"The first religious house, Mynachlog Ystrad Fflur, or Strata Florida, was founded by Rhys ap Tewdwr, who became Prince of South Wales in 1079. He was a contemporary of William the Conqueror, and the Norman barons at this time were pushing their way in South Wales and gradually conquer- ing Glamorgan. It is probable that Rhys ap Tewdwr, rejoicing at some temporary victory over the Normans, determined to found a religious house as a thankoffering. He fixed the site on the spot now known as Hen Fynachlog, or the Old Abbey. The present farmhouse prac- tically occupies the position, where once stood the original Strata Florida religious house. It stands on the banks of a stream called the Fflur- hence the name Mynachlog Ystrad Fflur-a tributary of the Teify on its left bank and about a mile from its junction with the parent stream. This original religious house is sometimes referred to as a Cistercian Abbey. But this is clearly a mistake as no Cistercian Abbey was founded in Britain until 1129. Moreover, Camden refers to it as a Clugniac Priory and he was writing within fifty years of the dissolution of the religious houses, 1536-1539. It must have been founded between Rhys' accession 1079 and his death circa 1091. He endowed the new foundation with a certain amount of land in the district. Rhys ap Tewdwr was the last of his line to hold the title of king or prince of South Wales. His son and grandson were known as the Lord Griffith and the Lord Rhys, being, respectively, Griffith ap Rhys and Rhys ap Griffith. Griffith ap Rhys died in 1136 and his son, Rhys ap Griffith, found his grandfather's religious house at Ystrad Fflur in ruins. Tradition says that it was burnt during the wars. This probably took place within fifty years of its foundation. The grandson, the Lord Rhys ap Griffith, determined to found a Cistercian Abbey on the banks of the Teifi at a spot standing about a mile and a half from the old Clugniac Priory. He resolved to retain the original name, Mynachlog Ystrad Fflur, and he endowed it with the land granted by his grand- father to the original house, as well as further endowments of his own. The foundation of the second religious house, Strata Florida Abbey, took place in 1164, according to Brut y Tywysogion," and according to another authority in 1166.

[Transactions and Archaeological Record, Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, Vol. 8 1931 "Strata Florida Abbey", pp. 27-28.]