Monmouthshire gems

Today Oswald and Marion took us out to lunch to one of their favourite places, the Gliffaes Country House Hotel, in a wooded valley above the River Usk just beyond Crickhowell. This was a real treat, as it's in a part of Monmouthshire that has long been one of my favourite places on earth - where I would like to have settled in retirement, except that over the years we've become urbanised in lifestyle, whilst loving and longing for country repose. We have to consider what life will be like when driving a car is no longer possible, either in consideration of expense or physical fitness. That doesn't put the deep countryside out of reach, but it means that it remains somewhere you go rather than where you make your home.

Gliffaes is a family run, nineteenth century establishment. Its clientele are mainly huntin', shootin' and fishin' types, plus romantics and those who need quiet and secret places to think or do business. Its grounds are full of a wide variety of mature trees, you might want to use the word arboretum, but in the end of the choice of plantings over a century ago reflect the love of the owner, and generations of inspired head gardeners. The house sits on a promontory a hundred and fifty feet above the river Usk, and guest must descend a winding path to enjoy the fishing rights owned by the hotel. Fish was on the menu, but it was plaice, rather than river fish, to my surprise. I opted for a lamb kofte dish, as lamb is one of our great local specialities, to be enjoyed if the opportunity arises.

After lunch and a walk around the grounds, we visited nearby Tretower Court, a recently re-opened National Trust owned sixteenth century courtyard manor house. Much restoration work has been done to  present the building as it would have looked in its heyday. Imaginatively the trustees have commissioned contemporary wood-workers to make furniture for the kitchens and banqueting hall in the style reported in documents of the period, rather than use ancient and degraded museum piece artifacts. This is a brilliant touch which does much for the imagination, and gives the presentation an unusual freshness. I'd say this is a 'must visit' place to add to the list in our little corner of the world. What an excellent day out!

I've posted some photographs here