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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that in 634AD Birinus, a missionary priest sent by Pope Honorius landed in Britain and in 635 baptised King Cynegils of Wessex. It was thought that he might have founded a Saxon Priory at Thuinam as a base for his work in this area, as part of the Pope's general plan to re-introduce christianity to Britain.
(Thuinam near a fine harbour and at the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Stour would, in those times, have provided sea communications as well as access to an extensive hinterland by the two rivers, which in the case of the Avon was navigable as far inland as Salisbury).
There is no specific evidence for this, however, but it is reasonably certain that there would have been a church here in the 9th century when Thuinam was sufficiently important to be included in King Alfred's list of fortified boroughs. The Domesday Survey of 1086 records that there was a Priory of 24 secular canons here in the reign of King Edward the Confessor (1042-1066).
In 1094 Ranulf Flambard, a chief minister of King William II (Rufus) began the building of a Norman church on the site of the old Saxon Priory. A paragraph in the Christchurch Cartulary (1312-1372) states: 'Flambard (the Norman founder of the present church) destroyed the primitive church of that place and nine others that had been standing below the cemetery. The nine others probably referred to nine individual monastic cells grouped around the main building.
In 1099 Flambard was appointed Bishop of Durham, but work continued under his successors in the office of Dean of Thuinam Priory, and by about 1150 it would have comprised a basic Norman cruciform church namely a nave (up to Triforium level) with its north and south aisles; probably a central tower; and an apsidal-ended quire extending eastwards from the crossing at the nave to about as far as the sanctuary steps in the present quire.
During this period of the 12th century it is probable that the legend of the Miraculous Beam originated, a legend which changed the name of the town from the Saxon Thuinam to the present day Christchurch.
By now the Priory possessed extensive lands, manors and halls in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Dorset, but it was often ill served by its secular canons, who were often drunken and dissolute.
In 1150 Baldwin
de Redvers, Lord of the Manor and Earl of Devon, in conjunction with his son
and heir Richard de Redvers and influenced by Henri de Blois, Bishop of Winchester
and brother of King Stephen dissolved the secular Priory and reconstituted it
as a Priory of Canons Regular (i.e. ordained) of the Order of St Augustine of
Hippo (North Africa) and by charter (a facsimile ofwhich is on display in the
Nave) granted it the freehold of the land on which it was built. Reginald was
elected the first Prior.
Christchurch and the Priory were most fortunate in their landlords and patrons.
The de Redvers, Earls of Devon, in particular followed an enlightened policy
as regards feudal dues and customs for nearly 200 years. The last of their line,
lsabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon, owned extensive estates in the south
of England. It is said that she was persuaded on her deathbed in 1293 to sell
her eastern estates in the Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Dorset to King Edward
I for 6000 silver marks (£4000). Christchurch thus became a Royal Manor
and in 1303 had to provide and man a ship to aid the King's campaign against
Scotland.
In 1330 King Edward III granted the manor to Baron de Montacute who became the 1st Earl of Salisbury (Second Creation).
It is a coincidence that this Salisbury line also ended after some 200 years with a woman, Margaret, Countess of Salisbury.
Building work continued and in the 13th century the nave aisles were vaulted and the clerestory built in the Early English style. The North Porch, notable for its unusually large size was commenced and the Montacute Chapels in Early English style replaced the Norman apse on the east side of the North Transept.
By 1350 the Nave
roof had been lifted to its present height over the clerestory. A spire may
have been built on the central Norman tower at this time or a little later.
The South Nave Aisle windows are in the Decorated Gothic style as is the quire
screen, although it is probable that this screen was brought in from elsewhere
at a later date.
Architecture of the Priory
The Priory Church of today is much the same as it was when King Henry VIII granted it to the inhabitants of Christchurch to be used as their Parish Church in perpetuity.
The conventual monastic buildings of that time on the south side of the church, however, were pulled down shortly after the Dissolution, except the Porter's Lodge, which is now Priory Cottage and is thus one of the oldest inhabited houses in Christchurch.
The 18th century red-brick Priory House was built by Gustavus Brander close to the church but the rest of the Priory demesne is now mostly used as gardens and car parks.
In medieval times there were three churches in the one building: the People's Church (the Nave) the Monks' Church (the Quire) and the Lady Chapel. Today the whole building is the Parish Church which, with a total length of 311 feet 4 inches (just under 95 metres), is reputedly the longest Parish Church in England.
In the churchyard to the north of the church, now no longer used for burials, are many ancient tombstones including a 17th century tomb chest with an inscription about 10 people who were buried twice.
The present Vicar is the 26th since the Dissolution in 1539.
Styles of Architecture
The Priory Church has examples of most styles of architecture: Norman, the three types of Gothic: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular; and Tudor Renaissance. There is no specific Saxon work remaining, but the crypts may have been of Saxon origin and modified by the Norman builders.
The Nave is pure Norman up to the Triforium level, and on the exterior of the North Transept the Norman stair turret is richly decorated with Norman arcading, fish scale and diaper work. The Clerestory (above the Triforium in the Nave) is Early English as are the windows in the North Nave Aisle and the Montacute Chapels in the North Transept.
The Quire Screen, Jesse Reredos and South Nave Aisle windows are Decorated Gothic.
The Lady Chapel
is early Perpendicular Gothic and the present Quire, rebuilt in the 15th century,
is a classic example of Perpendicular Gothic at its best and has some early
examples of pendant vaulting. The Salisbury and Draper Chantries are fine examples
of ornate Tudor
Renaissance work.
In the Montacute Chapel in the North Transept is a 19th century Renaissance wooden altar table by Augustus Welby Pugin, the architect whose designs were used in the rebuilding of the House of Commons after the fire of 1834.
Christchurch Priory Church (the Parish Church) is very much a living church. It is open every day not only for the usual daily services of Matins and Evensong, but from 10.00am to 5.00pm for pilgrims, tourists and visitors for personal prayer, relaxation or just viewing.
No charge is made for entry but a donation (£2 per adult is suggested) towards the running costs and maintenance of the church is welcomed. The church and the Priory House attached to it by the Cloister Way are the centre for not only many parochial committees and activities but for exhibitions by local art societies.
The church is supported by a thriving 'Friends of the Priory' organisation.
A new pipe organ by Nicholsons' was installed in 1999 and a series of organ recitals and concerts are held throughout the year.
During term time there is usually an organ/choral recital at lunchtime on Thursdays (light refreshments are available in Priory House on these Thursdays.)
The administration of Christchurch Parish is unusual in that, since King Henry VIII in 1540 gave the church and its churchyard to the Churchwardens and inhabitants of Christchurch to be their Parish Church in perpetuity the Vicar, his assistant clergy and staff have, in effect, only spiritual authority over the church, while the care and maintenance of the fabric are undertaken by a Repairs Committee, set up by a High Court judgment, with an independent chairman.
There are two churchwardens, a Parochial Church Council, a choirmaster/organist and a band of bellringers.
The head and assistant vergers are concerned, as is usual, with the day- to-day running of the church and its security.
Some two hundred volunteers undertake the duties of welcomers, guides, stewards, holy dusters, flower arrangers, and staff on the bookstall and the gift shop.
While no charge is made for entry to the church, a small charge of £2 is made for entry to the tower - 120 feet high, and 176 steps up a spiral staircase - and visits there have to be supervised (for insurance reasons) by a guide. Magnificent views of the Isle of Wight, Purbeck and the surrounding district are obtained from the top. A small charge is also made for the church museum (above the Lady Chapel) which is 75 steps up a spiral staircase. This, too, has to be staffed when open to visitors.
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