Archaeologists working in western Wales have discovered the remains of a medieval nunnery that was turned into a Tudor mansion. Founded by Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd in 1180 AD, the precise location of Llanllyr nunnery in the tranquil Aeron Valley has remained a mystery, until now.
The discovery was made by a team from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. Besides finding remains of the buildings, the archaeological team located the convent’s cemetary.
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“It is still early days but we are aiming to locate the medieval chapel and learn more about the extent of the cemetery using 18th century estate maps and a 17th century depiction of the mansion to guide our excavations,” explained Dr Jemma Bezant. “The discovery of the grave features is very exciting but it is unlikely that skeletal material remains in the acidic west Wales soils. If we are able to recover such fragments, they could tell us about who was buried here, how many lived on the estate and what kind of lives they led.
“Medieval nunneries like this are incredibly rare with only one other known in Wales. This is an incredibly important site dating back to the late 8th century at least and gives us an unparalleled opportunity to gather more information about monastic life. We know the nuns farmed sheep and cattle successfully and they would have tended mills, orchards and fishponds. There are medieval fairs nearby at Talsarn and LLanerchaeron and they could have been trading far and wide, with coastal access only a couple of miles away at Aberaeron.
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“We have already recovered fragments of sumptuous glazed floor tiles indicating that the nunnery was lavishly built and decorated. The site is on a wetland valley floor and waterlogged timbers are being analysed at Lampeter Dendrochronology laboratories.”
Very little is known about the layout of the convent and the activities that the nuns undertook. The convent was a daughter house of Strata Florida and this project complements the major research programme being undertaken by University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The house was dissolved on 26th Feb, 1537 and the estate eventually fell into the hands of the Lloyd family, and thereafter the Lewes who still own the main house and estate.
The convent was on the edge of a wetland valley floor that was drained and improved although watery places were likely to have held continuing spiritual significance for the nuns and pilgrims alike. Today the Llanllyr Water Company sells this water globally.
Dr Bezant added, “We would like to thank Cadw for funding this project, as well as the land owners and Llanllyr Water for supporting this project.”
Archaeologists working in western Wales have discovered the remains of a medieval nunnery that was turned into a Tudor mansion. Founded by Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd in 1180 AD, the precise location of Llanllyr nunnery in the tranquil Aeron Valley has remained a mystery, until now.
The discovery was made by a team from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. Besides finding remains of the buildings, the archaeological team located the convent’s cemetary.
“It is still early days but we are aiming to locate the medieval chapel and learn more about the extent of the cemetery using 18th century estate maps and a 17th century depiction of the mansion to guide our excavations,” explained Dr Jemma Bezant. “The discovery of the grave features is very exciting but it is unlikely that skeletal material remains in the acidic west Wales soils. If we are able to recover such fragments, they could tell us about who was buried here, how many lived on the estate and what kind of lives they led.
“Medieval nunneries like this are incredibly rare with only one other known in Wales. This is an incredibly important site dating back to the late 8th century at least and gives us an unparalleled opportunity to gather more information about monastic life. We know the nuns farmed sheep and cattle successfully and they would have tended mills, orchards and fishponds. There are medieval fairs nearby at Talsarn and LLanerchaeron and they could have been trading far and wide, with coastal access only a couple of miles away at Aberaeron.
“We have already recovered fragments of sumptuous glazed floor tiles indicating that the nunnery was lavishly built and decorated. The site is on a wetland valley floor and waterlogged timbers are being analysed at Lampeter Dendrochronology laboratories.”
Very little is known about the layout of the convent and the activities that the nuns undertook. The convent was a daughter house of Strata Florida and this project complements the major research programme being undertaken by University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The house was dissolved on 26th Feb, 1537 and the estate eventually fell into the hands of the Lloyd family, and thereafter the Lewes who still own the main house and estate.
The convent was on the edge of a wetland valley floor that was drained and improved although watery places were likely to have held continuing spiritual significance for the nuns and pilgrims alike. Today the Llanllyr Water Company sells this water globally.
Dr Bezant added, “We would like to thank Cadw for funding this project, as well as the land owners and Llanllyr Water for supporting this project.”
Click here to see images of the archaeological dig from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust
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