My 4 day trip to Dorset (Last day morning cont.) - Christchurch Priory (interior) - The 25th of April 2016

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I was impressed with the Church, the size of its nave (95 metres long) and the heavy column Norman style  though what mostly caught my attention and had me speechless were the carvings on the stalls and the Jesse reredos behind the high altar illustrating the prophecy in the book of Isaiah which says " (...) and there shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots" beautifully illustrated in the great figure of Jesse lying at  their foot.

Fairly close to the Lady  Chapel I came across a rather different stainglass window from the ones I had seen before and whose provided explanation stated it had been commissioned to mark 900 years of worship showing a starry night in which the cross of Christianity dominates the design surrounded by a pattern of circles arranged to create the feeling of spice and time.

 

 

It wasn't but at home that I realised the photo I took of the famous feature (the miraculous bean) which attracts pilgrims from all over the world didn't come out right, which I personally regret.

 

 

 

 

I left the church with the feeling I could have stayed much longer, which I didn't simply because I had a train to catch and not much time left to eat.

 

My 4 day trip to Dorset - (Last day morning) - On the way to Christchurch; Christchurch Castle, Norman House and Great Tower remains; Christchurch Priory (exterior) - The 25th of April 2016

We  (Mia, Sam and I) left Wareham fairly early in the morning as we wanted to take advantage of the "free" morning once I would only be bording the Ryanair flight to Faro in the afternoon.

 

 

Christchurch seemed a good choice because of its proximity to Bournemouth as well as the natural interest its priory church arose in me. Said to have been founded in the 7th century and fortified in the 9th century Christchurch looked rather interesting the moment we started walking to its town centre.  

We soon found ourselves close to the remains of the Castle of Norman origin, which is said to have once dominated the town. Within the curtain wall of the Castle stand the remains of a Constable House with its rare example of  a Norman chimney (one of only five in the country).

 

 

 

We walked up the Great Tower from which we had quite a nice view, particularly of the Priory, which we decided to visit afterwards. Once an Augustinian Monastery dating back to the 11th century, it was given to the town for use as a parish church by Henry VIII.

On our way to the Priory we came across a few interesting things which I couldn't help but photograph.  

 

 

 

(To be continued)