Events Archive
Open Days 2016
Sunday 11th September 2-5pm, Great Trerhew Barn, The Croft, Upper White Castle
Sunday 25th September 2-5pm, Cwm Farm, St Cadoc's Church, New Inn
Afternoon teas will be available at The Croft and St Cadoc's
Directions to Trust Open Day properties
Please note that in rural areas postcodes give only approximate locations and can be out by a mile or more. The Ordnance Survey (and co-ordinates, given below, are very accurate and can be entered into many satnavs.
St Cadoc's church: Grid ref. SO 36100 20100 (N 51° 52' 33" W 2° 55' 47"). The turn to Llangattock Lingoed is signposted at Caggle Street on the B4521 Skenfrith road about 6 miles from Abergavenny. It can also be approached from the A465 Hereford road at Llanvihangel Crucorney.
Cwm Farm: Grid ref. SO 36030 19720 (N 51° 52' 21" W 2° 55' 50"). Best visited together with St Cadoc's church. Parking is limited: it is possible to park at the church and walk down the meadow, but the return is quite steep! Alternatively, ask at the church for driving directions.
Great Trerhew Farm: Grid ref. SO 37570 17840 (N 51° 51' 20" W 2° 54' 28"). The farm entrance is about a half mile further east from Caggle Street along the B4521.
New Inn: Grid ref. SO 40020 20400 (N 51° 52' 44" W 2° 52' 22"). About half mile from the turn off the B4521 at Cross Ash.
The Croft (Whitecastle Vineyard): Grid ref. SO 37960 17800 (N 51° 51' 19" W 2° 54' 8"). Follow the signs to White Castle at the turn about a quarter mile east of Great Trerhew Farm; the vineyard entrance is some 200m along on the right.
Upper White Castle Farm: Grid ref. SO 38060 16570 (N 51° 50' 39" W 2° 54' 2"). Follow the signs to White Castle at the turn about a quarter mile east of Great Trerhew Farm. It is best to park as for the castle and to walk a short way south along the lane. It is also possible to follow public footpaths to White Castle from Great Trerhew Farm.
Pear and Perry Festival 2011
Saturday (June 18th) sees the second Pear and Perry Festival run by The Village Alive Trust at Great Trerhew Farm, Llanvetherine, near Abergavenny by kind permission of the Beavan family.
The event, run in conjunction with Monmouthshire Pear and Perry Society, will provide chances to taste and buy local perry, cider and apple juice. Also on sale will be regionally produced food including cheese, preserves and ice cream and locally grown plants. The farm will be signposted off the B4521 Abergavenny to Skenfrith road.
Entertainment includes maypole dancing by children from Cross Ash Primary School, childrens craft and childrens cookery sessions as well as talks on perry and cider. Homemade teas will be provided by Llangattock Lingoed Church members and Beavans Family Butchers, of Abergavenny, will run a barbecue.
The event is part of the calendar of Open Days run by The Village Alive Trust which has conserved several listed farm buildings, including the medieval threshing barn at Great Trerhew Farm which will house the food and drink stalls at the festival.
Admission will be 3.50 for adults and 1 for children over five years of age. The festival will run from 11.30am until 4.30pm.
Midsummer Revels June 2006
The Midsummer Revels were a great success, with maypole dancing, Morris men (and women), music and a market.
SUNSHINE added the final touch to The Village Alive Trusts popular Midsummer Revels event at Great Trerhew Farm, Llanvetherine on Saturday when visitors enjoyed traditional country entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening.
The event took place by kind permission of the Beavan family. Visitors were able to see the historic Grade II listed corn barn at the farm which is still used as part of the modern farming enterprise. The Trust is aiming to help the owners restore the endangered barn to ensure its continued use in agriculture. Successful bids for grant aid for the project will also ensure public access to view the building on specified open days.
