About

Strata Florida Abbey or Ystrad Fflur as local people know it, was built in 1164 and is the final resting place for generations of medieval Welsh princes. The site of the Abbey has been a sacred valley for over four thousand years and there is evidence of a long history of people on the land going back to 2500-2000 B.C.  At the head of the Glasffrwyd valley, at Blaenglasffrwd, is a large complex of monuments dating from the early Bronze Age or even the Late Neolithic period.

The abbey of Strata Florida – Latin for ‘Vale of Flowers’ is evocative and atmospheric and was the final resting place of many of the Welsh princes of Deheubarth. It was established by white-robed Cistercian monks as part of a movement that spread 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. In th nearby St Mary's churchyard, the great 14th-century Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilym is said to be buried under a yew tree. 

CANOLFAN YMWELWYR ABATY YSTRAD FFLUR - STRATA FLORIDA ABBEY VISITOR CENTRE

From the 1st of  April 2025, in partnership between Cadw and Strata Florida Trust, the Abbey Visitor Centre reopened to the public. The partnership will ensure that visitors can have seamless access to both the Abbey ruins currently run by Cadw, and the exhibition currently run by the Trust.

Visitors are now able to experience for themselves the peace and inspiration for which the site is renowned and see how foundations are being laid for its future as a place of learning and cultural engagement in tune with its rich history. The Visitor Centre will be staffed from 10am until 4pm every day from 1st April until 31st October. 

The Abbey Visitor Centre s accessible for wheelchair users and pushchairs.  There is free parking nearby, in addition to a drop off space directly outside the entrance. 

Tea, coffee and light snacks are available, as well as a range of locally sourced produce, books and beautiful gifts. 
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Entry to the Abbey is free but donations are encouraged so as to support the continued running of this important and iconic site.