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About the Priory
History:
From 600 - 1300 A.D
From 1300 - 2000 A.D
History Timeline 
Architecture
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Christchurch Priory History Timeline

Image   Year Event
       
    c.634 Birinus landed in Wessex (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles).
       
    7th /8th cent. First Saxon church built at Twynham.
       
    1086 A Priory of 24 secular canons recorded in Domesday Book.
       
Depiction of Flambard from the 900th Anniversary Statue.   1094 Building of church commenced by Ranulf (Ralph) Flambard.
       
    c.1100-1135 Roof partly completed. Transepts built.
       
The Triforium.   c. 1145 Nave roofed at Triforium height.
       
Augustinian Monk.   1150 Prior Reginald appointed as first Prior and a community of Augustinian Canons Regular were established.
 
    c. 1200 Aisles vaulted.
       
    1210 Oldest Misericord seat carved.
       
    1214 Nave Altar consecrated.
       
The North Porch   1290 Clerestory completed and roof raised. North Porch started.
       
    1320 Quire screen carved.
       
Jesse Screen   1360 Jesse screen (reredos) carved.
       
    1370 Two King's Head bells cast.
       
Ascension Pane of the Lady Chapel Window.   1390 Lady Chapel commenced.
       
    c. 1420 Central tower collapsed or taken down
       
    1460 Tomb of Sir John and Lady Chidiock installed in North Transept
       
West Tower.   1480 West Tower added.
    1486 Berkeley Chantry built.
       
    1502 - 1520 Great Quire rebuilt by Prior William Eyre.
       
    1520 Prior John Draper elected.
       
    1539 Priory surrendered to King Henry VIII and monastic buildings
destroyed (The Dissolution).
       
    1549 Oct 23 Church granted to town's inhabitants and churchwardens
as their parish church in perpetuity.
       
    1552 Prior Draper died.
       
St Michael's Loft Museum
  1662 Grammar School established in St. Michael's Loft
       
    1788 An organ placed on top of Quire Screen. (Gustavus Brander
Bequest).
       
    1828

Grammar School ceased but Vicar's Academy continued in St.
Michael's Loft (until 1869).

Church school established in the town.

       
    1848 Organ moved from screen to South Transept gallery
       
Figures from the Shelley Memorial.
  1854 Shelley Monument installed.
    1865 Rebuild of organ by Father Willis.
       
    1867 Church School moved to Wick Lane.
       
    1869 School in Priory closed.
       
    1910-1912 Galleries removed from North and South Transepts.
       
    1934 Electric lighting installed.
       
    1973

Coal-burning stoves replaced with new gas-heating system.

New electronic organ installed.

       
    1981 Cloister Way built.
       
Rondel depicting the legend of the miraculous beam.   1996 - 1998 Seven stained glass windows installed in Cloister Way depicting the history of the Priory.
       
900th Anniversary Window
  1999

New pipe organ installed (Nicholsons). Made possible by an appeal
and an Arts Council grant from the Capital Lottery Fund.

Installation of Ninth Centenary Window in North Transept (Jane Gray).

       

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