Strata Florida Abbey

Strata Florida Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Ystrad Fflur ) 

A former Cistercian abbey 

situated just outside Pontrhydfendigaid, 

near Tregaron in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. 

Visit Date April 2024

The West Front Gateway

Founded in 1164 it was established by white-robed Cistercian monks also known as 'The White Canons' as part of a movement that spread across much of western Europe in the early Middle Ages.

Stata Florida was consecrated in 1201.

Click on any image to see enlarged version

The area around St Davids was occupied by the Norman Marcher lordship of Pembroke by the early 12th century, with St Davids firmly under Norman influence after that, the princely Dinefwr family of Deheubarth transferred their patronage to Strata Florida, and interred many of their family members there.

The Nave

Strata Florida became the most famous church in Wales after St Davids –­ a place of pilgrimage and a linchpin of Welsh culture.

Detailing on the west front

Strata Florida was founded through the patronage of Rhys ap Gruffydd. In 1184, a further charter was issued by Lord Rhys, reaffirming Strata Florida as a monastery under the patronage of Deheubarth, a principality of South Wales.

The Monks Choir (North Transept in background)

By 1238 Strata Florida had been raised to a powerful religious centre of great importance. At this time Prince Llewellyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great 1173-1240) held council here forcing the Welsh leaders to acknowledge his son Dafydd

The South Transept

Strata Florida became an important and powerful religious centre. Around 1238, Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth held a council at Strata Florida. It was here that he made the other Welsh leaders acknowledge his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn (1212 - 1246) as his rightful successor. 

In 1401, during the early years of Owain Glyndŵr's (Prince of Wales 1400 – 1409) rebellion, the monks were evicted from the monastery by King Henry IV (King of England 1399 - 1430) as they were seen to be sympathetic to Glyndwr. 

Henry then turned the Abbey into a military base.

Under the control of a commander The Earl of Worcester, the abbey held a garrison of several hundred men for the battles against the Welsh Rebels against the English crown.

At the end of the conflicts with Glyndwr, the monks were allowed to return to the abbey.

The Chapter House

As part of the ongoing conflict between Henry VIII and the catholic church in 1539, the abbey was dissolved and the abbey was sold off. 

The site was abandoned and allowed to fall into a ruinous state.

Much later  Stephen Williams, a railway engineer and founder member of the Cambrian Archaeological Association, took interest in the Abby and began excavations of the site and in 1848  the association leased the Abbey site to create better displays and presentations to the public.  

Click on any image to enlarge

The present parish church of St. Mary, within the boundaries of the graveyard, may have been built with stone taken from the monastic site.

Some of the descendants of the Lord Rhys have been buried at this Abbey.

Among the buried here are 11 princes of the Welsh royal house of Dinefwr.

Notable burials include Prince Gruffydd ap Rhys II

The Presbytery with the plinth marking the high alter

The notable poet Dafydd ap Gwilym is said to be buried under a yew in the churchyard. 

Because of these important burials, Strata Florida has been referred to as ‘the Westminster Abbey of Wales’.

Click on any image to enlarge

The site was designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1919 and is now in the care of Cadw.

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Google Reference: -
52.27541915307934, -3.839258866304253

What Three Words reference: -
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OS Details: -
OS Grid Ref: SN 74624 65701 : Altitude:194 m

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with good b roads to site with Abbey Road signposted off the b4343 at
Pontrhydfendigaid. Access is currently free and the site has good information boards available.


There is a visitor centre on site but the opening times are varied. It was closed when I visited but I believe there may be a small café and toilets . Don't rely on this being open for your visit.

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Flint Castle

 

Started in 1277 Flint castle is the earliest and most unusual of Wales’ English-built castles

Flint was the first castle to be constructed as part of Edward I campaign

against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in north Wales.

Visit Date April 2024

Flint Castle from the river Dee

Edward I (also known as Edward Longshanks was King of England from 1272 to 1307) took great care in choosing the location.  Flint's low-lying position may seem odd for a fortification, but Edward identified the importance of the location which ensured access by sea as well as by land.  

The Northwest Tower

Edward I needed quickly to strengthen his rule in Wales and set about his programme of castle building. Flint was his first and was seen as the gateway to Wales with its position being only a day's march from Chester on the east and a further days march to another planned castle at Rhuddlan in the west.

It started what was to become Edward I's "Iron Ring". A chain of fortresses designed to encircle North Wales and oppress the Welsh.

Speed was important in the building of the castle and indeed also regarding the fortified town. Perhaps this accounts for the simple design of the castle. Workers were brought from England to build the castle and soon the initial workforce of 970 diggers, 300 carpenters and 200 stonemasons, grew to 2300 very quickly. Incentives were given to workers in the bonuses paid, ‘by the King’s gift’ to those workers who excelled, and deductions for those whose work was deemed tardy or substandard.

The Great Tower or Donjon

The castle is based on a square plan with a detached keep. The inner bailey has round towers on each side, with one of the towers detached and this being the most striking Great Tower or Donjon.

