Day trip from Bath to Chepstow, Tintern Abbey and back to Wells. Realistic?

We came from the Cheltenham area and in a day we did ...
Gloucester Cathedral > Wye Valley > Tintern Abbey > Chepstow Castle
... then back on the motorway over the Severn Bridge.
If you can, it is nice to drive the length of the Wye Valley from Monmouth down to Chepstow.
I loved Wells Cathedral too with its stunning facade, but that was a different day when we drove thru the Cheddar Gorge.

What you wish to do is indeed possible (just about) but - Wells is on the ‘wrong side’ of Bristol for getting to from the Severn Bridges. It is possible to get to Wells by avoiding Bristol by using some back roads:> leave M5 at Junction 21 (Weston) and head to Banwell - then follow A371 - makes a detour into quaint Axbridge - then go to Cheddar. (The drive through the gorge is well worth it and you may like to visit the caves). Anyway, the A371 continues to Wells but it can be slow going. To be honest, I think that Axbridge, Cheddar Gorge and Wells would be a sensible day out from Bath and you could throw in Glastonbury as well - though I am not a fan of the latter.

I would suggest that as you are going over the Severn Bridge to Wales, that you do a day trip of that area which would save you the rather awkward journey back to Wells. Here is a good route:> leave Bath on A46 to M4 - as you approach the estuary, be sure to fork left for the M48 bridge (toll is about £6.60 Wales bound only). Leave at first junction after bridge - A466 to Chepstow. Park by castle and walk onto the bridge over the Wye for good view. (I would also take a photo of this bridge).

A466 to Tintern . As has already be said, the drive up the Wye Valley (A466) to Monmouth is well worth it. Just S of Monmouth, I would take R turn onto A4136. After Staunton, turn left onto B4432 and follow to Yat Rock car park. You walk a short distance over a footbridge for fab views over the Wye Valley. Having done that, return to car - you get sent in a loop - to B4432 & return to Monmouth. Alternatively (If you don’t mind a short section of narrow road - head down the hill under the footbridge at Yat Rock towards Goodrich. After crossing the Wye, turn left and join A40 expressway heading west towards Monmouth).

Continue on A40 expressway and loop off at Raglan and visit Raglan Castle. Having done that, you could take A449 back to M4 for Bath (an alternative is via backroads to Chepstow) or extend your trip westward. If extending, leave Raglan Castle - you must turn left onto main road but you then have to do a turn to head west on A40 towards Abergavenny. From Abergavenny, the A40 goes through lovely scenery into the Brecon Beacons National Park. Alternatively, take A465 from the double roundabout S of Abergavenny for 1 mile - leave at first chance for Llanfoist & take B4246 to Blaenavon and the Pit Pit Mining museum. (You are now in one of the towns that was the birthplace of the industrial revolution).https://museum.wales/bigpit/
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/raglancastle/?lang=en
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/englandgloucestershirewyevalleywyevalleywoodssymondsyatrock
http://www.breconbeacons.org

Having done that, return to M4 and Bath.

This is of course just how I like to do things, but you are leaving yourself way too little time to see Tintern and Chepstow. Basically only an hour at each with a halfhour for travel between. That would not be near enough time for me. I would suggest adding something else in the area to that day, and doing a totally different day trip south of Bath to see Wells. You could add in Glastonbury and the Cheddar Gorge. If there are stone circles and castles that direction, though I can't think of their names off the top of my head. Have a great trip!

On Sunday, the day before, we had planned to spend most of the day at Gloucester Cathedral and end in Tewkesbury to see its Abbey and War of the Roses battleground before driving down to Bath after evensong. Perhaps it would be more sensible to stay night in Tewkesbury and then drive down the Wye Valley making stops at Raglan Castle, scenic overlooks, Tintern, and Chepstow before ending day in Bath in preparation of a morning spent in Bath and afternoon in Wells. This would come at the expense of a meandering day driving through Sherborne, Cerne/Milton Abbas, and Bere Regis +/- Corfe Castle on the way to Salisbury but we will have already spent a day touring the Cotswolds earlier in our trip so perhaps this "countryside" drive would not be greatly missed.

As you can see by our itinerary we enjoy history so I think you all are correct in that we would be dissatisfied with a sum 2-3 hours visit to Chepstow and Tintern!

As you wrote in your original post, "like all travelers are short on time and would like to maximize our experience!"

The challenge is to plan enough great experiences to fill up your available time, without cramming in too much. I concur with the other advice that your original plan errs on the side of too much, leaving yourselves too little time to savor the destinations.

Once upon a time I visited these destinations without a car, including walking the (rather muddy) footpath from Chepstow to Tintern Abbey and returning to Chepstow by bus. That in itself was an entire day. Seeing Wells Cathedral was a different day, starting in Glastonbury and ending in Truro.

Yes, your new suggestion would be the better option. I take it that you are coming from the east having done the Cotswolds (Broadway, Stanton, etc)?

Walk down by the old water mill at Tewkesbury for a nice view back towards the Abbey.
I am not a fan of Gloucester - it is a bit run down as much trade has gone to a new retail area by the old docks.

If you leave Gloucester going west on the A40 (towards Ross), you can branch off onto the A4136 which will take you towards my suggestion of the Yat Rock viewpoint. (The A4136 can be slow going).

James,
Is there anything left of the historical Battle of Tewkesbury ?

George

Nothing left of the Battle as far as I know. Most of these old battlefields are now just ordinary farmland.
http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/warsoftheroses/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=45