Strata Marcella

Strata Marcella was a Cistercian abbey on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool in Powys. Founded in 1170 by Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of Powys, it became the largest Cistercian abbey in Wales by the early 13th century. The abbey church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and its nave stretched 200 feet long. Monks from Strata Marcella later founded Valle Crucis Abbey in the Vale of Llangollen in 1200. The abbey played a significant role during Welsh independence struggles against Norman rule. Prince Owain Cyfeiliog retired there and was buried in its grounds after his death in 1197. His son Gruffyd ap Gwenwynwyn entered the monastery when close to death around 1260. The abbey suffered damage during the Welsh wars of independence and the Owain Glyndŵr rising in the 15th century. Today only a few courses of stones remain in a meadow beside the infant River Severn. Excavations revealed the church had an overall length of 273 feet with a 30-foot square tower at the crossing. Finds including 13th-century tiles and stone fragments are held in the Powysland Museum in Welshpool. The site was excavated in 1890 and recently resurveyed by Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust.