Although in ruins, Tintern Abbey remains both impressive and lovely to behold. Founded by Cistercian monks in 1131, most of the remains date from the 13th and 14th centuries. Tintern was once one of the wealthiest abbeys in Wales, and was a center of power and influence until dissolved by Henry VIII in 1537. The great church itself has survived partially intact, and the foundations of the adjacent domestic complex are also clearly visible. The abbey was made famous by 19th century English poet William Wordsworth with his final poem in Lyrical Ballads.
