ABSTRACT
The recovery of the design of the 13th-century cloister arcading at Tintern Abbey has enabled an amplification of the architectural regeneration at the site. The arcading was of unusual syncopated design, with variation in the decoration of the arches, moulding design and the type of stone employed. Recovered details include a doorway through the parallel rows of staggered arches and details of the corner assemblages. The overall design can be paralleled at Monk Bretton Priory and Keynsham Abbey in England, and at Mont St Michel in France.
Dating from the 1260s, it was probably the last part of the reconstruction of the monastic ranges to be completed before work began on replacing the 12th-century abbey church. The design variations suggest that the cloister was at least partially reconstructed, probably following the completion of the new abbey church. The cloister was slightly enlarged southwards when the old nave was demolished. At this time, the south arcade must have been dismantled and moved to the south, and the east and west arcades were presumably extended, thereby enlarging the cloister court. Eventually, the arcades were replaced in the 15th century.