This design was new for Britain at the time however influences can be seen based on Savoyard models used in France and Edward likely saw this design during his 1270 route to the Crusades or perhaps just as likely his master mason James of Saint George would have been influenced by Jean Mesot when they worked together in Savoy, France.

Entrance to inner bailey from outer bailey

The outer bailey, most of which is now gone would have been the main entrance into the castle complex. The entrance into the main inner bailey area would have been over a large wooden drawbridge with a portcullis.

Much of this is gone now with the modern-day entrance being insignificant compared to the large, impressive structure it once was.

The Southwest Tower (Ditch filled in)

The ditch that it would have spanned would have been 20 feet deep and it would have been part of the moat defence for this part of the castle. It is important to note that it would also have been tidal with the river Dee completely isolating the inner bailey at high tide.

Inner Courtyard

Not much is left of the inner courtyard structures, the outlines of which can be seen along with the inner wall.

Inner showing location of well.

The main work buildings would have been here along with the inner bailey well.

The Great Tower, which was the main keep, would have also needed to be accessed by another wooden bridge from the inner bailey.

The Great Tower or Donjon

The walls were 5 metres thick and at the base would have been even thicker and there was an additional well in base of the tower.

Inner well of the Great Tower

Vertical channels in the walls with chutes to the moat were used to clear latrines from the upper floors.

Vertical latrine chutes of the Great Tower

This part of the structure would also have included a chapel.

The remaining three towers were connected by the fortification walls.

The Southwest Tower

These towers would have stood in addition to the wall fortifications which would have had arrow-slit holes in them unfortunately this has now all gone and the low remains of the base of the wall are all that is left to see.

Inner walls

These towers would have had living accommodations above with combat levels with more arrow slits in the walls.

Inner Walls

Flint Castle's defining moment in history came on Palm Sunday, 1282 when Dafydd ap Gruffudd ( Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283) launched a surprise attack. Dafydd's rebellion forced his brother, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd ( prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the prince of Wales  from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 1282), to join him against the English. The Welsh rising was easily suppressed, Llewelyn, perhaps the only man capable of dealing with the English threat, was killed later that year.

Fortification wall leading to the N/W Tower

Then in 1294, Flint was attacked again during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn (leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule). This time the commander of the castle, William de la Leye, was forced to set fire to much of the town to prevent it from being captured by the Welsh. The castle remained unconquered, and after the attack the town was soon rebuilt.

The N/W Tower

Flint Castle is also famous as the location of a fateful meeting in 1399 between Richard II and his rival to the crown Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV), an event immortalised in Shakespeare’s Richard II.

It was at Flint that Richard attended chapel and then climbed the great tower walls to view the arrival of Bolingbroke. Here Richard agreed to abdicate

Wall leading to the S/W Tower

The castle once again confirmed its military value during the Welsh rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr (the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales). The invasion of 1403 destroyed only the town, while the stronghold remained unconquered until the uprising fell in 1408.

During the time of the English Civil War, Flint castle was occupied by Royalist forces, then in the years 1643-1645, it changed hands twice. Eventually, following a three-month siege, it was captured by the armies of Parliament led by General Mytton in 1647.

To prevent its re-use, the castle was destroyed on Oliver Cromwell’s order.

The uncovered entrance to the inner bailey with the great tower in the distance

In 1784-85, parts of the castle were dismantled to make way for the construction of the county jail within the outer ward - a continuation of the castle’s traditional role within the county town. Later photographs of the jail show the approach to the building over what would have been the drawbridge to the gatehouse of the outer bailey, now mettled and flanked by a low stone wall. The jail was closed in around 1880 and became the headquarters for the 5th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The building was closed in 1969 and demolished in 1970, leaving no trace of its existence.

View southwards of the Great Tower

The castle was transferred to Cadw in the 1980s.

(Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect historic buildings and structures, landscapes and heritage sites)

Footer:Visit Information: -
Google Reference: -
53.25173938647722, -3.129849610279812

What Three Words reference: -
///embraced.buzzer.glorified

OS Details: -
OS Grid Ref:SJ 24706 73343

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with the site well signposted off the A458 in the town of Flint, North Wales, with a large car park (53.25189984860036, -3.1311048763469933) which is free.
Access is currently free and the site has good information boards available.


There are no facilities on site but the town of Flint has all the amenities you would expect.

A full list of blogs can be found at my website

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Another Place

Another Place is a modern sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley

It is located on Crosby Beach near Liverpool in the UK.

The sculpture consists of 100 cast iron figures.

Each figure is 6ft 2in tall (189 centimetres) and weighs 650 kilograms.

Visit Date: April 2024

This sculpture was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1997 followed by Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium before being placed on Crosby Beach on July 1st 2005

The figures were cast at Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, West Yorkshire and the Joseph and Jesse Siddons Foundry in West Bromwich.

Each of the sculptures has been modeled on the artist's own naked body and because of the nakedness of the sculptures they first aroused some controversy.

Another Place

In 2006, the local council refused permission for the statues to remain at the beach in Merseyside however this decision led to the establishment of The company Another Place Ltd which campaigned for the figures' permanent installation.

