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I LOVE WHERE I LIVE
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We are so lucky to have a proper village shop
pool. I joined the Tintern cricket team last year, never having
played in my life. I can’t count the number of cricket team
members who encouraged me to have a go. From those who
have hardly played to those who are semi-professionals, they
have all been amazingly welcoming.
Where would you shop for a dinner party?
In the Monmouth Waitrose or M& S Food or in the
independent shops in Chepstow or Monmouth.
Where do you do your day-to-day shopping?
We are so lucky to have a proper village shop, the Abbey
Stores, which has now been open just over a year and offers
a good range of groceries, geared to the local community and
including locally sourced produce.
What’s the social life like in Tintern?
It’s a pretty friendly crowd and if you have dogs or kids,
you are instantly plumbed into village social life. The
park is really popular and has had a refurb - all the play
equipment was replaced last May. There is a good social life
around the football team in the winter and the cricket team
in the summer. Lots of people come to watch and many of
the people involved have children. The village hall is great.
There’s lots going on there and it is really well run, by a
team of volunteers. It has had a new projector and holds
regular film nights.
What is the most fun you have had at a local
event?
Probably at the annual village fete, where there is live music
I love where I live…
Tintern
DJ and music producer Jamie Morrison, who grew up in Tintern, tells Sharon
Chilcott why it was a “smart decision” to move back to the village during the
Covid lockdown.
and entertainment and a variety of local produce and stalls.
The village hall is turned into a bar, provided by Kingstone
Brewery, Tintern’s micro-brewery. There is a whole team of
people involved in organising the event and it’s a really great
occasion.
In what ways are you involved in your local
community?
I am about to start my second year as a member of the
community council. I also help out a bit at the village hall.
What’s the most exciting development that’s
happening in the area?
The talk of the village is the refurbishment of the Wild Hare
Inn and the new development on the site of the old Abbey
Hotel, which has been an eyesore for more than a decade.
Tell me a fascinating fact about Tintern…
Tintern’s ruined Cistercian abbey was a source of inspiration
for poets and artists of the Romantic Movement including
William Wordsworth and J.M.W. Turner.
Photos by Sharon Chilcott and Jamie Morrison
My family have been here since I was eight years old, but for
20 years I had been living in Bristol. However, it’s amazing
how people’s priorities changed during lockdown. My Mum
was selling her house and we decided to buy it and move
here - for the freedom and the outdoor space and to give our
children a better lifestyle. It was a smart decision. We lived
in a good community in Bristol and I felt sad about leaving,
but I didn’t appreciate how much I would love it here. The
really great community has been a big part of it and I think,
over the years, the community spirit has got better. There
are many people here who I have known forever and many
new people, too, who are really friendly. It’s a very inclusive
community and we are blessed to be part of it. There is lots
going on, there are lots of people with positive ideas and lots
of people working to do things for the community. Over the
years the businesses here have changed, too, with some of the
old ones still doing well and with new people coming in and
transforming some of the others.
What makes Tintern special?
Its stunning beauty – the amazing scenery, the wildlife, the
River Wye and the walks.
For you, personally, what’s the best thing
about living there?
It’s home. I love our house and it’s a great place to bring up
kids – a happy environment.
What, if anything, spoils it for you?
I know this is difficult to solve, but it would be good to have
better public transport links.
What sort of people does Tintern attract?
A lot of people retire here - most places have a little bit of
land so it attracts those who want to tend their garden. Over
recent years, a lot of people have moved here with children,
so the number of kids has really increased. Nearly every new
person I have met has either lived in London or Bristol or
both. There seems to be a trend to move from London to
Bristol and then from there to here, either for the benefit of
their children or for the countryside, with access to the city.
Lots of people work from home or in Bristol.
Describe the vibe in your favourite local café
or pub..
The Filling Station, conveniently about 50 yards from our
house, is a family-run business with the best coffee in the
village. The White Monk do great sausage sandwiches.
The Rose and Crown is a lovely, traditional pub and The
Anchor is attractive for families as it has a playground for the
children. The Wild Hare Inn ticks the boxes if you come from
the city. It is fresh and different and I am looking forward to it
reopening after its refurbishment.
Where do you go for a spot of “culture”?
Bristol is really easy to get to for film, theatre and the music
scene, but I am there all the time for work, so I like being
home.
Where would you book up for a celebratory
meal?
Parva Farmhouse, in Tintern. The food is really great and the
menu changes all the time.
What would you do locally to “blow the
cobwebs away”?
I would go for a walk – we are spoilt for choice around here
and can walk for hours. A friend who lives in London started
looking at the Wye Valley as a place to move to and when
he looked at the Ordnance Survey map of the area, out of all
the places he could move to that are near cities, as we are to
Bristol and Cardiff, he could not believe the amount of green
spaces and walking routes. In Tintern, we are close to the
Offa’s Dyke Path, which is amazing but can get quite busy,
but we can also walk to places like Chapel Hill and Barbadoes
Woods and never see a human.
What leisure pursuits do you enjoy locally?
We have a dog so we are out walking all the time. My eldest
son is getting into basketball and he plays at Monmouth
Leisure Centre, which has great facilities, including a leisure
Facts and Figures
The charming riverside village of Tintern is set in the Wye
Valley National Landscape, an area of outstanding natural
beauty. It has been a tourist honey-pot since the late
Eighteenth Century when Tintern Abbey was a highlight of
the Picturesque Wye Tour. Whilst best known for its abbey,
Tintern is surrounded by scenic countryside and wonderful
walks and, as a place to live, it’s a vibrant, family-friendly
village, with local facilities on the doorstep, primary schools
in nearby Llandogo and Trellech and secondary schools in
Monmouth and Chepstow. For more information: www.
tinternvillage.co.uk
Sharon Chilcott
Share the love
If you would like to share what
makes your home town or village
a special place to live, then Sharon
would be delighted to hear from you.
You can get in touch by emailing:
core.concepts@btinternet.com,
putting I Love Where I Live in the
subject line.