Netley Abbey after the Dissolution

Sir William Paulet, later Marquess of Winchester was one of the great survivors of the turbulent Tudor years. He was once asked how he managed to survive (and indeed benefit) from the political storms of the period and is reputed to have replied, after a moment's thought, "by being a willow not an oak."

He was born in the years 1483-1485 possibly at Fisherton Delamere in Wiltshire. His father was Sir John Paulet of a well-established west country family.

Quite early in his life he came to some prominence in Hampshire and was appointed High Sheriff for the county in 1512. He also held that office in 1519, 1523 and 1529. This last year brought him to London when he was elected to Parliament for Hampshire. He was the in his mid forties, well past the age when bright young men of the Tudor age were already making their mark, but clearly his intelligence, maturity and good sense commended itself to the king and he was soon entrusted with important missions.

In 1532 he accompanied the king to Calais and two years later was sent with the Duke of Norfolk to Rome to discuss Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. He was quickly rewarded. In 1536 he was appointed Keeper of Pamber Forest, a royal forest in North Hampshire. Subsequently he was appointed Steward of the Bishopric of Winchester and Comptroller of the Royal Household. He was closely associated with both Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Crowell. He was created Baron St. John.

From the mid-1530s Paulet was always at the centre of government. He was a judge at several important trials, those of Sir Thomas More, the unfortunates who were held to be accomplices of Anne Boleyn and Bishop Fisher. He was given the job of Lord Chamberlain in 1535 and three years later became Treasurer of the Royal household.

It is a testament to his political skill that he survived the transition from Henry VIII to the court of Edward VI without losing office. In a similar fashion he lasted the reign of Mary and as a very old man was still at the centre of government during the reign of Elizabeth I. Honours accriued to him. n 1550 he was made earl of Wiltshire and in 1551 Marquess of Winchester. He died March 10th 1572.

During the course of this career he became wealthy and could  easily afford to buy Netley Abbey in 1538 at the time of dissolution. Like many of his contemporaries he set about converting the old Abbey into a fine country house. Much of the old buildings were re-used and re-purposed. The nave of the church became a great hall and kitchens. The eastern end of the church was converted into spacious apartments and the cloister was retained as a courtyard. The south range was re-built in brick to accommodate a fashionable turreted gatehouse.

Drawing of the house as it may have appeared in the 16th century. (taken from English Heritage)

The mansion survived in this form until the end of the 17th century when the then owner, Sir berkeley lucy, decided that the house was uninhabitable and decided to demolish it for the sale of the building materials. This work was contracted to William Taylor, a builder from Southampton in 1704. Unfortunately, part way through the course of this demolition the unfortunate Mr Taylor was killed by a falling stone  and further demolition was abandoned.

What was left fell into ruin and decay. In 1760 Thomas Dummer moved the north transept to Cranbury Park near Winchester to construct a fashionable folly. It is still there.

In the late 18th and early 19th century, during the age known as the Romantic Period, many tourists came to the site to experience these old ruins. In 1860 an archaeological excavation was undertaken and at the same time most of the Tudor brickwork was removed to make the ruin more "authentic".

Netley Abbey

Netley Abbey. on the eastern shore of Southampton Water, can date its foundation to St James Day, 25th July1239. It was the brainchild of the Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches, who had already established Titchfield Abbey, and towards the end of his life he completed the land assembly and started construction. After he died in 1238 the project continued but without the personal driving force of Peter des Roches it began its life under endowed.  Monks from the established Cistercian house of Beaulieu colonised the new monastery.

Some years later Henry III was encouraged to take an interest in the project and the royal patronage gave the abbey, literally, a firm foundation. In 1251 he was recognised as patron and co-founder of the abbey and at his insistence the abbey was jointly dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary (as were all Cistercian houses) and Edward the Confessor, who was Henry's own role model. Building work may have started seriously at this time. There remains a foundation stone on the plinth of one of the crossing piers inscribed H. DI. GRA. REX ANGL. (Henry, by the grace of God, King of the English)       Henry donated roofing materials in 1251 and 1252 so it is possible that the church and cloister became usable shortly after this date. Building work continued for some decades after this and was probably not complete until 1290 when Edward I was on the throne.

Inscription at the base of a pillar

The king completed the preparatory work of Peter des Roches by making substantial land and property grants. On March 7th 1251 he confirmed to the Abbey the site of the monastery itself, with the manors of Netley, Hound, Wellow, Totton, Gomshall, Nordley, Kingston Deverell, Waldon, Aynley and Lacton, and rents in Southampton, Charelton and Southwark, the church at Shere manor in Surrey and 100 acres. Two weeks later he granted market rights at Hound and free warren on the previously granted lands.  There were additional benefactions, not least of which was a tun of wine yearly from Southampton. The income of the abbey in 1291 was a substantial £81 6s.

In the reign of Edward III the monastery got into financial difficulties. The causes are not clear but in 1328 the abbey had to seek protection against creditors and sell a good part of its property. In 1338 the abbot again petitioned the king for relief. As a consequence they were permitted to rent some of their lands and fisheries at Totton and Testwood.

Remains of the Abbot's House

Apart from their financial difficulties the house seems to have been free of any other controversy. The monks lived free of scandal and the house was much used and respected by sailors.

The plan below depicts a conventional Cistercian arrangement of buildings.

When the time came for the general dissolution of monasteries Netley Abbey, as a small house, was vulnerable to the first wave of takeovers the commissioners of 1536 made this report:

A hedde house of Monkes of thorder of Cisteaux, being of large building and situate on the Ryvage of the Sees. To the Kinge's Subjects and Strangers travelling the same Sees great Relief and Comforte.

At this time there were 7 monks and 32 other inmate, two of whom were Franciscan friars and the rest servants and officials. The total revenue was £181 2s. 8d. and the buildings were in good repair. Debts amounted to £42 3s. 4d but £28 5s. was owing to the house. Taken with various liquid assets the monastery ended its life more or less solvent.

A few months later the buildings and the surrounding manors were granted to Sir William Paulet. the properties in Surrey and Wiltshire and further afield in Hampshire were granted to others.

Aerial view of the ruins