As well as two stunning displays of Maypole dancing by Cross Ash Primary School pupils, the Revels included entertaining performances by Full Moon Morris dancers and local musicians. Talented young singers and musicians who had travelled from Kingsbridge Community College, Devon with their teacher, Sian Beavan, performed throughout the event.
Lammas Fair August 2005
The Lammas Festival and Fair was a great success, attracting visitors from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and even East Anglia! Below are some pictures of people enjoying and learning from some of the displays.
VISITORS to Bank Holiday Monday's Lammas Fair at Llangattock Lingoed enjoyed a day of history brought to life as wandering minstrels, a relic seller, medieval archers and a Cistercian monk wrought their colourful magic amidst glorious sunshine entertaining young and old alike - including Monmouth MP David Davies.
The event, organised by The Village Alive Trust charity in conjunction with Llangattock Lingoed Parochial Church Council and the Hunter's Moon Inn was centred on St Cadoc's Church. An authentic tented encampment was staged by North Wales enactment group, Samhain; actors from Chance Encounters entertained with medieval games and cookery and wandering minstrels Di and Murray Esplin lent suitable musical accompaniment with the hurdy gurdy and other authentic instruments.
Open Day at Great Tre-rhew Farm
Please note that the barn is on private land on a working farm and is not available for public viewing except at designated times.
The barn at Great Tre-Rhew Farm, Llantilio Crossenny is listed Grade 2* and is possibly the last barn of this quality remaining in agricultural use in the county, if not in south Wales. The barn dates from the late 16th century and was probably originally wholly timber framed. It seems to have been extended in the late 17th century and now has eight bays with two kingpost trusses, gabled additions with cider mill and press, cattle stalls, stable and haylofts with stone chaff bin. The barn is constructed of rubble stone walling with a slate roof. It has a stone-flagged threshing floor and a lofted cowhouse. The entrance to the cider house is built into the step wall on the ground floor. It has a four-light diamond mullion window and still contains the large mill stone with wooden drive shaft and its cider press. Adjoining to the north is a yard enclosed by cattle pens with pent roofs supported by rounded stone pillars and a couple of smaller barns (also listed). The farm buildings are sited alongside a house with medieval foundations.
This badly eroded date stone - now sadly completely worn away - shows the date 1696 and probably commemorates the building of the gables and perhaps other extensions. The initials J M P are those of John Price and his wife Mary, who owned the farm from about 1675, when John acquired the estate from his mother-in-law (also a member of the Price family), to John's death in 1707.
As the pictures below show, although it was still in use, by 2005 the barn had fallen into a dilapidated state, with many missing or loose tiles and serious structural problems with the gable ends. Unless repairs could be undertaken urgently it was quite likely that the barn could soon begin to fall into ruin.
Mediaeval Fair
Damp weather failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Cross Ash School’s maypole dancers who delighted visitors at the Medieval Midsummer Fair staged on June 21st, 2008 by The Village Alive Trust at Great Tre-Rhew Farm, Llanvetherine near Abergavenny by kind permission of Trevor and Anne Beavan and family.
The main activities took part under cover in a large barn decorated with the maypole, colourful bunting and greenery while medieval enactment group, Teulu, valiantly recreated a camp and staged a battle in an adjoining meadow. Village Alive Trust members dressed up in medieval costumes kindly loaned by Usk Castle Pageant.
Llangattock Lingoed church members provided teas and a bar. Local cider, perry, wine, Shepherd’s ice cream and farm sausages were also on sale. Stalls included hand crafted walking sticks; locally-made baskets; spinning and weaving; bee-keeping; Redcastle Nurseries, Monmouthshire Stone Candle Holders, net-making and photography.
There were demonstrations of sheep shearing, magical felting workshops for children and the chance to try archery. Visitors interested in The Village Alive Trust’s current project, to conserve the medieval corn barn at Great Tre-rhew, were able to see a display of photographs showing the work. The day rounded off with a Ceilidh featuring local musicians, The Skirrid Band, and a Hog Roast provided by Ogleby’s of Hereford. The evening was well-supported despite inclement weather.
