For generations “The Grand Tour” had been an essential element of the education of wealthy young gentlemen as they toured Europe in search of art, culture and the origins of Western civilization. This rite of passage was severely curtailed when the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815) prevented young men from travelling through much of Europe.

In response publishers produced many “Itineraries” travel guides to ancient and picturesque locations in the United Kingdom. One such guide was the “Antiquarian Itinery - Comprising Specimens Of Architecture, Monastic, Castellated, And Domestic; With Other Vestiges Of Antiquity In Great Britain” which featured this engraving of a study of the priory by the artist H F Bartlett.