CHRISTCHURCH, HANTS. XXX111. 



THE PRIORY CHURCH 



was visited under the guidance of Canon Cooke-Yarborough, 

 the Vicar, who addressed the members when they were seated 

 in the nave. 



Canon YARBOROUGH assured the club of the great pleasure which 

 it gave him to welcome them, not only because it was ever a delight 

 to him personally to show people over their noble Priory Church,, 

 but also because that day he had the privilege of addressing a body 

 which included many who made a real study of architecture and 

 history, and were competent to form an opinion upon the many points 

 of interest. The origin of the church was lost in obscurity. From 

 the chartulary preserved in the British Museum it appeared that the 

 Norman portion of the present church might be dated from 1093 96, 

 and that an earlier church, which was then pulled down, was of fair 

 size and surrounded by nine small oratories (as was the case in the 

 Saxon Church at Winchester), and round about the adjacent chapels 

 lived, with their wives and families, the secular canons who served 

 the altars. This arrangement continued as late as 1150, until it became 

 the custom for the clergy to be celibate. The man who pulled down 

 the Saxon church and began the building of the Norman church was 

 one of the greatest church builders of the century Ralph Flambard, 

 chancellor to William Rufus, who in 1093 gave him the estates 

 connected with Christchurch. In 1100 Flambard was banished by 

 Henry I. ; but the impress of his genius continued on the work at 

 Christchurch for some time afterwards. The entire plan of the 

 Norman church was due to him, and was steadily carried out through 

 the whole of the succeeding century. In 1199 the high altar was 

 consecrated by the Bishop of Ross, this marking the completion of 

 the church. There was probably a low central tower, and a chancel 

 which had gone. In 1214 the people's altar was consecrated in the 

 nave, which was used as a church by the people of Christchurch. 

 Behind the people's altar was the rood-screen or pulpitum, and the 

 building east of that was reserved for the monks' church. When he 

 became vicar, said Canon Yarborough, it was suggested to him that 

 he should remove the fine screen, so as to afford an uninterrupted view 

 of the whole length of the church ; but he declined to incur such a 

 responsibility, and so to-day Christchurch Priory preserved the 

 original arrangement of a big church in the middle ages. 



The Vicar then led the way round the building, pointing 

 out, in turn, the apsidal chapels in the transepts, the crypt 

 with its vaulted roof, the monk's walk in the clerestory, 



