Valle Crucis Abbey sits in a flat-floored valley a mile west of Llangollen, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1201 and largely dissolved in the 16th century. What remains is substantial: the west front of the church with its great rose window, the chapter house with its vaulted ceiling, and the eastern range of the cloister. The buildings stand in a meadow by a small lake, which gives the ruins an unusually peaceful setting.
Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service, manages the site. The interior interpretation is good, and the fabric itself is well preserved. The fish pond and the setting beside the stream make this a pleasant place for a picnic as well as a historical visit. The Pillar of Eliseg, worth finding in its field a short walk further up the valley, puts the abbey in its long historical context.