Reconstruction drawing of Cleeve Abbey, Washford, Somerset
A drawing reconstructing the interior of the refectory of the Cistercian monastery of Cleeve Abbey as it might have looked one mealtime soon after its completion in the 13th century. The monastery was originally founded here by the Earl of Lincoln's grandson in 1198. The abbey was at its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries, with up to 28 monks and numerous lay brothers. In 1536, the abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2010).