Jewels of Britain (III): If only those stones could talk

The morning in Chepstow was frigid, but so was my stoicism. Impervious to the bleak surroundings and inhospitable elements, I made haste and jumped into a taxi. En route to the adjacent village of Tintern I checked the Met Office website, as the falling thin snow-flakes were not auguring well; blobs of white stuff on the lens are difficult to edit out. But when the Abbey became plain to sight, all thoughts vanished and work began in earnest. Upon entering the depicted section, the only thing haunting my mind was the 1988 famous Iron Maiden song “Can I play with madness”, the video of which was set there. And I smiled as I hummed the refrain…

So this is the Tintern Abbey, on the Welsh bank of River Wye, on the border between south-western England and south Wales. It is one of the many sites in the UK where striking beauty is complemented by medieval craftsmanship; where monk chants echo across centuries and through masonry. With its shell open to the skies, vast windows and decorated walls, the grand structure remains an enduring historical marvel and amongst the best-preserved in England and Wales.

Almost every other monument has a sad end and the Abbey was no exception to this rule: it was amongst the victims of Henry VIII’s whims, abandoned during the 16th century Monastery Dissolution and since then maintained thanks to the patronage of historic environment services. As if six wives were not enough to occupy his time, the serial monogamist had to pick a fight with the Church. I always thought he was an idiot, yet idiocy was the mildest of his faults.
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