H. E. Du Plessis
'Waltham Abbey'
Waltham Abbey, England
About 1940
Watercolour and bodycolour
Museum no. E.1385-1949
Given by the Pilgrim Trust

Waltham Abbey has long been an iconic historical site. Harold, the last king of Saxon England, was buried there after his defeat and death in the Battle of Hastings in 1066; later, the abbey became the focus of pilgrimmages for thanks to its miraculous Holy Rood. Waltham, located on the edge of Epping Forest, has never entirely been absorbed by London, but when Du Plessis painted this scene most of it had already been modernised. The abbey and its immediate surroundings are the only part of Waltham to retain their medieval features.