HHH CHAPTER 14: 7,000 years of ritual

The day didn’t start well. I got up early to catch a bus back to my route. Being Saturday, the options were more limited. I had to explore the bus station to find the right stop. I was saved by a coastal path walker who knew where the bus would arrive. It turns out she lives in the town I grew up in, right around the corner from my old house! His bus came and went, mine didn’t. A phone call to the bus company revealed that “there is no service today.”

In a bit of a bad mood, I headed to the train station and took a taxi. My main goal today was to explore an ancient monastic site, often called Mid Wales. The driver was chatty and friendly, so I returned to my route a little early and more cheerful.

7,000 years of ritual

I walked along the path to the old and ruined Abbey chatting with a man who had walked 750 kilometers along the Camino de Santiago. So we are both pilgrims of sorts, although neither of us claim any formal religious affiliation.

The morning was already warm when I entered what would have been the impressively large west door of the Cistercian Abbey, the entrance that most pilgrims would have used. The arch was decorated with Celtic symbols from previous centuries. These symbols also have connections to the Bronze Age people who were here perhaps 3,000 years ago.

The healing well

Right in the center of the site is a stepwell, which must have been spectacular, its position just below the enormous arches of the church tower. I had to recreate this in my imagination since only ruins remain. This well, which contains iron and other salts, is believed to have existed long before the monastery was founded in 1164. Wells containing iron are quite common in Wales and are believed to have healing properties.

On Saint David’s Day, sunrise and sunset align exactly along the axis of the church and would have illuminated the entire church and well with a ray of light.

Here is the close-up well seen.

One of the volunteer assistants told me that excavations in the area have found charcoal dating back 7,000 years, and above the site there are cairns from the Bronze Age. Offerings of similar ages have been found near the lakes that feed the sacred well. It seems this area has always been a place to appreciate the gift of water and its spiritual significance.

A poet and a 2,000-year-old yew tree

This yew is very old, with the trunk hollowed out and the branches destroyed by storms. Some say it is 2,000 years old, although as a 13th century Welsh poet is said to be buried beneath it, I think a pinch of salt is needed for the age of the tree. Nearby is this tombstone from the 10th century; The holes drilled in it were probably to hold candles or flares over the grave.

Looking up, the site lies in a bowl of hills and the name of the abbey, Strata Florida, means «flowery valley».

Fascinating views in the hills

Looking closely at the top of the eastern hill, a statue of a walking man is seen. It is meant to symbolize the struggles of the pilgrims who crossed swamps and mountains to visit the well, and the struggles of the workers who worked on the nearby farms and mines.

Another hill is the site of an Iron Age hillfort, although it is now difficult to distinguish.

I scanned the surrounding area for other wells, but couldn’t find them in the undergrowth. I discovered the layout of the medieval path, which was reoriented when the Abbey was built, so that it surrounded the perimeter and access to the monastery could be controlled. It seems that big landowners have always moved the roads as they see fit.

Starting the Teifi Valley trail.

The Strata Florida Valley is where the River Teifi rises from its source in the hills above the Abbey. From now on I will follow the river valley to the sea. Today I followed the path through pastures to the village of Pontrhydfendigaid (“the bridge of the blessed ford”).

When I found my accommodation, the host apologized, somehow the website had ended up booking the rooms twice and there was «no room at the inn».

Inquiries at the pub next door revealed a bed was available. So I didn’t have to sleep under a hedge. A dinner of marinated chicken preceded a deep sleep with happy dreams.

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