Another day, another house and garden.....................

....But very disappointingly, despite a promise of one, no cream tea. However, the fruit cake was very nice. Very nice and very expensive. 

This afternoon we took advantage of the fact that Trematon Castle, near Saltash, had an open garden and guided tour. We've walked past it many times and, as it's rarely open to the public because it's a private residence, we jumped at the chance to visit. The castle has belonged to the Dukes of Cornwall since shortly after the Norman conquest, and is a perfect miniature Norman castle. John Betjeman wrote that it had “one of the most superb views of Cornwall, a Brunel stone viaduct crossing a foreground creek, the Lynher and Tamar estuaries beyond, and the wooded slopes of Anthony”.  Around 1806, a Georgian house was built in the grounds of the castle and it is there that the owners live. The present owners are a husband and wife team of landscape designers and gardeners and their expertise certainly showed in the many borders surrounding the house. We learnt that the Castle is up-for-sale: a snip at just under £900,000. The only problem is that the lease on the property only runs for another 19 years and then it reverts back to the Duchy. A rather feudal arrangement and, as far as I'm concerned, another reason to have a republic!

A view looking up at the central circular keep of the castle. It's a typical motte and bailey design: the motte being the artificial mound upon which it is built and the bailey is the surrounding land. There is good evidence that the castle was erected on the site of a Roman fort.

The Norman gatehouse to the castle. As intact an example as we've seen anywhere.

The gatehouse and part of the curtain wall as we ascended to the castle.

A view from the other side showing the crenulations of the curtain wall.

Inside the castle walls - their circular nature can just about be made out. They are almost completely intact. The space enclosed by the walls would, most probably have been covered by a wooden roof. The corbels taking the weight of this structure can be seen quite clearly just below the crenulations.

A fireplace in the upper floor of the gatehouse. This is where the Black Prince and Sir Francis Drake definitely stayed. Although it's not much to look at now, it is the first of its type in England in having decorative columns on each side of the opening. Before then, decorative features on domestic stonework was not seen. 

A view of the loo! Just imagine, this is where the Black Prince and Sir Francis Drake had a pee ....and more.

And this is the 1806 Georgian house built within the castle grounds. It was built by an admiral, who promptly demolished part of the curtain walls...............

...So that he could get a good view of the naval dockyard at Devonport just down the river. Trematon is in a good strategic position overlooking the navigable waters of the Lynher and Tamar and was probably the reason why the Romans built the original fortification on the site.

Just one of the many herbaceous borders put in by the present owners. Plenty of flowers at the moment and many more to come.

Just one of the many alliums in full bloom. Talking of alliums, the woodland areas were awash with wild garlic and the warm weather really raised its scent. At times, it was like walking through a garlic-smelling mist.

The relationship of the 'new' house with the castle.

 

The gatehouse with the curtain wall to the left. Running down the right hand side of the gatehouse can be seen the place where the demolished curtain wall was keyed in.