News
Sponsor Craig Bufton as he runs The Monks Way as part of his training to complete 5 ultra marathons to support SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society).
This year, I’m taking on the challenge of running multiple ultra marathons to support SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society). Currently have 5 races confirmed (distance in miles – 40, 30, 100, 50, 100). Every step I take will be for the babies who never got to take theirs and for the families who must navigate life with a hole that can never truly be filled.
This cause is deeply personal to me. Together, my wife and I have felt the heartbreak of neonatal death firsthand, and I’ve witnessed the profound devastation it has brought to family and friends who’ve experienced this tragic loss.
Roger Coward
Former Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust Chairman Roger Coward passed away on Monday 20th January 2025. Roger was a significant influence in the recent development of the Trust. He joined the committee in 2013 at a time when the Trust’s traditional membership was waning and set about the task of finding new ways in which to make our activities more relevant to a wider audience and thereby draw in a wider membership. A significant development was the opportunity to collaborate in the Sacred Landscapes project with Professor David Austin of Lampeter. This aimed to compare the landscapes and history of Cistercian monasteries located in upland areas with those in lowland situations. The association has continued through our research group which has attracted a number of new enthusiastic members and as a result helped to refocus the activities of the Trust. A direct outcome is our current involvement in a book on Cwmhir Abbey in a series edited by Professor Austin.
Roger was also editor and chief writer of the Abbey Cwmhir Millennium book, an undertaking which recorded all the families living in Abbey Cwmhir at the time as well as the many facets of the history of the abbey and the wider context of the landscapes of the Abbey Cwmhir community area. Maps were produced and, of course, numerous photographs, as ever of the highest quality.
He had wide-ranging interests in the world of the arts. He was an accomplished photographer as demonstrated by a recent exhibition of his work in Liverpool. He used his talent to produce a documentary series about life in the inner suburbs of Birmingham and other big cities. He also worked in the theatre. Some of his extensive output is held at the National Archives. He was a good pianist, being accompanist to a chamber group based in Presteigne.
We are pleased to record his achievements.
Abbeycwmhir Heritage Walk featured in The Times
More information about our walking trails is given here
The CBA Wales/Cymru Spring Meeting was hosted this year by the Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust.
CBA Wales/Cymru Chair Mike Green opened proceedings with an update on CBA Wales/Cymru activities. He reported on the publication of Archaeology in Wales Volume 61, the Festival of Archaeology Event at Powis Castle on 15th July and the Memorandum of Agreement recently agreed between CBA local groups and central CBA.
Mel Walters introduced us to the work of Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust. While the Trust is close to 40 years old, the formation of a Community Heritage Project and collaboration with the Sacred Landscapes of Medieval Monasteries Project in 2020 has brought about renewed energy. A team of people with a wide range of skill sets has come together to take forward research on Abbey Cwmhir and its granges.
Professor David Austin then eloquently explained the collaboration in more detail. The Strata Florida Trust Research Project and the Abbey Cwmhir Trust are working under the AHRC funded Sacred Landscapes of Medieval Monasteries Project to undertake fieldwork and analysis leading to the inclusion of a study of the Abbey Cwm-hir history and landscape within the Strata Florida Trust Book Series. David took us through the results of the work thus far, placing Abbey Cwmhir in the context of Strata Florida Abbey. https://www.strataflorida.org.uk/
Julian Ravest enlightened us as to the techniques and potential of drone flown photogrammetry for enhanced survey, recording and interpretation of archaeological earthwork features on a landscape scale, illustrated with examples of both know and newly discovered sites. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Julian+Ravest
Julian Lovell brought us up to date with the post dissolution phase of Abbey Cwmhir and then ably guided us on a tour of the Abbey remains. Some interesting discussions took place about the original layout and size of the Abbey and associated buildings and the economy of the area and how that changed post dissolution.
Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust hosted The Pilgrimage long distance walk from Strata Florida Abbey to Abbey Cwmhir on 9 July 2022.
The weather was fantastic and our walkers enjoyed either the mini-pilgrimage from Strata Florida to Pont Marteg (16 miles), or the full pilgrimage (25 miles) to Abbey Cwmhir.
The walk follows the route that the Cistercian monks would have taken to walk between the two abbeys and it provides an unrivalled opportunity to experience the remote uplands of the Cambrian Mountains.
Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust is delighted and honoured to have been able to welcome HRH Prince Charles to Abbey Cwmhir on 10th December 2021
National Volunteering Week – celebrates and thanks volunteers for their time, energy, commitment values and skills.
The Trust hosted an Afternoon Tea Party for our Volunteers to thank them for all the amazing support that the Trust has received in the last year.
November 2019 – Research Group formed
Cadw, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, Prof Austin and Dr Bezant from Sacred Landscapes Project Strata Florida and Julian Ravest from Radnorshire Society agreed to support Abbeycwmhir Heritage Trust by forming a Research Group to advise on the heritage aspects of our project. More information about the team can be found on our About Us page.
November 2019 – Drop-In Community Event
We held a very successful drop-in event on 23 November, attended by over 100 people. Thank you everyone who helped us set up the event (including PAVO and our many cake makers) and those of you who came along on the day.
- The aims of the event were to:
show the results of a recent drone survey and dig to find a medieval graveyard, and - find out how interested our community is in why the abbey was built, how it functioned and what has happened since.
Many people expressed their interest in getting involved in helping to demystify this important part of our local heritage, and most were keen to be kept informed as our studies unfold.
If you weren’t able to join us on the day, but would like to be on our volunteer or mailing list, please get in touch with us at history.cwmhirabbey@gmail.com.
August 2019 – Discovery of medieval graveyard
Clywd-Powys Archaeological Trust carried out excavations at Home Farm, Abbeycwmhir that revealed a medieval graveyard to the west of the Abbey ruins. A full description of this dig will become available on CPAT’s website.
