A MONMOUTHSHIRE village is celebrating after gaining national Walkers are Welcome status.

Tintern joins Abergavenny, Monmouth and Chepstow in being officially recognised as having something special to offer walkers. John Sterry, chairman of the Tintern Walkers are Welcome Group, has worked with a small committee of residents to gain the award which recognises towns and villages across the UK that encourage walkers to the area.

He said: "I think we have done remarkably well for a village with just under 3,000 inhabitants.

"It is a status which a village like Tintern should have.”

"The village is in the middle of a wealth of walks and our businesses need to be promoting that and providing services for the walkers."

Walkers visiting Tintern can take advantage of a range of walks through the woodland, up to the Devil’s Pulpit and along the riverside.

"We want to try and encourage walkers to stay longer in Tintern, rather than heading on down the Wye Valley Walk without stopping," added Mr Sterry.

Zara Bligh, research and marketing co-ordinator for adventa, part of Monmouthshire’s rural development programme, said: "Gaining this accreditation will help the local economy by encouraging visitors to use Tintern as a base for walking breaks," she said.