LLANTARNAM Abbey has a rich history, many aspects of which remain mysterious, including exactly when it was founded.

One of the most prevalent rumours is that there is a secret tunnel running from The Greenhouse pub, all the way into the abbey itself.

Dave Standing, 53, has been studying the area surrounding the abbey since 2010, when he started a landscape study.

He said: “The first two years, I was at the abbey every single day and in every type of weather. The reason I was down there was that nobody else was looking.

“It is jammed with archaeology. The Cistercian monks were expert water engineers and they carried on the Roman water technology into the Middle Ages.”

South Wales Argus: Llantarnam Abbey

Llantarnam Abbey

Mr Standing was inspired to begin his archaeological exploration after listening to a talk by Professor David Austin, as part of the Strata Florida project that was carried out in west Wales.

Encouraged by the investigation into the Cistercian monastery in the Cambrian mountains, Mr Standing got permission from one of the Sisters in the Abbey to carry out some investigations.

Throughout the last decade of study, his finds have included a neolithic rubber, monastic tiles, evidence of a metalworking site, and a possible medieval trowel.

Mr Standing has a particular interest in the water supply conduits that were used to supply the abbey kitchens, as well as irrigating the fields.

Many of the legends surrounding abbeys across Britain centre around hidden tunnels, but most of these tunnels are actually water conduits.

South Wales Argus: The dig site

The dig site

There is a water conduit near The Greenhouse pub leading to the Abbey, but these are very dangerous to explore.

Mr Standing explained that the conduits around the abbey range from 30-60 metres in length, and that exploring them is very dangerous.

The tunnels are no longer maintained, which means that more decaying organic matter has been left to gather at the bottom, creating dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide.

Another problem is how quickly water levels can change in the tunnels if it rains. To get around these issues, most of the investigation has taken place on the river banks and fields.

Mr Standing wants to dedicate this story to Sister Anna, who passed away earlier this year. She gave him permission to begin investigating back in 2010.

He said: “Without her help, we would still not know anything about the Abbey.”