Vale of Ewyas facts for kids
The Vale of Ewyas (which is Dyffryn Ewias in Welsh) is a beautiful, hidden valley in the Black Mountains of Wales. It's part of the amazing Brecon Beacons National Park. This valley was carved out by the River Honddu, making it a special U-shaped valley with steep sides.
The Vale of Ewyas is famous for its stunning views and the old ruins of Llanthony Priory. You can also find several interesting churches here, like the ones at Capel-y-ffin and Cwmyoy. Sometimes people call it the "Llanthony Valley" because the village of Llanthony is right in the middle of it.
Contents
Exploring the Vale of Ewyas
The Vale gets its name from an old area called Ewias. This area might have been a small Welsh kingdom after the Romans left Britain. Later, after the Normans took over England and parts of Wales, it became a special, self-governing area called a Marcher lordship within the March of Wales. In 1536, the Vale became part of the new county of Monmouthshire. Other parts of Ewias to the east became part of Herefordshire.
The Gospel Pass and Unique Churches
At the very top of the Vale, you'll find the Gospel Pass. People say it got its name in the 12th century when people from the Third Crusade traveled through, sharing their message and raising money.
Close by, at Capel-y-ffin, there's a tiny church from the 1700s. It's one of the smallest churches in the whole country! The famous designer Eric Gill used to live near here.
Further south, near the valley's entrance, is Cwmyoy. The church here is very famous because it has slowly sunk over hundreds of years. This has made the building tilt and twist in a really unusual way, giving it a lot of character. A few miles away, deeper in the Black Mountains, is a place called Partrishow (or Patricio). It has an amazing church from the 11th century.
Stories of the Valley
Two well-known writers have written about the people and life in this area. Bruce Chatwin's book 'On the Black Hill' tells the story of sheep and cattle farmers in the uplands over the last 100 years. A local writer and professor, Raymond Williams, also wrote two books called 'People of the Black Mountains' a few years later, which also share stories about the people living here.
Getting Around the Vale
You can get to the Vale of Ewyas by a single-track road. This road connects Llanfihangel Crucorney, which is near Abergavenny, to Hay-on-Wye. The northern part of the valley, above Capel-y-Ffin, is in the county of Powys (which was historically Brecknockshire). The southern part is in Monmouthshire.
Llanthony Priory: A Historic Ruin
Llanthony Priory was once a large monastery belonging to the Augustinians, a group of monks. It was closed down by King Henry VIII during a time called the "dissolution of the Monasteries." This was when many monasteries across England and Wales were closed and their lands taken by the King.
Today, the ruins of the Priory are protected by an organization called Cadw, which looks after historic sites in Wales. You can visit the ruins for free, but dogs are not allowed inside. Many artists in the 1700s and 1800s painted these beautiful ruins, including the very famous artist JMW Turner.
There's also a part of the old Priory that is still used today as a hotel called The Abbey Hotel. It even has a pub in the cellar where you can get drinks during opening hours. Remember, the road to the Priory from either Hay in the north or Llanfihangel Crucorney is a single-track road, so it can get busy and cause delays.
