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Tintern Abbey is the stunning remains of a Cistercian abbey. Founded in 1131 AD, it was finally desecrated by Henry VIII when he decided to dissolve the monasteries. As with most monasteries, many of the intervening years were ones of wealth and power, the monastery dominating the area. In fact Tintern was one of the wealthiest Cistercian houses in Britain.
Even after its desecration the Abbey has continued to dominate Tintern. Its well-preserved spectacular shell commands the landscape, perfectly framed by the meandering river valley and wooded hills. Controlled by CADW, it is a major tourist attraction with visitors from all over the world. Turner painted the Abbey and Wordsworth’s ‘Lines, Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey’ is famous al over the world.
The Railway Track
Abbey Passage Farm fields are intersected by a disused rail track. In 1875 a private branch line was built from the Wireworks in Tintern to the Wye Valley Main Line (itself opened in 1876). The branch entailed the building of an expensive bridge, Wireworks Bridge, and was for the private use of the Tintern Wireworks only. It proved an expensive mistake as the Wye Valley Railway Company was responsible for the construction and upkeep of the bridge and the provision of vehicles, but was not allowed to make charges for carriage. Although completed in 1875, Messrs Murrell and Stothart, the Wireworks owners, had gone out of business that year. In the 1880s new owners took over the Wireworks and the line was worked until 1901 when trading ceased again. The last privately owned locomotive was sold in 1902. Until the 1930s the line continued to be used by the Tintern sawmill and turnery companies – but they used horses to pull their ‘trains’! In 1935 a hot summer buckled the rails. In 1941 they were lifted and sold. The junction with the main line was removed in 1945.
H
Ash weir
At low tide the man-made weir is clearly visible and it easy to see why this was almost certainly the crossing point for the Roman Legions on their way to Cameroon.
On the eighteenth century maps mooring posts are marked here. At this time the River Wye was a major source of commercial transport and Why trows plied the river, carrying iron wire, bark for leather tanning, charcoal for the Tintern furnaces, etc. The Wye’s tidal rise and fall can’t have made mooring anywhere particularly easy but the gentle slope here apparently offered attractive temporary mooring. Today canoeists often pull up here for a quick rest before negotiating the more difficult stretch to Chepstow.
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