Foel Ispri, Mine Workings

Explorer Tom Abaty Cymer, or Cymer Abbey, sits near the Mawddach estuary with a remarkable talent for looking peaceful after a decidedly difficult history. Its church walls stand in open country, and the mountains seem to lean in to hear what the monks got up to. They would probably prefer you to think of prayer; sheep and money were part of the story too. Cistercian monks founded the abbey in 1198. Their order built a network of houses across Wales and farmed large flocks, turning wool into income as well as clothing. Cymer was never among the wealthiest monasteries. Conflict between Welsh rulers and English kings battered this region in the thirteenth century, and the community struggled. The surviving church remains are substantial enough to show the scale of the original plan, but the quiet setting tells its own story of an abbey far from any great city. Walk around the surviving walls and try to picture the daily round: worship in the church, work on the estate and constant worry about the next political upheaval. It is easy to turn ruins into romance; these stones belonged to a hard-working community that had to keep itself fed. The rivers and roads nearby helped connect the monks to the wider world, even when their valley seemed remote. Cadw looks after the site and entry is free. It publishes seasonal daytime opening hours; the ground is generally level, though rain can make it muddy or slippery. There is a small car park and no visitor toilets. Check the hours before making the journey. The abbey asks for no grand performance from you, just a slow walk and a little imagination with its feet on the ground.