Monument record MDO8679 - Christchurch Priory, Saxon Church

A pre-Conquest monastery and associated early Christian cemetery.

A collegiate church of 24 canons existed at Twynham (Christchurch) in the time of Edward the Confessor and was probably of much earlier origin. (3-5) During the incumbency of Flambard prior to 1099, the church was rebuilt, but the number of canons dropped to five. The college was changed into a priory of Augustinian Canons in 1150. At the dissolution in November 1539 it had a prior and eighteen canons; it was thereafter used as a parish church. (5) Full ecclesiastical history (3). Description of the church (4) PRIORY CHURCH This is now the parish church of Christchurch, and in use for divine service. (6) ? GATEHOUSE A 16th stone built house in a good state of preservation, whose N wall utilises a portion of the Priory wall, and which is pierced for windows. Position and general appearance do not conform to the normal gatehouse. See ground photograph. (7) GATEWAY Typical of the masonry of the Priory wall, containing slabs of ferruginous sandstone, it is now approximately 2.0m. high, with modern decorative capping at the terminals, and is best described as 'remains of gateway'. TOWERS The remains of 2 mural turrets (rather than towers) are visible. 'A' an ivy covered ruin, approximately 4.0m. high. 'B' the remains are 1.0m. high but include fragments of a return wall on the north. PRIORY WALL C-D Three separate alignments of walling containing ironstone slabs, the average height of the walling being 2.0m. D-E No trace. E-F Height 2.5-3.0m., one 8.0m. section of modern brick walling exists just north of E, and the wall has been refaced and partly bricked east of the greenhouses. F-G No trace except for one section 10.0m. long, 1.7m. high on the W. side and refaced on the E. side 1.3m. wide. H. 3.0m. of walling adjoins the church buttress, the rest being of modern construction. See ground photograph. FISHPOND (Delineated on OS 1:500 1870) Now covered by a Corporation yard and pumping station- 'site of'. The claustral buildings are known to have existed to the S. of the conventual church, but little is known of their exact layout which must remain conjectural. Apart from the N. walk of the cloister which is indicated by the Processional Doorways etc. no traces of the claustral buildings was seen during field investigation. building has Medieval stone footings which bear a strong resemblance to the type of stone and construction of the Priory Wall, and are in places surmounted by early brickwork. The footings are assumed (a) to be those of the Priory mill. The building is now used as a boat store. See guide book. No change. Published survey correct. (8) Full description of the Priory Church (9). Gateway to Christchurch Churchyard, Grade 2*. 19th century gateway of cast-iron. (10) Christchurch Priory and Parish Church, Grade A. As described. The Priory Ruins, Grade 2. Various portions of stone rubble Medieval walls that formed part of Christchurch Priory and its conventual buildings abutting the walls, including a portion of the gateway. Priory Cottage, Grade 2*. Formerly the Porters' Lodge of Christchurch Priory, of Medieval origin, restored by the last prior in the early 16th century. Of two storeys, built of stone rubble with a slate and tile roof. Place Mill, Grade 2. This was the monastic mill belonging to the priory. It has a Medieval stone base with red brickwork above and a tiled roof. SZ 161924. Excavations were carried out adjacent to the millstream south-west of the church. Two east-west walls and the remains of two garderobes were found adjacent to the precinct wall; these appear to be of 11th century date. The possible remains of a 14th century bridge were found to the north, where the precinct wall changed course. (11-12) Finds included organic remains, metalwork, and Medieval pottery including much imported ware. Place Mill, Grade II*. (13) Excavations between the Priory House and the nave (SZ 16039251) revealed considerable C19th disturbance. Several graves were also discovered, but these are presumed to be post-1540 and pre-1750. (14) The priory precinct wall was located and excavated between SZ 1610 9248 and SZ 1599 9251. At SZ 1610 9248 at the junction between this wall and the South precinct wall, the priory garderobe was found. Pottery dated its use from the C13th-C16th after which it was used as a rubbish pit by the owners of Priory House. (15) end of the peninsula with the Minster to the South. The burh's location is defensively weaker than had it been located where the Minster was. The Minster therefore predates the mid C9th, and possibly by a couple of centuries since at the time of the construction of the new church in the reign of William Rufus, it had 9 chapels in the churchyard, suggesting greater antiquity. (16) Possibly during the construction of Priory House circa. 1765, Gustavus Brander uncovered a substantial amount of the priory ruins. He described the refectory and the unusual discovery of bird bones in some detail: '…the Refectory. It is a room 36 feet long, by 20 wide. On the east side was a door-way, leading into an interior apartment, which measured 20 feet by 18, with two Gothic windows in it to the south. The walls here were at least 5 feet thick, and in the easternmost of the two windows was fixed a large stone, of a pentagonal figure, excavated, and perforated in the centre. Its use, I suppose, was to hold water for sacred or other purposes; and the hole, to draw it off, and discharge it occasionally. This room I should imagine was the Prior’s private oratory. At the distance of 2 feet from the door-way, within the room, I observed a square flat stone, 2 feet 9 inches long , by 2 feet wide, carefully cemented with lead into the adjoining pavement, having all the appearance of a grave-stone. Curiosity alone tempted me to examine the contents, to see what might be the reason of such singular caution in securing them. You must conceive what was my surprise, when, on the opening, I found it to be only a repository of birds bones, to the amount, at least, of half a bushel, and these of herons, bitterns, cocks and hens, many of which have long spurs, and mostly well preserved. The cavity was about 2 feet deep, and line at the bottom and round the sides with square stones.' (22) Cockain and Tullet surmised that the fabric of the north transept retains some masonry from the original Saxon Chruch of the Holy Trinity. The north crypt may also be Saxon in origin. Furthermore, Cockain believes that the ground plan of the transepts and crossing is Saxon in origin (23).

Record last edited

Mar 26 2024 10:53AM