Exploring Christchurch

august 23, 2014

touring my friends to the beautiful Christchurch

Christchurch Priory 

Place Mill is a carefully restored anglo-saxon watermill situated on
Christchuch Quay in the attractive /priory quater, only a few minutes walk from the town centre.

Christchurch Quay

view from the quay...the isle of  wight 

you can rent the boat for 20pounds per hr. 

Christchurch castle

norman house 

norman house christchurch

The Norman House in Christchurch was built near to the original castle keep around the year 1160, to house the castle’s Constable. It is a rare survivor of twelfth Century domestic architecture and is notable for having one of only five remaining Norman chimneys in Britain, as well as one of the earliest garderobes or toilets, which overhangs the adjacent River Avon. Although roofless, the walls stand to full height in places, offering examples of some fine window tracery and other early stonework of the period.

Christchurch castle

Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England (grid reference SZ160927). It originated as Norman motte and bailey castle raised around 1100 by Richard de Redvers, cousin of Henry I. A great tower was built later probably about 1300. Nearby on the banks of the mill stream is the Constable's House which is a notable example of a Norman Domestic Dwelling.
[edit] Castle

The castle saw military activity in 1147 during the war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. It was also involved in the Civil War when it was initially a Royalist castle. As a result of this it was slighted in about 1652. The castle is now in ruins. A couple of the keep walls remain, surrounded by a rectangular moat.

Originally known as Twynham Castle. The motte and part of the early 12th century keep, which was 3 stories high with walls 9' thick, still remain surrounded by a rectangular moat. Next to it stands the remains of the Constable's House (below) which was added in 1160. The castle was demolished in 1652 after the Civil War.