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The abbey of Strata Florida – Latin for ‘Vale of Flowers’ – has stood on lush meadows beside the banks of the river Teifi since 1201.
It was established by white-robed Cistercian monks as part of a movement that spread like a tidal wave across the whole of western Europe in the early Middle Ages. Soon it became the most famous church in Wales after St Davids – a place of pilgrimage and a linchpin of Welsh culture.
There are unmistakable echoes of greatness among the ruins. The carved west doorway into the abbey offers an epic view down the nave to where the high altar once stood.
You can still see some of the incredible decorated tiles that would have covered the floors of the church. Griffins, birds and fleurs-de-lis surround the enigmatic ‘Man with the Mirror’. This 14th-century figure dressed in a doublet and close-fitting hood is reckoned to be a symbol of vanity.
Strata Florida, or Ystrad Fflur as local people know it, is the final resting place for generations of medieval Welsh princes. The great poet Dafydd ap Gwilym is said to be buried under a yew in the churchyard. No wonder it’s been called ‘the Westminster Abbey of Wales’.
Opening Details
Open all the time
1 April - 3 November 2019 Daily 10.00am - 5.00pm.
4 November 2019 - 31 March 2020 Daily 10.00am - 4.00pm. Free entry during this period. Closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Prices
Prices valid from April 2019:
Adult - £4.20
Family (2 Adults & up to 3 children) - £12.20
Seniors - £3.40
Juniors (Aged 5–17) / NUS / Armed Forces and Veterans - £2.50
Children under 5 - Free
Also at this Venue
Address
Pontrhydfendigaid,
Ceredigion,
SY25 6ES
Location
Directions
Map reference: SN 746657 Lat: 52.27562 Long: -3.83886
A487 south from Aberystwyth, left onto A4120 (signed for Devil's Bridge) and immediately right onto the B4340 (signed for Trawsgoed) and continue on this road to Pontrhydfendigaid. Or travelling west towards Aberystwyth on the A44, take the B4343/A4120 roads to Devil's Bridge and onto Pontrhydfendigaid. In the village, left where signed to the Abbey.
Bike: NCN Route No.82 passes 1.5 miles away close to Pontrhydfendigaid.
Parking: free
Accessible by Public Transport: 17 miles from Aberystwyth station
Nearby
Facilities
Credit cards accepted (no fee)
Gift shop
On-site light refreshments
Regional Tourist Board Member
Accepts groups
Children welcome
Dogs accepted
Smoking not allowed
Facilities for hearing impaired