Major conservation works get underway at historic Abbey

The first phase of conservation works on the chapels at the iconic Tintern Abbey has begun, Cadw has announced.

Tintern Abbey is one of Wales finest monuments with its ancient ruins dating back to 1131, standing on the banks of the River Wye.

After the completion of the construction of scaffolding, conservation work at the Abbey has started, including brushing off loose and flaking stonework to expose sound underlying surfaces.

Loose mortar will be removed from the joints and vegetation carefully picked out so as not to leave any roots.

Fragile stones will be consolidated using a weak, lime-rich mortar before they are pinned together and then back to the surrounding masonry.

The old copper straps – originally designed to hold stones in place – have decayed so will be removed once the new pins are in place.

Masons

Specialist masons will then wrap the completed work in wetted hessian to try and control the drying out of the new mortar.

Cadw appointed Ferrier Hart Thomas and David Odgers Conservation to survey, provide design information, and specify in detail the works stonemasons need to carry out. The survey took almost a year to complete and included archaeological investigation of the floors within the church and directly outside its walls.

Conservation works are being carried out by Grosvenor Construction Ltd, a specialist conservation contractor from north Wales who have recently completed the redevelopment project at Kings Gate, Caernarfon Castle.

Gwilym Hughes, Head of Cadw, said: “For nearly 900 years the abbey has been welcoming worshippers, wealthy patrons and visitors to this tranquil location, and once again it requires some attention.

“It’s fantastic to see this work beginning so generations to come can enjoy this iconic historic site.”

This is the first of five phases of conservation works at the abbey.

The abbey, which attracts around 70,000 visitors a year, was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow.

It is adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which forms the border between Wales and England at the site of the abbey.

Tintern Abbey was the first Cistercian foundation in Wales, and only the second in Britain (after Waverley Abbey). The abbey fell into ruin after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.

You can follow its progress through the Tintern Abbey conservation timeline and on social media.