Tintern Abbey

Abbey · Tintern

Tintern Abbey

Abbey · Tintern
Tintern Abbey, Tintern NP16 6SE, United Kingdom

Photos

Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by Image by Lynda Morris Photography / Getty Images
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null
Tintern Abbey by null

Highlights

Tintern Abbey, a stunning riverside Cistercian ruin from 1131, offers serene walks, historical vibes, and a charming gift shop.  

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Tintern Abbey, Tintern NP16 6SE, United Kingdom Get directions

cadw.gov.wales
@cadwcymruwales

Information

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Tintern Abbey, Tintern NP16 6SE, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 1291 689251
cadw.gov.wales
@cadwcymruwales
𝕏
@cadwwales

Features

wheelchair accessible parking lot
wheelchair accessible entrance

Last updated

Jul 30, 2025

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Petr Brousch

Google
This abbey is a hidden gem, offering a peaceful and picturesque atmosphere. The historic architecture and serene surroundings make it a perfect place for relaxation and exploration. A must-visit for history enthusiasts! There is a discount if you use the parking place!

Paulfastbikes

Google
Visited the Historic Abbey whilst on short break with forest Holidays. It is a ruin. So just old remains left, you can imagine what it looked like in its hey day, work on going to keep it healthy enough to last, so lots of scaffolding around it. Nice gift shop good amount of cheap parking in a stunning area

Xj6Rick

Google
Even though a section of it was closed off due to restorations, it was still definitely worth a visit. The guy inside had a lot of knowledge on the place and surrounding places, which was useful to. It was a nice area to walk around with a local coffee shop and pub .. we also walked up to devils pulpit to look back down on it .. that was an effort going up there . Not far from town . Also, public toilets are nearby..

Wild Raven Drone Services

Google
We love a good Abbey, and they don't come much better than this. Such a picturesque location next to the river. Amazing to see the structures that remain and learn about the water management that the monks set in place. The weather was awful, welcome to Wales, but it didn't tarnish our visit. Well worth your time, and as English Heritage members, we got in free. Parking is £5 for the day, you can get this back by purchasing items at the pub or Abbey shop.

Anna Enright

Google
What an atmosphere. We visited mid Jan, mid week and only 2 other people there, the place tasted of power, suffering, desertion, sent shivers down my spine, and looked like a film set! Plus the mist was ace, but can't promise on the British weather LOL. A very passionate gentleman running the shop told us all about the work they're currently doing and had done in the past, on this site that was ransacked in Henry Vllls time, when all the monasteries were burnt. Since then it's been crumbling but pollution and the type of mortar used have pretty much meant it's not safe to walk under any more. What a shame but, just to see as it is it is amazing and entry was around £8 including carparking (you are supposed to get a ticket in the pay and display, and then get a discount, however the P&D was not working. There are cafe near which was open, but we didn't go in .. and one a bit further up the road with a mill wheel. Definitely worth a visit.

Mark Atherton

Google
A stunning location, well maintained and plenty of benches to eat a spot of lunch! Dogs welcome too. Worth walking around, and reading the well constructed and articulate boards describing the history, how it was used etc. all accessible to young kids also

Allan

Google
Beautiful ruined abbey of, originally, truly enormous proportions and set in glorious countryside. Refreshment and toilet facilities on site as is a gift shop. Reasonably spacious car park means you should have little trouble parking. Well worth a visit.

Justine Yaworski

Google
Tintern Abby is the one childhood memory I always come back to. I could write about how beautiful the structure is and the historical significance, but besides that it is the awe and wonder of how such a beautiful church was constructed. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours touring the Abby as the tour is more than the Abby itself, but also the buildings that housed the Monks. On a side note we didn’t get to see the full Abby as there is restoration going on to preserve this wonderful piece of history. There is a gift shop and toilets as well, plus the town has a few places to stop and have a bite to eat.
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Jason V.

Yelp
What a marvel this abbey would be, were it still intact! One can almost hear the sound of monks in thick robes shuffling quietly down vaulted corridors, the scratch of scribes' quill pens on parchment, and haunting choral melodies reverberating down the nave. Even in its current condition, Tintern Abbey, in its secluded valley along the banks of the Wye, provides a picturesque window into the daily life of the monks who once inhabited this place of quiet, humble seclusion and religious study. A highly recommended diversion (along with a tour of Chepstow Castle nearby to the south) for any road-tripper or history buff coming or going from Cardiff on the M4.
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Jenn C.

Yelp
This was one of my favorite stops in my entire 3.5 week trip in Scotland & England. My mother and I made the trek up from Ironbridge Gorge to South Wales and it was rainy and foggy the whole time. When we arrived at Tintern Abbey, we stopped in The Ship for a drink and a snack before heading over to the Abbey. Aside from a dude dressed like a Morris dancer (he seemed very bitter at our arrival) - there was nobody else there. Just my mom, me and grumpy man - with many cows lowing at the nearby fence for dinner o'clock. The abbey is just gorgeous - and I feel really privileged that I got to enjoy it without a crowd or a crush of people that the parking lots and nearby restaurants seem to indicate often flow into the site. It was purely magic to walk through the abandoned abbey with a light misty fog draping the nearby hill tops, turning the trees into silhouettes, and darkening the stone of the building's ruined walls. Truly a magical place.
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Stephen H.

Yelp
Very beautiful and peaceful ruins of the first monastic foray into Wales by the Cistercian order. Make sure to take a guided tour with one of the staff so that you can get a better sense of how the monastery developed and what life was like in its heyday. And bring this poem to read: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45527/lines-composed-a-few-miles-above-tintern-abbey-on-revisiting-the-banks-of-the-wye-during-a-tour-july-13-1798
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Raechel A.

