Cymer Abbey

Founded for the Cistercian order in 1198, this simple abbey church has a great and varied history, much like the other sites on this list, for having simple beginnings and then being involved in the wars of Edward I. It started off life as an abbey dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and provided a home for the Cistercian community that tended to their sheep and horses for Llewelyn the Great.

However, after the dissolution of the 1530s, not much of the abbey survives. The remaining ruins include walls surviving about nave archway height and the remains of the church and the west tower. You are also able to see the foundations of the cloister and other monastic buildings.

The surrounding landscape is still very picturesque, especially with the ruins of the abbey to juxtapose the natural greenness of the area. So visit and explore the abbey, marvel at the aspects that are still standing and feel the rich history that is embedded into the very stone.