Strata Florida Abbey: Giant new Pilgrim statue unveiled

A 15ft tall (4.6m) hilltop statue has been officially unveiled after the original was blown over.

The Pilgrim overlooks the remains of 12th Century Strata Florida Abbey, near Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion.

A wooden statue, erected as a temporary installation in 2012, became a local landmark before collapsing in 2019, prompting calls for a replacement.

The new one is made of steel and oak and is anchored into place with a block of concrete embedded in the ground.

Community group chairman Jim Cowie said the original statue became a "well-loved icon of the local landscape", prompting a campaign to erect a permanent replacement.

"It was widely photographed, appeared in various publications and greetings cards," he said.

"Getting the Pilgrim resurrected has been a wonderful community effort."

About 140 people and businesses contributed £7,500 with a matching donation from the World Monuments Fund.

Sculptor Glenn Morris, from Builth Wells, Powys, created the temporary statue and was commissioned to make its replacement.

He used steel to form its skeleton with large pieces of oak bolted on and carved to form the body.

The statue is on private land which is not accessible to the public without the prior permission of the landowner.

Local people and supporters held a special service on Saturday to celebrate the new statue.