Welcome to Netley Abbey Village!

Netley Abbey village has many famous names

 

associated with it:

 

• Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital and made many subsequent visits.

 

• Florence Nightingale will always be associated with the hospital.

 

• John Constable & Francis Towne painted watercolours of the Abbey Ruins. The paintings hang in the Tate Gallery, London.

 

• Horace Walpole and Thomas Gray visited and wrote about the Abbey.

 

• William Sotheby wrote an Ode to the Abbey.

 

• William Lisle Bowes wrote a sonnet about the Abbey.

 

• John D. Sedding, a famous Victorian Architect, designed St. Edwards Church.

 

• Lord Louis Mountbatten was a frequent visitor to the Netley home of Col. Richard Chrichton.

 

• Dr. Watson of the Sherlock Holmes stories was trained at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Netley is mentioned in his first book "A Study in Scarlet"

 

• Jane Austin is known to have visited the Abbey on several occasions.

 

• Charles Herbert Lightoller, second mate on the ill fated Titanic lived for some time in Netley.

The Hospital Chapel - All that remains of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital. Now the Heritage Visitor Centre.

Netley Abbey Ruins - View of the West end of the Abbey Church showing the site of the high alter.