Strata Florida Abbey

The Strata Florida Abbey is situated in a peaceful, secluded, uninhabited Welsh valley, and is surrounded by farmland. It was once home to Cistercian Monks and was founded in 1164 and moved to its present location in 1184. It took 90 years to complete the building works and unfortunately a short time later it was struck by a series of disasters, which caused it severe damage and destruction.

It is truly amazing that ruins of this fine, historical building still remain considering that in 1285 it was struck by lighting and nine years later it suffered as a result of the Welsh rebellion. A century on it was vandalised and left deserted and eventually left for military occupation during another revolt.

You can view the ruins from the west doorway as it is brilliantly preserved and holds unique stonework. From here you can also view the spectacular countryside in the background. At the original crossing for the church you can see some medieval floor tiles and some fragments of painted wall plaster. These are fine examples of the effort that went into the medieval monastries.