Scheduled MonumentsWalesTintern Abbey
Medieval · Abbey

Tintern Abbey

Wales
Cadw SAM MM102
Period
Medieval
Site type
Abbey
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Tintern Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1131 on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, by the Norman lord William fitz William. The surviving ruins date principally to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when the abbey underwent substantial rebuilding and expansion, becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential Cistercian houses in Wales. The remains comprise a substantial stone church with Gothic architectural features, including a fine west window, alongside the characteristic monastic ranges containing the cloister, dormitory, refectory and other service buildings. The abbey was dissolved during the Reformation in 1536 and subsequently fell into ruin, though its picturesque remains have been celebrated in art and literature since the eighteenth century and are now among the most significant medieval ecclesiastical monuments in Wales.

Tintern Abbey is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM102. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Tintern Abbey?

Tintern Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1131 on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, by the Norman lord William fitz William. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM102.

What period does Tintern Abbey date from?

Tintern Abbey dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a abbey. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Tintern Abbey?

Tintern Abbey is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is MM102.

What other scheduled monuments are near Tintern Abbey?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Peter's Cave (7.4 km), Long Barrow and Round Barrow at Thornwell Farm (8.4 km), Runston Medieval Village Site & Runston Chapel (9.3 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Tintern Abbey