The Day I Grew Up

Of all of the places in the world that I’ve visited, I have to say that my favourite might well be Tintern Abbey in Wales. Not long before we left Britain at the end of 2006, I got to travel over the River Severn with my parents and go on a day trip to Wales. While it was a gorgeous country on its own, the abbey itself was truly incredible.

I have always had a special fondness for churches, abbeys and cathedrals, and this one was no different. Tintern Abbey is situated a while away from any civilisation, save a small hamlet right across the road. I would recommend it as a lovely stopover before visiting the building itself. It is surrounded by gorgeous cliffs and rivers, the latter of which are a joy to visit in summer if you need to cool your feet off or go fishing. I certainly couldn’t imagine a better backdrop for it!

The tall, ancient stone archways and halls seemed to radiate a special kind of ominous strength, a strange combination when contrasted with the beautiful green grass that has sprung up within it. There’s a certain beauty to it, the feeling of ancient reverence, as if you can feel all of the history attached to this old ruin when you walk into what remains of it. I’ve long felt humbled by buildings such as this, and walking down the aisle there was rather breath-taking. The ruin is incredibly well-maintained and appears to have survived a great deal, though it understandably lacks a roof and a lot of side buildings after five hundred years of being unoccupied.

As this is an old ruin, I feel that I should mention that old stone walls do jut out from underground from time to time. While the grass is well-cut and it’s easy to see from a distance, I would still recommend caution when exploring the ruins. However, my family didn’t have a problem and I consider the trip one hundred percent worth it. It really is easy to avoid any of those walls if you keep your eyes open, though I shan’t blame you if you get caught up looking at the scenery!

There’s a certain silent beauty to Tintern Abbey, and I hope that because of what I’ve said here today, you can someday enjoy it as much as I have. It really is a gorgeous old building and I feel that it deserves a little love from tourists and the wider community. Such a beautiful abbey should most certainly not go ignored, especially with the work that the Historic Trust is putting into its maintenance to have it remain safe.