1993 Biking Britain

Wales

Replacing my stolen bike meant using up the funds intended for a circular trip through Wales. So I spent only one night in Wales, entering north of Monmouth and exiting via Tintern Abbey at the Severn Bridge.

Tintern Abbey was built in 1131 by Cisterian monks. When Henry VIII, seeking his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, “reformed” the church, this monastery, like hundreds of others, was stripped of its wealth and power. The ruins, like those of Melrose Abbey and Bolton Priory, are well worth a visit.

The road from the abbey to Bristol took me through a cool green forest and over the river Severn. The bridge over the Severn carries motorway traffic, but has a cycle path too. It is a suspension bridge which judders and jolts continuously – something you are very aware of on a bicycle.