The Abbey of Cwmhir’s Granges of East Radnorshire May 19th

A Self Drive Field Trip with Dr John Davies 11am Meet at Clyro [SO 213433] on the A438 at Court Farm in the lay-by with a petrol station on the Hay side. Visit the granges at Clyro, Gabalfa, Brilley, Skyberry, Mynachdy Poeth, Begueldy and Mynachdy. Lunch possibly at the Radnorshire Arms Presteigne. Sharing & Lifts 01597 851021. Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust www.Abbeycwmhirhistory.org.uk The Granges of East Radnorshire, Hay to Knighton, have been described as the bread basket of Cwmhir Abbey. Surprisingly they are still farms today, eight hundred years later. But several of them were more than farms, we start at Court Farm – why is it called that? Why is a field in the area called Chapel Field or a road called Chapel Close? Although they seem a long way from Abbeycwmhir they were no more than a day’s ride and the Lay brothers, Conversi, would return to the Abbey at the weekend to attend services. The overall manager of the estate and the provider of food for the monks was the Cellarer—often depicted drinking wine from a barrel - a much deserved drink in his key role. The spiritual life of the lay brothers was supervised by the Master of the Converse. Some job!

Dates for your diary:

July 21st Saturday. Annual Pilgrimage: Strata Florida to Abbeycwmhir.

September 22nd Saturday. Founder Cadwallon Lecture: “Owain Glyndwr and Abbeycwmhir” by Gareth Jones. 07.30 pm Crossgates Community Hall LD1 .

Dec 1st Saturday. Christmas Cracker Walks around Abbeycwmhir.

December 9th Sunday 1 pm Memorial Service for Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, followed by a buffet lunch. 14.15 Talk: The Fowlers of Abbeycwmhir? by Julian Lovell, Landscape Historian. 15.30 Annual General Meeting. Philips Hall, Abbeycwmhir LD1 6PH. www.abbeycwmhirhistory.org.uk 01597 851021