Christchurch Priory

Description

Christchurch Priory is considered to be one of the finest churches in England and at 311 feet long it is the longest.

The legend of the 'miraculous beam'
Christchurch was originally called Twynham. The Normans decided to replace the Saxon church, which had stood on the site since 800 AD, with a grander building. Legend has it that when building the present Priory one of the roof beams was cut too short. The carpenters not knowing what to do left for the day but when they came back the next day the beam had extended overnight to fit exactly. They attributed this miracle to Jesus, also a carpenter, and the church and town became known as Christ's Church.

Special Guided Tours of the Priory. Tours start at 6.30pm, last for about three hours and include parts of the Priory not always open to visitors (e.g. Tower, Crypt, Roof Space and Archives). Not suitable for children under 8.
See Priory website for details

Open

Visitor Opening Times:
Mon to Sat
9.30am - 5.00pm
Sun 2.15pm - 5.30pm (subject to services)

Prices

The above charges are for a Standard Guide Tour. There are also Guided Evening Tours and Tower Visits. All the guided tours must be pre-booked from the Head Verger at the Priory on (01202) 485804.

Contact

Quay Road, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 1BU
Tel:01202 485804 Email Website

Directions

Follow signs for Christchurch
Streetmap

Parking

There is a car park between the church and the quay, access along Quay Road.

Refreshments

To come

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair Access: There is level access through the North Porch into the Priory. The doors and aisles are wide enough to facilitate wheelchair access.

Toilets in a block at the rear of the church that includes a disabled toilet which uses the Radar Key system. The key can be obtained from the Bookstall in the church.