Tintern Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Tyndyrn, ) was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow, on 9 May 1131.
It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which forms the border between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England.
It was only the second Cistercian foundation in Britain, and the first in Wales. Falling into ruin after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the remains were celebrated in poetry and often painted by visitors from the 18th century onwards.
In the 19th century ruined abbeys became the focus for scholars, and architectural and archaeological investigations were undertaken. In 1901 the Abbey was bought by the crown from the Duke of Beaufort for £15,000.
It was recognised as a monument of national importance and repair and maintenance works began to be carried out. In 1914 the Office of Works was passed responsibility for the ruins, and major structural repairs and partial reconstructions were undertaken — the ivy considered so romantic by the early tourists was removed. In 1984 Cadw took over responsibility for the site, which was Grade I listed from 29 September 2000.
American poet Allen Ginsberg took an acid trip at Tintern Abbey on July 28, 1967, and wrote his poem "Wales Visitation" as a result. In the poem he wrote of "...the lambs on the tree-nooked hillside this day bleating/ heard in Blake's old ear, & the silent thought of Wordsworth in eld Stillness/ clouds passing through skeleton arches of Tintern Abbey-/ Bard Nameless as the Vast, babble to Vastness!".
The abbey is the setting for both the 1969 Flirtations music video Nothing But A Heartache and the 1988 Iron Maiden video Can I Play with Madness.
@tramway It is a wonderful Abbey within a wonderful setting in the Wye Valley. Such a feat of engineering-many hands make light work is the key I believe.
@snaggy