On 1st June 2026 Dick and John Wheelock donated Treowen to a newly formed charity Treowen CIO. They also transferred to the charity the holiday letting business which will continue to operate as it has done for the past 33 years. The trustee’s aim is to manage Treowen in a way that preserves and enhances its unique character and history and makes this accessible to the public, as well as continuing to operate as a holiday venue.
As part of establishing the Treowen CIO the trustees carried out a survey and focus groups with past guests as well as reviewing past visitor reviews to develop our strategy for Treowen:
Vision for Treowen
People make memories and connect with all that is uniquely, Treowen.
Treowen CIO Mission Statement
To steward the future of Treowen through responsible, thoughtful management. To protect and share its living unique personality with visitors, residents and local communities, grounded in its historical place within Gwent and Wales.
Treowen CIO Values
- Welcoming
- Authentic
- Discovery
Seven Strategic Pillars
- Living Estate – Treowen is a well-used multi-functional place, by operating as a financially sustainable business Treowen stays true to its character rooted in its living history, keeping it active and relevant not a static historical site. Allowing it to evolve in response to changing times and context, while staying true to that character.
- Welcoming Long-Term Management/Ethos – Treowen’s distinctive feel depends on thoughtful management and a warm, welcoming approach to guests. To preserve this over time, Treowen CIO must clearly define and support ways of working that can continue this approach consistently beyond individual staff or trustees.
- Unique Character – Treowen’s authentic, lived-in character, enables guests to feel comfortable and be themselves. All decisions—repairs, changes, and daily operations—should protect and reinforce this unique atmosphere, improving Treowen without over-modernising it.
- Stories of Treowen – Treowen’s history and place in wider culture is an ongoing story that should be shared in a way that is accessible and engaging. The estate should connect different elements of this heritage with current activities and the wider community in a variety of creative ways.
- Publicness – The ways Treowen is open to the public should reflect its distinctive strength in creating deep personal connections between the public as guests and the house as a living space. This is about enabling people to use space in variety of ways to help make Treowen a multi-functional venue and contribute to the lived-in atmosphere.
- Place to Live – Maintaining and enhancing the character of Treowen as a place to live, caring for it as place that people call home. Including acting as a good landlord for its residential community.
- Environmental – The gardens and wider landscape are integral part of Treowen’s character and should be carefully managed in a way that protects and enhances this character while responding to the climate and nature emergencies.
What does uniquely Treowen mean?
Treowen is a place where history is alive, not on display. It offers the rare experience of stepping into a building of great age and significance while still feeling entirely at ease within it, as if it were your own home.
At its heart, Treowen represents a living continuity: a house that has remained in use for nearly 400 years and still fulfils its original purpose—bringing people together.
What makes it unique is the balance it holds:
- Grand yet unpretentious
- Historic yes usable
- Atmospheric yet comfortable
- Remarkable yet welcoming
Visitors don’t observe Treowen—they inhabit it. They cook, gather, explore, celebrate, and create memories within its rooms, becoming part of an ongoing story.
It is also a place of freedom and discovery, where people are invited to roam, touch, and explore for themselves.
Emotionally, Treowen stands apart as a deeply personal place:
- A setting for milestones and traditions
- A source of inspiration for music, art and creativity
- A place people return to over decades and across generations
Above all, Treowen is defined by its authenticity and aliveness. It is cherished precisely because it is not perfected or preserved in a static way—it is slightly worn, gently evolving, and unmistakably real.
In one sentence
Treowen is a rare historic home where people are not just visitors but guests—free to live, explore, and create memories in a place that remains authentically and continuously alive.