Netley Abbey

Netley Abbey, near Southampton, was home to the Cistercian Order. It was founded by the Bishop of Winchester in 1238, but fell victim to Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries 300 years later.

The abbey became home to Sir William Paulet, and it was used as a family home until the early eighteenth century, when it was abandoned. 

Its romantic ruins provided inspiration for painters like John Constable, author Horace Walpole and the poet Thomas Gray. Netley is said to have provided inspiration for Jane Austen’s novel Northanger Abbey, which was published posthumously the year after her death.

In a letter to her sister Cassandra, Jane Austen mentions a boat ride along the nearby river Itchen with her two nephews in October 1808.

Images of Netley Abbey © Sue Wilkes