Tintern Abbey

Toll! Einfach toll!
Die Abbey liegt wunderschön in einem Tal. Es ist noch recht viel erhalten und besonders im Inneren gibt es schöné Perspektiven für besondere Fotos.
Wir waren an einem Sonntag vor 11:00 Uhr da. Das war schlau, danach füllt es sich sehr schnell. Gegenüber liegt offensichtlich ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel für den Sonntagmittag!

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.

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!

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!

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.

A.MAY.ZING! It was a highlight of my entire trip, having studied English literature and history. I love how you can walk among the stones and get lost in the Abbey. The day we went there was not very busy and we all just spread out and did our own thing… I felt really overwhelmed by the history and would just sit down to take in the beauty of it.
My favourite was the grass on the inside — from a photographer’s view, the contrast with the stone is gorgeous. I must have taken 300 photos of everything!
The only thing I’m sorry about is the missed chance to have a beer at the neighbouring pub, The Anchor, afterwards…

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.

When I 1^st 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.

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!),

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.