Tredegar House near Newport in Wales was originally built a very long time ago on the remains of an older house. The Morgan family used to live there.

I don’t speak Welsh so was very pleased that the signs were all also in English.

Inside the house I discovered some interesting facts. Fans used to be used by ladies to send discrete messages. For instance waving it a certain way could tell someone to go away.

I wanted to play Fox and Geese but no one would play with me….

There was a range of hats to try on with an invitation to wear them while walking round the house.   They weren’t really my style so I put them back in the dressing up box.

At the other end of the room I tried out the shadow theatre with a willing parrot.

Upstairs in the bathroom someone had recently had a party.

On glancing in the mirror I felt that perhaps my face was looking a bit squashed – the result perhaps of spending too long in the bear carrier bag.

Bears and humans aren’t allowed in all the rooms. There was hole in the door of one closed room so I peeped in. It looked as though it needed decorating.

The last Mr Morgan that lived in the house used to keep a crocodile as a pet.

The food on display in the kitchen looked very tasty but didn’t smell of food.  On further inspection I found it all to be plastic!

This is a very old steam generating boiler that was used to steam vegetables and steam clean pots and pans from the kitchen.  I think it is rather splendid.

This is a charcoal stove; the black pots were put over the hole to be heated.

I think the Morgan family must have been very fond of jelly.

A food mixer with wooden blades!  I have never seen one of those before.

The Game larder was visible at the end of a tunnel.  I think the birds on the table were probably plastic like the food in the kitchen.

Outside again I explored the gardens.  This is a very interesting sign.  Apparently the wren is the most common bird in Britain, though I don’t think I have ever seen one!

There was a very smart insect house in the garden for solitary bees (the ones that don’t live in big hives with lots of other bees).

The tent was a wonderful find as I was very much in need of a quiet nap.

Very comfy

I wasn’t alone for long though as was joined by a gang of creepy crawlies.

I found the creepy crawlies a bit tickly so left the tent to take a walk around the lake.

The tea shop had shut when I got there so I was unable to have the customary cake that I usually end National Trust property visits with.  However, I was delighted to find the shop still open and selling delicious Welsh ice cream.  Yum yum yum.

If you would like more information about Tredegar House and Gardens see:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tredegar-house

Horace the Alresford Bear 14/9/2018