Yelp
My first taste of UK history: Tintern Abbey. Just, wow. Floored is the word that comes to mind. As an American, it's hard to see past Hollywood's tainted view of history, but when you are standing in front of it, feeling so profoundly small, it really takes your breath away. Rob's parents live near Bristol, so Tintern wasn't too far away. We drove over the hills and through the woods, on tiny roads canopied by trees. Gorgeous countryside. This pile of stones flaunts its 900 year history with some epic flair. For you history buffs, this was one of the abbeys destroyed during the Reformation. Geekin' out, hardcore. Gah! So cool. After we parked for £3 (yikes!), we stopped in this tea room before our jaunt to the abbey. Some cream teas, sponge cake, AND tea? Don't mind if we do! Talk about indulgence. Oh, but if you haven't experienced desserts in the UK, it is definitely worth going over your calorie limit. The tea room is very old world - rock walls inside and out, dark candlelit lighting in the tea room, quaint little tables, original fixtures still on the walls, and a cozy fireplace in the corner. It looked like they set up shop in an ancient living room. Seriously, can I live here? After tea, we trekked down to the abbey, but entrance fee was £4.50/adult, so we decided to admire it from a distance and walk around town a bit. So many little shops, cafes, galleries, hotels, cottages, and lots of Kodak moments to capture! You could spend hours just taking in the peaceful landscape. It was quite magical. Despite it being a bit expensive, I still can't wait to go back and get a look inside the ancient abbey on my next visit!
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Kathy C.

Yelp
You can't help but feel small when you step inside Tintern Abbey. Hubbo and I did a fair bit of research and saw many photos of it before going, but nothing can really truly capture how beautiful it is. It was definitely the highlight of our trip. We rented a car from Heathrow for two days, wanting to see various sights around London. Tintern was on top of our list to visit. After seeing it, we both agreed that even if we didn't get to see anything else, just being able to see the abbey was well worth the rental car. Meghan M. said it the best, being able to walk among the stones and seeing the contrast of the green grass on the inside just makes the whole experience so surreal. We could just sit there all day. We must have taken hundreds of pictures, but at every click, knowing that no picture can do it justice. At the end, we put away our cameras and just walked through to take it all in, enjoying it and appreciating it before leaving.
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Ann C.

Yelp
An incredibly moving and awe-inspiring place. Stepping into this magnificent structure transports you into the past and the rich history of this beautiful area.
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Megan C.

Yelp
As other reviewers have said, this place is beyond words amazing. It is truly breathtaking, there is no wonder it has inspired famous artists and poets. Walking around the remains of the Abbey takes you to another world in your imagination, being able to get inside (or where was once an actual inside) is truly an experience. My husband and I made a day of it, and I would suggest the same to anyone. There are amazing hiking trails behind the Abbey. We started with the Abbey itself, had an excellent pub lunch at the Anchor, and then hiked up to the Devil's Pulpit. I would recommend this walk to anyone BUT be prepared that it is a difficult hike of steep uphill. It was made a little more difficult for us as all the snow was melting and there was a recent rain so it was VERY muddy and slippery. Once you do hit the pulpit though it is worth it. At the pulpit itself there is an opening which looks down onto the valley and the Abbey, it is absolutely spectacular. Legend has it that the devil himself preached there down onto the Abbey in attempts to lure the monks to him. Just an amazing day at an amazing place, we can't wait to go back in the summer. DEFINITELY recommend this place!
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Ben L.

Yelp
I take a bus out there. It winds around through the hills pushing towards the edges of the roads. A couple of locals talk to each other and share pleasant glances. Part of the conversation is about the independent bus companies that get the different routes. Why did one company get that route to the west. They're never on time and the drivers don't even say hi. Another turn and then another. How do know when I'm close. and then it's forced upon me. A living skeleton of a building. It's presence is amplified by the barren visage. The light is just dropping a little and the air is warm but sharp and though it's a simple sight it's stunning. I wander around and every step takes an extra five minutes, contorted as time is by the angles of the valley and it's desire not to leave.
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Jack F.

Yelp
The drive in, when you first see the Abbey in its valley setting from the road above, is really something. We were worried no one was there when we drove up, but the entrance is below and to the side. We spent quite a while here taking in the amazing atmosphere and reading about the history of this place. It is also worth your time to walk along the riverside to get a nice view of the small village along the river. The town of Chepstow is also worth a look, although the Chepstow Castle wasn't open at the time. Parking at the lot is 3 GBP, although you can get a refund/validated parking.
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Raiida K.

Yelp
Incredibly gorgeous, well preserved ruins. Our tour of the place was made even more mystical and beautiful with the mist and light rain.
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Amy S.

Yelp
When I 1st studied Tintern Abbey in high school, I knew that someday I wanted to come here. It is amazing driving here as there is not much on the way and then suddenly...it appears. And it is a beautiful site! This place has so much history that you really need to learn a bit about the place before you come here. All that it has been through and what has been written about it makes you realize just what an important place this is even though it is in ruins. The staff was a bit gruff with us when we were trying to figure out how to purchase tickets but once we got past them, we were free to wander about the grounds and enjoy the views.
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mindy d.

Yelp
An impressive abbey even without a roof and the glass that would have filled the windows. Medieval and still standing strong, Tintern is a great place to visit from Cardiff and in a beautiful setting. Everything is hands-on, you can walk around the place and touch the stone that makes the walls of this abbey constructed between 1131 and 1536. This abbey has inspired poems by Wordsworth and Tennyson, and paintings by Turner (thanks for telling me this, Wikipedia!),
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Randy C.

Yelp
Love this place. Just an amazing site. It is open to the elements so dress accordingly. The gift shop is charming and sells these really wonderful Welsh cookies.