Welsh Culture Minister Jack Sargeant at Strata Florida with volunteers (Cadw)
Cadw partners with Strata Florida Trust to reopen medieval abbey visitor centre, with volunteers managing operations until October.
The visitor centre at the medieval Strata Florida abbey has reopened following a collaborative arrangement between Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, and the Strata Florida Trust.
The partnership sees local people now managing the site and visitor centre as part of a pilot programme running until October.
Strata Florida, meaning ‘Vale of Flowers’ in Latin, is a Cistercian abbey in Ceredigion that has stood on the banks of the river Teifi since 1184. The grand medieval site serves as a burial ground for generations of Welsh princes and represents a significant piece of Welsh heritage.
The Strata Florida Trust’s staff and volunteers, who are already working on the restoration of the nearby Mynachlog Fawr farmhouse and farm buildings, will manage the area during the pilot period.
The Trust operates a free-to-enter exhibition adjacent to the abbey, which presents the story of the farmhouse and local agricultural history through various objects including a spinning wheel, grandfather clock, and historic tools.
During Volunteers Week, Welsh Minister for Culture Jack Sargeant visited the site to acknowledge the Trust, its staff, and volunteers .
The Minister said:“Like many attractions, the Strata Florida visitor centre closed during the Covid pandemic but it has now had the opportunity to reopen, with Strata Florida Trust’s dedicated staff and volunteers taking the lead.
“Volunteering is vital to the well-being of our local communities; not only is it good for those who give, but for those who benefit. Their commitment, along with that of the Trust’s staff, has been instrumental in making this significant site of Welsh heritage available to visitors once again. Diolch yn fawr pawb.”
To enhance accessibility to Welsh heritage, the partnership is trialling free entry to the entire site, with visitors encouraged to make voluntary donations to support ongoing conservation and operation of the nationally significant monument.
Mick Taylor of the Strata Florida Trust added: “I’m delighted the Trust has partnered with Cadw for the benefit of Wales and beyond.
“Strata Florida is central to Welsh cultural identity, cherished nationally and internationally. Building on its legacy as a spiritual, political and literary centre with environmental lessons to teach, we’re working to transform the site for future generations.”
