Strata Florida - Vale of Flowers

 Well, today has grabbed me by the throat somewhat!  The day carried on a little from last night, when the farmers up the lane cut my hedge for me and came in to ask had I noticed that I had a side light bulb gone on the car? He got me to open the bonnet catch and checked it for me and said he'd be down this morning with a replacement bulb, as they always had plenty of oddments in store. Before heading off, he helped me with the Christmas tree, which needed an inch or so sawing off the bottom, so I could put it in water (the tree holder has a water reservoir too) and we got it set up in the living room.  So that saved me some hassle.   He was then as good as his word and fixed the light for me this morning, and I sent him back with a Date Gingerbread cake and a pot of Jumbleberry and Apple Jam.  He has two brothers (they all run the farm together) and his mum is no longer up to cooking or baking, so they should enjoy that.  I have promised them another (bigger) cake for Christmas and some more jam as a thankyou.  Since Keith died, they have  said they will look out for me, and they are, bless them.  How wonderful it is to have such good neighbours.

Sorry it's so dark but it was a gloomy day yesterday.

 I have been for a nice walk along the lane for a mile and a half and cut snippets of holly with berries, dried Oak leaves twigs, Ivy blooms, and picked up no end of pine twigs wrenched off the tree by the storm.  These are now currently in a bag in the greenhouse, and I have already made up a small wreath base using some of the Clematis vine rescued from Tam's when Jon cut it down.  One job off the to do list and some fresh air and exercise too.  I'll make up the wreath tomorrow.

The farmhouse which is waiting for funding for restoration.

I've done two loads of washing, so am up to date with that.  Then I decided I really HAD to use up a tub of plums I bought more than a week ago and popped to the Co-Op for Pears and Lemons. I was just going to do the first stage of High Dumpsie Dearie Jam this afternoon, but it was going so smoothly I carried on and have made three BIG jars, 2 small ones and some leftover for my breakfast toast for a few days. I have to say, down the years I have made so much jam it is automatic and no problem.

I've got chicken curry from Friday for tonight's evening meal, and then I shall put on Outlander (Series 6) and dress the tree, then sit down with an embroidered tote bag I'm working on.

I loved the scroll embellishments on the stonework.

Also the fact that EW made their mark in 178?

I assume this was a baptismal pool?

The Abbey was very well provided for, having a number of secondary Granges which kept it supplied and funded - there was a Mill, a Fruit Farm, an Arable Farm, Fish Lakes, an Oxen Farm, a Pig Farm, a Dairy Farm, a Great Meadow and many many acres of sheep grazing up on the mountain pastures.  Ffair Rhos was the local market.  There was also lead ore from the Abbey owned mines.  You would think this would have kept them very well provided for indeed, but things went pear-shaped when they leased off the land and lived from the rentals, and by the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, there were only 6 monks remaining to evict!  Many thanks to the Local Drove Roads site which provided this information.

If you have followed this blog for a while you may remember Tam and I doing walks just outside of Rhayader, where there is a beautiful area of Nature Reserve at Gilfach.  That was also part of Strata Florida land once - and this extended up beyond Hafod, the estate we visited this summer.  There was a Monks Trod from Strata Florida to Abbey Cwm Hir, a distance of some 24 miles as the crow flies.

The Abbey has the most tremendous history and proudly houses the remains of several sons of the Lord Rhys, ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Deheubarth, who gave the Cistercian monks huge tracts of land which supported the sheep and cattle of the Abbey and provided their sustenance and income. Mind you, he had seized Ceredigion in the first place!  HERE is a time line of important events at Strata Florida.

There were more burial stones than this behind us.

The names in bold show who was buried here.  The good and the important in Medieval Welsh history.

The Lord Rhys (Rhys ap Gruffydd)(1131 - 1197) was buried in St Davids Cathedral.

One of the small chapels.

Putlogs (for scaffolding) in a section of remaining wall - these went right through the (very thick) wall.

The remains of Medieval Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilym were laid to rest beneath one of the ancient yew trees near the church.

Some of the remaining Medieval tiles, which included Birds, Griffins, Fleur de Llys and an enigmatic Man with a Mirror, possibly symbolising vanity or else self knowledge.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting Strata Florida. It has SUCH a history.