UKH

Does anyone know if the car parks at Tintern are now open? Either the Abbey or the smaller one (Wireworks)?

Five mile limited still in place; good luck. 

I live in Wales, less than 5 miles from those car parks, and the Welsh rules now allow driving to exercise if you stay local. So I reckon if I drive from St Arvans to Tintern, park there, walk across the footbridge into England and climb at Shorn Cliff, I'll be within the letter of the law .... no?

Hi Brian

Can't see a problem legally with what you're proposing, but no idea on the carparks I'm afraid, as I live in England (just!) and slightly more than 5 miles from Tintern so I can't check it!  Though a good alternative for locals is to cycle there, which is what I did on my one visit there this year - cuts down on the walk-in.  (I came in from the top though I think you could do it from Tintern by going out along the old railway and then dog-legging back on to the Shorn Cliff track).

Cheers

Rick

Just park where the old hotel is, opposite the Abbey.

Apologies, did not realise you were local. I would park at the wireworks. Enjoy. 

All:

Thanks for the replies. In case of interest, wireworks is still taped off, as is the Abbey car park. Didn't cycle  to Shorn Cliff as didn't want either to leave our bikes by the track or carry them up over the boulders. In the end we drove to Tintern, parked at the old hotel as Mark suggested, walked in, and had a really nice afternoon in the Fallen Block/Organ Grinder area

Always ask me for I am the Oracle.

That's a tricky one but I usually work on the theory that laws apply both ways.

Does that mean that I can excercise in Wales as long as I park at the border and don't walk any more than 5 miles into the land of song

Just drive to Wyndcliffe Quarry, and if accosted say geography isn't your strong point, and you thought it was in England. That's what a lot of climbers seem to be doing!

Arguably, it all depends on how you describe 'home'.  If 'home' is 'England' then Chepstow, St Arvans and Tintern are all comfortably within range.  I'm not saying it's a good argument, mind, but I have considered suitably evasive wording.....

Borders cause confusion at the best of times and as borders go the England/Wales border is particularly wiggly

I drove from Bristol to tintern quarry gate and parked (along with about 6 other cars) and climbed at Shorn cliff this weekend. Packed, people from as far away as Kent and everywhere in between. No one is bothered by people spending 3 minutes in wales between England and England. 

Probably not. They'd never know anyway - there was a brief flurry of police stopping cars between the M48 bridge and the Chepstow bridge back into England a few weeks back, but it didn't last.

It does seem particularly odd not having the same set of rules for the whole of the Wye Valley. No wonder people are inclined to stretch the rules - or make up their own