( 83 ) ',/_ 



The church, to which it belongs, was for- 

 merly monaftic. It is a grand pile, partly 

 Saxon, and partly Gothic. Some of it's Gothic 

 members are beautiful; particularly a fmall 

 chapel, near the altar, dedicated to the virgin 

 Mary; which for proportion and beauty of 

 workmanfhip, is a very elegant piece of Gothic 

 architecture. The church is now parochial. 



The town of Chrift-church, which takes it's 

 name from the church, is a place of great 

 antiquity. Here we find the ruins of a caftle, 

 which was intended formerly to fecure the 

 mouth of the Avon. This river is joined by 

 the Stour below the town; where uniting in 

 a full ftream, they wind together through a 

 bleak coaft, forming it firft into large flat 

 meadows, and then opening into a bay before 

 they enter the fea. The view, which is not 

 very interefting, is bounded by a ridge of 

 high lands, called Chrift-church head, on the 

 right; and on the left, by the weftern end 

 of the ifle of Wight, which in this part, 

 makes a remarkable appearance. It is feen 

 nearly in front; and it's broken cliffs, when 

 the noon-tide fun in winter fhines ftrongly 

 upon them, appear like the ends of two frac- 

 tured walls, divided by a dark cavity, 



G 2 From 



