2-693-038 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'Netley Abbey', 1776. Ruined late medieval monastery in the village of Netley near Southampton in Hampshire. The abbey was founded in 1239 by the Bishop of Winchester as a house for Roman Catholic monks of the austere Cistercian order. Its ruins became a source of inspiration for Romantic writers and poets. Netley is the most complete surviving Cistercian monastery in southern England. 'A pair of gentlemen visit the ruined south transept in 1776. Of particular interest is the high vault of the church, which has since collapsed.' Published June 1st 1776 by F.Blyth.