The Sacred Space of Tintern Abbey

If you've read much William Wordsworth, then you might be familiar with his "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1789." Today the CamFam traveled to this hidden gem of the abbey ruins along the River Wye. The abbey was founded in 1131. When King Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century to end monastic life in the area of his control, Tintern Abbey was surrendered in September 1536. All the valuables were transferred to the Royal Treasury and the lead roof was sold. Today the ruins are all that remain, but the site continues to offer tranquility and create a sense of sacredness and reverence. I spent some time in personal reflection there today while also trying to image what the normal routine of monastic life might have been like hundreds of years ago. This, I believe, will be one of my favorite places we visit on this trip. (Images are cropped in the image gallery. Click on individual images to see the whole view.)