-References:*, The Independent, 8 November 2002-External links:...
. There are similarities to Croft Castle
Croft Castle
Croft Castle is a manor house and associated buildings near the village of Yarpole in Herefordshire, England some to the north-west of Leominster .-11th century origin:...
, also in Herefordshire.
Whilst Treago Castle remains a private family home, wine tasting sessions and local charity events do allow the public a limited opportunity to view inside the castle.
Estate and gardens
Surrounding the main buildings is parkland, probably landscaped during the late 18th century. There is no indication of a moatMoat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, although early plans of the estate do show a leat
Leat
A leat is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond...
following the contour line across the estate, to the adjacent Furnace Farm. The parkland grounds became neglected for a period between the 1790s and 1840s. Four major improvements were constructed after c.1840:
- Walled gardenWalled gardenA walled garden is specifically a garden enclosed by high walls for horticultural rather than security purposes, though traditionally all gardens have been hedged about or walled for protection from animal or human intruders...
near the road, separated from the house by a shrubberyShrubberyA shrubbery is a wide border to a garden where shrubs are thickly planted; or a similar larger area with a path winding through it. A shrubbery was a feature of 19th-century gardens in the English manner, with its origins in the gardenesque style of the early part of the century...
collection named The Wilderness. - Walled kitchen gardenKitchen gardenThe traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
furnished with well stocked fruit trees, on the site of the modern-day vineyard and to the south of the house. - TudorTudor periodThe Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
/Italianate styleItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
d garden containing gravel paths, grass, flower beds and clipped Irish yewTaxus baccataTaxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
trees. Referred to as Treago Garden on tithe mapsTithe mapsThe term Tithe map is usually applied to a map of an English or Welsh parish or township, prepared following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836. This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods. The map and its accompanying schedule gave the names of all owners and occupiers of land in the...
from the period. - A long drivewayDrivewayA driveway is a type of private road for local access to one or a small group of structures, and is owned and maintained by an individual or group....
, forming a new principal entrance to the property approaching from the east.
Since 1991, the roses planted in the grounds have been primarily David C.H. Austin English rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s.
Recent history
During the 1990s, the original stables area received renovation work, being converted into three connected cottages named Hollyhock, Coach House and Looseboxes that now see continual use as weekly holiday cottages. At the same time, a modern 11-metre indoor heated swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
was added and other renovations were carried out including of a grand piano.
Behind the cottages and main building are a joint garden and small quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, traces of a Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
and vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
used for producing Treago branded award-winning red, white and sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s.
A fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
was added in 1990, designed and made by Vanessa Marston, using ideas from the Mynors family crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
. The Mynors' crest—a man's hand holding a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
's paw—is derived from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
sound a like (bear hand).
initiatives were underway to heat the castle in a more "green" way, using ground-source geothermal heat pump and compost-based biomass heating systems
Biomass heating systems
Biomass heating systems generate heat from biomass.The systems fall under the categories of:*direct combustion,*gasification,*combined heat and power ,*anaerobic digestion,*aerobic digestion.- Benefits of biomass heating :...
. The addition of a north porch has helped the process of making Treago an all year round family home.
Mynors family association
The house is still owned by the Baskerville Mynors family and currently inhabited by Sir Richard Mynors (b. 1947)—the present holder of the Mynors of Treago BaronetcyMynors Baronets
The Mynors Baronetcy, of Treago in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 24 January 1964 for Humphrey Mynors, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England from 1954 to 1964...
and vintner
Vintner
A vintner is a wine merchant. You pronounce it like this In some modern use, in particular in American English, the term is alsoused as a synonym for winemaker....
—and his wife Lady Fiona Mynors who works as an educational consultant
Educational consultant
An educational consultant is an independent consultant who helps parents/students and organizations with educational planning. They are classed as "educational, vocational, and school counselors." Educational Consultants, however, are normally self-employed , while school counselors are employed...
. The couple have inhabited the main building since 1989, along with their three daughters: Alexandra, Frances and Victoria. As a result of the move, major restoration and modernisation work took place.
Although some family history can be traced back to the 11th century, the direct association between the Baskerville Mynors and the local area of St. Weonards is only recorded back to the mid-15th century, around the time of the construction of the present building.
Other uses of the name
In 1932, the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
named steam engine No. 5019 Treago Castle. The Castle Class
GWR 4073 Class
The GWR 4073 Class or Castle class locomotives are a group of 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway. They were originally designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains.-History:A development of the earlier...
locomotive continued to carry this name for 30 years, before finally being withdrawn in 1962.
External links
- Treago Castle website.
- Treago Castle Cottages booking site.