Tintern

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Tintern (disambiguation).

The River Wye viewed from a former railway bridge with Tintern village in the background

Tintern (Welsh: Tyndyrn) is a village on the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, at grid reference SO530000. It is popular with tourists, who visit for the natural scenery and the ruined Tintern Abbey.

Tintern is often referred to on maps as Tintern Parva, but the longer name only actually applies to the northern end of the village. The southern end of the village is shown on older maps as "Chapel Hill".

[edit] History

A ford across the River Wye was in use in Roman times. The famous Cistercian abbey was built close to the river in 1131, and remained in operation until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536. The ruins are now maintained to prevent them from deteriorating further.

In the 1560s, Tintern was revived by the opening of iron and brass-making works. These became specialised into wire-making factories, which remained until the 19th century.

William Wordsworth stayed in the village in 1798 and wrote 'Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey' [1].

[edit] Areas of interest

Tintern is home to several different walking trails, in addition to notable areas of interest. A wooden bridge a little to the north of the Abbey crosses the River Wye, and is open to the public on a yearly basis. The bridge leads to a choice of several clearly marked walking paths, most notably a path to 'Devil's Pulpit' and a path to Offa's Dyke.

'Devil's Pulpit' is a small rocky outcrop that overlooks the abbey. According to local legend, the Devil used to preach from the outcrop and attempt to seduce the Abbey's Monks away from Christianity.

The ruins of 'St. Mary's Church' can also be seen on a hill to the east of the abbey. The church itself was ruined by fire in 1977, though much of it is still clearly visible today. [2]

A disused water-driven mill lies a little to the south of the abbey. Visitor information and shops can be found close by. The village also boasts an award-winning vineyard.

More information about Tintern can be found in the community run village website