Tintern Abbey - romantic remains by the River Wye

The ruins of Tintern Abbey, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye north of Chepstow, have for many years delighted walkers and tourists, and inspired poets and painters such as Wordsworth and Turner. The original abbey was abandoned after the monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII.

The Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1131 fell into ruin after the Dissolution in the 16th century. Its remains have been celebrated in poetry and painting from the 18th century onwards, partly because of its romantic pastoral setting beside the river. Tourism to such places as Tintern became fashionable in the mid-18th century. Trips down the Wye to see Tintern became popular. J M W Turner and Thomas Gainsborough were among the painters drawn to the scenery here.

Even the Abbey's ending was relatively calm and bloodless. On 3rd September 1536, Abbot Wych surrendered Tintern Abbey and all its estates to the King's visitors, and ended a way of life that had lasted 400 years. Valuables from the Abbey were sent to the royal Treasury and Abbot Wych was pensioned off. This contrasts with the Abbot of Glastonbury, in nearby Somerset, who resisted Henry VIII and was hung, drawn and quartered.

The ruins are well-preserved and the buildings that remain to be explored have remarkably survived despite being originally constructed between 1136 and 1536. The site is visited by approximately 70,000 people every year. In 1984, Cadw took over responsibility for managing the site. It lies on the Wye Valley Long Distance Footpath.

Until the early 19th century, the local roads were rough and dangerous and the easiest access to the site was by boat. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, while trying to reach Tintern from Chepstow on a tour with friends in 1795, almost rode his horse over the edge of a quarry when they became lost in the dark.

A new turnpike road improved matters, followed by the railway.