Tintern Abbey lies about 8 km upstream from Chepstow, reached by road along the river or on foot via the Wye Valley Walk. Founded in 1131 by Walter de Clare as the first Cistercian house in Wales, it grew wealthy on wool, sheep farming, and iron-smelting. The Cistercians chose deliberately remote sites — the Wye gorge, then heavily forested and largely unpopulated, suited their requirement for separation from settled communities. The abbey was repeatedly rebuilt and enlarged over three centuries, and the church that stands today dates mainly from the late thirteenth century.
After dissolution in 1536 the lead was stripped from the roof and the buildings were left to collapse gradually — which is why the walls and window tracery survive in such remarkable condition while the interior is open to the sky. The great west window, its tracery intact, is one of the finest pieces of Gothic stonework in Wales. Cadw manages the site and charges for entry; the grounds have a car park and café. If you have time, the Wye Valley Walk runs along the riverbank directly past the abbey, and the stretch from Chepstow to Tintern is one of the better half-day walks in the region.