Talley Abbey is located in in the village of Talley in the Afon Cothi valley. It was founded by Rhys ap Gruffydd circa 1185AD and is the only Premonstratensian ("white cannons") religious house in Wales. It was originally planned as a 73-metre-long church with three aisles, an eight-bay nave, two transepts and a tower at the crossing. However, a shortage of funds meant that this plan never came to fruition. Only the chancel, north and south transepts and the tower were ever completed. The western bays of the central nave along with the southern aisle never rose much higher than their foundations, the northern aisle was never finished, and only the eastern portion of the southern aisle was built. This is clearly visible in aerial views of the site.

The difficulties faced by Talley Abbey in raising funds probably stemmed from a number of factors: most notably the remote location and conflicts between the English crown and the Welsh. In 1277AD, Kind Edward I's campaign saw the control of the abbey handed to an English religious house in Nottinghamshire. Later, in the 1400s, the abbey was looted and burned by the English army during the uprising of Owen Glyndwr.

Despite its struggles, Talley Abbey remained a religious centre in Wales until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1536AD. Following its closure, the chancel survived and was retained as a parish church until 1772AD. In 1773AD, stone from the chancel was utilised for the building of the adjacent church of St Michael & All Angels. Much of the abbey stone was also pillaged for various buildings in the village.

Today, all that remains of Talley Abbey is a fragment of the transept and two walls of the tower. Outlines of the cloister and the foundations of the nave's east end are also visible on the ground. Despite the underwhelming remnants, the site does benefit from a secluded and spectacular setting in the depths of rural Wales and is a pleasant spot to while away an hour or so on a sunny day.