Wye Valley

Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty located in the border between England and South Wales. The area is notable as the birthplace of British tourism industry. Appreciation of the area's beauty began with poets mentioning the valley in their verses. Soon, tour guides started to be published, and visitors regularly came from Chepstow on a short trip.

Chepstow

The nearest train station to Wye Valley is Chepstow, and so that was where I started. Chepstow was a key strategic location for the Norman invasion of South Wales as it provided access to Hereford and the Marches. Chepstow Castle was built by the Earl of Hereford, and it is the oldest stone fortification in Britain.

Tintern Abbey

From Chepstow, I took a bus to the village of Tintern where I could see the ruins of Tintern Abbey. The abbey was built by the Lord of Chepstow for Cistercian Order. It was the second Cistercian monastery to be established in Britain.

The abbey suffered some damages during the uprising of Owain Glyndwr, however, the final blow came from Henry VIII. The Dissolution of the Monasteries ended all monastic life in the abbey, and its assets were taken by the Crown.

As Wye Valley started to become popular for tourists and poets, the abbey came to be regarded as a romantic ruin. The ruins were back then covered in ivy, and this gave an appealing picturesque look to the ruin. The ivy, however, has been removed as the ruin went into conservation.

Eagle's Nest

From Tintern, I walked downhill back to Chepstow. This walk is the part where you can actually experience the Wye Valley and enjoy its beautiful view. The most magnificent view can be seen from Eagle's Nest, a viewing point that overlook the River Wye bending as it flows through the Wye Valley. The view has been described as one of the most impressive viewpoints in the British Isles.

I feel like the viewpoint is approximately halfway between Tintern and Chepstow, and it took me quite a while to walk the whole path. It took longer than what the map predicted, and the terrain is completely different from the walking trails in England. The trails were not so clear and some pointers were missing. Nevertheless, I found my way and managed to get back to Chepstow, even after a long hike.