Click on any image for larger size

In March 2007, permission was granted for Another Place to remain at Crosby Beach permanently.

There is little doubt that these once-controversial figures have led to an increase in tourism to the beach. 

Describing the work Antony Gormley stated 

"I always wanted this to be an open work. The sculptures that comprise ANOTHER PLACE are not statues of ideal or heroic figures from history, they are simply copies of my own body that I used to indicate a human space in space at large."

"Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature. He explains: The seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of the sky seems to question the earth's substance. In this work, human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet".

"I can remember the day after we finished the installation in Liverpool, every single work, through its wristband, had a rose in it with a tag on it saying Make Poverty History".

Click on any image for larger size

The statues have been subjected to corrosion and colonization of marine animals as well as trash from the sea over the years. 

In 2012, biologists from the University of Liverpool studied the colonisation of the statues by sessile intertidal organisms, such as invasive species of barnacles.

Sir Antony Gormley (born 1950) is renowned for his sculptures and installations including Angel of the North 1998 and Event Horizon 2007 – 2015.

There is also a similar sculpture by the artist called Horizon Field.

Horizon Field was erected in 2010. The installation features 100 life-sized cast iron statues of the human body left at exactly 2,039 m (6,690 ft) above sea level in the Austrian Alps. It is the first art project of its kind erected in the Alps and the largest landscape intervention in Austria to date. The work covers an area of 150 square kilometres (58 square miles) in the Land Vorarlberg.

Although I have tried to capture the feeling of this work of art being there gives a whole new feeling of belonging. The huge area that is covered by this work. The work covers a distance of almost 3km, with the pieces placed 250m apart along the tide line, and up to 1km out towards the horizon. 

All the statues face out to sea.

Footer:Visit Information: -
Google Reference: -
53.49540914869752, -3.059778636907985

What Three Words reference: -
///buns.rapid.petty

OS Details: -
SD 29743 00476

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with a large car park. (53.496091062048464, -3.0581922009735023) 

There are public toilets in the car park.







A full list of blogs can be found at my website

 

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Trethevy Quoit

Known locally as "the giant's house".

Standing 9 feet (2.7 m) high, this magnificent 5000-year-old

ancient structure consists of Six standing stones capped by a large slab.

Visit Date March 2024

Trethevy Quoit

Walking up to this structure, it is in a field close to some modern houses you do not get a feel of the size of this structure but as you approach the magnificence of this site overwhelms you.

Click on any image to enlarge

There are many of these burial sites in the UK and Cornwall has a large number of them.

Like many other portal structures, Trethevy Quoit would have been originally covered by a mound.

In the 19th century, William Copeland Borlase studied the site and made drawings of it.

A later investigation of the remnants suggests a mound diameter of almost 6.5 metres.

It is impossible to tell if stones have been removed from the site but the remaining seven stones a and an estimated 10.5-ton cover slab were inside the mound.

Trethevy Quoit

There are some unusual aspects of Trethevy Quoit, not only does it have 6 supporting stones forming its internal chamber, but it also has an antechamber at the 'front'. The only other Cornish quoit to boast two chambers is Lanyon Quoit.

Particularly interesting is the circular hole cut in the highermost corner of the capstone. Speculation has informed us that the hole could have been used for astronomy. The movement and settling over the millennia that have passed means it is impossible to prove, but it is peculiar and thought to be unique to this megalithic site.

Click on any image to enlarge

The massive capstone sits at a steep angle, and this is unlikely if this was the capstone's original position. At the lower side of the capstone, five small hollows can be found.

The entrance stone at the front in most portal structures can't be moved. however, Trevethy Quoit is a rare exception here, because a small rectangular stone moving at the bottom right of the front allows access to the chamber.

There is a rectangular cut-out at the side of the upright stone that forms the front of the main chamber it is unclear if this is a later modification of if it was used and an entrance this is not seen on any other Cornish sites.

Trethevy Quoit

Trethevy Quoit was first mentioned in 1584 by John Norden, in a topographical and historical account of Britain.

He described it as “A little howse raised of mightie stones, standing on a little hill within a fielde”.

Trethevy Quoit

In Cornish mythology, the monument is known as the Giant’s House and was believed to have been created by this fabled race.

It also like many other structures in Cornwall and indeed Wales it has links with King Arthur legend and is believed to have been magically built by Merlin.

Additional information:-

A Cromlech or Dolmen is an ancient underground tomb typically built with several large upright stones and a capstone on top. In its day, the whole thing would have been covered by a mound of earth. In some parts of the UK especially in Cornwall these structures are called Quoits.

Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000–2000 BC)

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Google Reference: -
50.493185727515105, -4.455456201119047

What Three Words reference: -
///countries.extent.nibbles

OS Details: -
SX 25936 68813 : Altitude:725 ft

Additional information.

Visiting is fairly easy although the roads become just lanes for some of the way and parking is a small car park for about three cars (50.493164985542144, -4.454975466726607) and a short walk into the adjacent field.
The approach is via the B3254 and turn off towards the village of Darite. On this road you will see the turn off for the quoit.










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