Tintern Abbey

Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1131 whose ruins are the most extensive in Wales. The abbey is perhaps best known today because of the poem Tintern Abbey that William Wordsworth wrote, celebrating its romantic location by the River Wye. The abbey was initially staffed by monks brought from Normandy. The foundation thrived, and the church was rebuilt on a larger scale in 1270-1306. Most of the other surviving buildings date from the 13th century, though the abbot's lodging was built in the 14th century. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536 and parts of the complex subsequently demolished. Restoration work began early in the 20th century.