The lasting results were the establishment of the Church of England, and the creation of a large number of picturesque ruins, which would be the favourite subjects of pale and washy watercolourists for centuries to come. Eccentrics amongst the English aristocracy sometimes built their own 'ruined abbeys', and these are amongst the best follies that this nation has to offer. It was not uncommon for great houses or other buildings to be constructed at the site of, and from the very stones, of a former house of a religious order, and that is why so many stately homes and old and prestigious schools in England are called abbeys or priories.

The subject of this photograph is not the arched gothic splendour of the main abbey, but one of the humble outbuildings which served the needs of the monks - a thatched barn. It was taken by Saffy, who writes:

'The shot of the beautiful barn was taken in a small village near Montacute House - Stoke Sub-Hampden. It is among a small number of buildings that once formed part of a priory, before Henry VIII got his paws on it. Just a few buildings now remain - I guess this one survived because the barn was sold off to a farmer. We have a similar barn in our village here - at one time they were a common sight in these villages - the remaining ones have mostly been turned into very desirable private residences'.