View of Tintern Abbey

A view of the ruins of Tintern Abbey.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Great Britain experienced an increase in population and industrial workforce. This industrialization spurred more and more people to leave farming and move to the city for an artisan job in the production of goods. Charles Knight believed that the rapid growth of towns and industry in the nineteenth century called for an even greater need to preserve and appreciate the historical sites of England (V. Gray, Charles Knight, 65-69).

Charles Knight was exceptionally interested in British history and culture and championed its burgeoning accessibility by publishing a number of affordable books (selling for only sixpence in 1845) on these topics (R. Mitchell, “Knight, Charles”). Ruins served as a critical aesthetic in his work Old England because they prompted a curiosity for knowledge and an idea of a shared, national past that appealed to Knight and the romantic audience. The plethora of illustrated works, totaling over 2500 and including several depictions of English ruins, were not only enjoyable to look at, but also they educated and helped to enhance his readers’ awareness and appreciation of their national heritage, effectively promoting a feeling of English nationality and pride (V. Gray, Charles, Knight). By creating and successfully marketing a pictorial archive of national antiquities that was available to a wide range of people, Knight’s Old England demonstrates the popularity and fascination associated with ruins in the romantic era, both for their entertainment and their educational value.