The Old Station Tintern is situated in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), 9km north of Chepstow on the A466 (S0 536 006). The site is owned and managed by Monmouthshire County Council Countryside Section and was opened as a Countryside Visitor Centre in 1975.

The Old Station has developed an excellent reputation as one of the area’s top visitor centres and was voted the UK’s favourite park in the 2011 People’s Choice Green Flag Award public poll. The station retained its Green flag status in 2012 when it was again awarded a Green Flag, its fourth in successive years. It also won the prestigious Gold Award at the Royal Welsh Show in the Best Tea Room in Wales category in the True Taste of Wales Awards (see more on this below).

The Old Station also retained its Tourist Attraction Accreditation after being assessed by the Wales Tourist Board.

There are three railway carriages on site. Two new carriages arrived in early 2010 and these contain a souvenir and gift shop, a Destination Wye Valley exhibition area with information about the Heritage of the Wye Valley that will interest all the family, a tourist information point, and a meeting room. The third smaller carriage houses railway memorabilia and a work in progress scale model of the station from the 1930’s. Visitors can sit and relax and enjoy the wonderful scenery, wander along a relaxing one mile circular walk around the site passing along the riverbank, before visiting the Circle of Legends.  

It is a perfect spot for a picnic or you can sample the traditional fayre from the Victorian station’s award-winning tea room (voted by Living magazine as one of the top 25 in the UK). Breakfast from 9.30am daily, a wide range of freshly baked cakes, superb strawberry cream teas(when in season) as well as home made soups and the famous Tintern platter are available. The tea room also caters for birthday parties, special occasions and pre-booked groups.

For the younger visitors there is a full programme of activities, including miniature train rides, play area and wooden play train and plenty of open space to run and play in.  

There is a meeting room which can be hired in one of the railway carriages and is suitable to seat up to 16 people.  

There is also a small campsite but advanced booking is essential.

 2013 Opening times

Open every day from 29th March to the end of October 10.30 – 5.30pm. Tearoom opens at 9.30am.

November – April site is open but facilities (buildings) are closed. The tea room opens every weekend November to Christmas 10am – 4pm).

A charge is made for parking but entry to the site is free. The site is accessible for wheelchair users and an electric mobility scooter is available free of charge.

 2013 Events List

Available everyday March – November are a host of themed children’s treasure trails   £1.75

25^th – 29^th March – Easter Craft workshops £2 – £4

29^th March – 1^st April Easter Egg Hunt  £2.50

1st April – 5^th April – Craft Workshops  £2 – £4

 27^th May – 31^st May – Craft Workshops £2 – £4

 17^th June- Fathers Day Archery.

All dad’s get to have a go at archery for free if they are accompanied by a paying child.                                      Booking is essential. £3.00 per child. From 11am – 4.30pm

Themed Holiday Weeks – please ring or email for detailed programme

 22^nd July – 26^th July – Cowboy & Indian Week

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

 24^th July – Bug Hunt. Join us for a bug safari around the Old Station

 29^th July – 2^nd August – Pirates & Princess’s Week.- Welcome aboard me hearties, tis the week of mayhem and mystery. Help find the gold and take some home.

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

 5^th August – 9^th August – Favourite TV/Film Character week

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

 11^th August – Victorian Day – cream teas, Punch & Judy, Archery, side shows, music and dancing, a free family fun day

 12^th August – 16^th August – Space & Sc Fi Week

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

 19^th August – 23^rd August –Wizards & Witches Week

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

 26^th August – 30^th August  Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Fairies

A week of themed activities and craft workshops

Friends of The Old Station

If you would like to help in keeping The Old Station alive and well, please see how you can become a volunteer at the Friends of The Old Station page.

 First Class Railway Station: Tea room wins 2012 Best In Wales

The Old Station at Tintern is definitely a First Class attraction in more ways than one. In 2012 the station scooped three awards and its Victorian tea room won the prestigious Gold Award at the Royal Welsh Show in the Best Tea Room in Wales category, in the True taste of Wales Awards.

The tea room is managed by Carriages Catering and manager Lesley Sterry said, “ The award came as a complete surprise to us all. What makes the award so special is that it was voted for by the public and that means so much to us”.  According to a report in the Western Mail, judges were particularly impressed by the Carriages’ Lavender Cake, developed to echo the Victorian connection. They added, “… it was light, full of floral taste, a hint of lemon and a lightly crystallized topping – delicious”.

A small dedicated team works at the tea room and all the cakes are made on the premises early each morning in the ticket office ‘kitchen’ and include: lavender cake, Victoria sponge, chocolate sponge, coffee and walnut sponge, cup cakes, fairy cakes, rocky road, flapjacks, scones, bara brith, Welsh cakes and dragon scones (made with dragon cheese – chilli hot) and served with chilli jam. All the ingredients are sourced locally and most come from within a 15 mile radius of The Old Station.

Some popular but unusual items include banana, peanut butter and Tintern honey sandwiches developed for the many road cyclists that visit as it is an energy-packed meal.

The station is regularly visited by Lands End to John O’Groats walkers and cyclists and we traditionally supply each one with a generous portion of our honey, nut and chocolate flap jack to help them on their way.