Tintern, known worldwide as the home of the spectacular ruins of Tintern Abbey, was originally a Romano-Celtic settlement which was built at a fording point on the River Wye. In the 11th century this Cistercian Abbey was built on the earlier Roman site, and the small village of Tintern developed to the north of the Abbey on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, south-eastern Wales.
Today this picturesque setting of river and wooded slopes is dominated by the awesome ruins of Tintern Abbey. It is due to the Abbey that the village was established to provide workers on its farmlands, and services required by the Abbey for its many illustrious visitors - such as taverns and smithies. When the Abbey was at its peak it was a prosperous and busy centre with up to 400 monks living within the compound. After the Act of Dissolution was passed the Abbey closed in 1536 and the local economy went into decline until the wire making industry began in the 1560’s. Many people were employed in this new industry at the site known as the Forestry Yard, with Tintern reputably producing the first brass in Britain!! In the 19th century the last mill was closed and luckily was replaced by tourism which was just beginning to develop, aided by the arrival of the railway. Today, tourism is the major industry in the village, with many thousands of people drawn to Tintern for the beautiful scenery, and of course the ruins of the Abbey.
Tintern Abbey, the first Cistercian centre in Wales, is set in a quiet meadow in a bend of the River Wye, overlooked by wooded hills, and is one of the finest relics of Britain’s monastic age. It was founded in 1131 and expanded well into the 15th century, becoming very rich, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII. At this time most of the ancillary buildings disappeared leaving only the shell of the original Abbey Church. Although the roof is gone, the magnificent windows, with their well preserved fine detail, and the soaring arches of the crossing, have survived to convey the great size of the building. There is an exhibition in the grounds which gives an insight into the life and work of the monks here. The Anchor Inn was probably the Abbey’s Watergate and a 13th century arch links it to the slipway.
Tintern is a centre for several pleasant walks especially those along the river or in the nearby wooded hills. It is however also possible to walk to Offa’s Dyke, an 8th century ditch that was constructed as the boundary and first line of defense between what is now England and Wales!!
Other places of interest within 30 kilometres.
Chepstow, an historic fortress town built on limestone cliffs, with a huge Norman castle overlooking the River Wye and the medieval streets of the old town.
Monmouth has an 11th century castle where Henry V was born in 1387, Tudor and Georgian buildings and the Monnow Bridge, the only Norman fortified bridge surviving in Britain. There is also an excellent Nelson Museum, containing amongst other things, Nelson’s fighting sword and models of his ships.
Symonds Yat, one of the most beautiful views of the River Wye, best viewed from Yat Rock on the Gloucestershire side of the river.
Caerleon, meaning ‘Camp of the Legions’, where 6,000 troops of the Roman Empire were established to subdue the local inhabitants. The amphitheatre is the best of its kind in Britain.
Did you know that – during the 18th century, Tintern Abbey was considered to be the highlight of the WyeTour? A boat trip from Ross-on-Wye to Chepstow was available and attracted, among others, many eminent artists and writers.
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