Tintern Abbey | |
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Native name Abaty Tyndyrn (Welsh) | |
Type | Abbey |
Location | Tintern, Monmouthshire |
Coordinates | 51°41′49″N 2°40′37″W / 51.697°N 2.677°W |
Built | 1131 |
Governing body | Cadw |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Abbey Church of St Mary (Tintern Abbey) including monastic buildings |
Designated | 29 September 2000 |
Reference no. | 24037 |
Official name | Tintern Abbey inner precinct |
Reference no. | MM102 |
Official name | Tintern Abbey watergate |
Designated | 15 July 1998 |
Reference no. | MM265 |
Official name | Tintern Abbey precinct wall |
Reference no. | MM157 |
Tintern Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Tyndyrn ) was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow. It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which at this location forms the border between Monmouthshire in Wales and Gloucestershire in England. It was the first Cistercian foundation in Wales, and only the second in Britain (after Waverley Abbey).
The abbey fell into ruin after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. Its remains have been celebrated in poetry and painting from the 18th century onwards. In 1984, Cadw took over responsibility for managing the site. Tintern Abbey is visited by approximately 70,000 people every year.[1]