Tintern Abbey

Tintern Abbey tickets: which one to buy

Tintern Abbey stands on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, in the Wye Valley on the border between Wales and England, and it is managed by Cadw, the Welsh heritage service, with an admission fee. It is one of the most romantic ruins in Britain, and it has inspired poets and painters, including William Wordsworth and J. M. W. Turner. The abbey is about twenty minutes by car from Chepstow and about an hour from Cardiff or Bristol, and tours of the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean often include it.

Buses run along the valley, but services are limited. The surrounding Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and walking paths lead up to viewpoints such as the Devil's Pulpit, overlooking the abbey. The site has a shop, and cafes and pubs are nearby. Cadw members and English Heritage members receive free or discounted entry.

Visiting Tintern Abbey: what to see

The abbey was founded in 1131 by Walter de Clare, lord of Chepstow, for Cistercian monks from France, the second Cistercian abbey in Britain. The present church was rebuilt between 1269 and 1301 in the Gothic style, and it remains remarkably complete, although roofless. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536, and its lead roof was stripped and sold. The ruins stand to almost their full height, with the tall west front and its great window, the arches of the nave and the transepts, and the east window, whose tracery once held stained glass. Around the church, visitors can explore the remains of the cloister, the chapter house, the refectory, the kitchens and the monks' dormitory.

In the eighteenth century, the ruins became a destination for tourists on the Wye Tour, and Wordsworth wrote his famous poem Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey in 1798. The west front's great window, with its tracery, frames views of the hills behind. The nave's tall arches are best seen from the inside, looking towards the east window. The cloister's foundations show the layout of the monks' daily life, with the chapter house and the book cupboard. The infirmary and abbot's lodgings stand to the north. The abbey's water system, with drains leading to the river, can still be traced. The site's visitor centre includes an exhibition about the Cistercians. Turner's watercolours of the abbey show how it looked in the eighteenth century, overgrown with ivy.

Tintern Abbey opening hours and the best time to go

The abbey is open daily, with shorter hours in winter. Summer brings many visitors, especially at weekends, and early morning or late afternoon visits are quieter. Spring and autumn are beautiful in the Wye Valley, with blossom and autumn colours. Mist rising from the river in the morning creates a romantic atmosphere. Events, including theatre performances, are sometimes held in the abbey in summer. Allow about an hour for the abbey, and walk up to the Devil's Pulpit viewpoint on the English side of the river for the classic view. Chepstow Castle, the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain, is about twenty minutes' drive south.