In 1094 Ranulf Flambard, a chief minister of King William II (Rufus), began the building of a Norman Priory on the site of the old Saxon church. The work that resulted in the Priory looking much as it does today wouldn’t have been completed until the 16th century.

Legends of the Priory

The Priory is the subject of many intriguing local legends. One has it that Flambard originally planned to build the church on top of near by St. Catherine’s Hill but overnight all the building materials were bafflingly transported to the site of the present priory.

Another is that of the Miraculous Beam. A probably 12th century tale, tells of carpenters cutting a beam too short. A mysterious carpenter appeared, fixed it perfectly, then vanished.

The belief that this carpenter was Jesus Christ was widely thought to be the reason for the change in the name of the town from the Saxon Thuinam to the present day Christchurch. The beam can be seen today inside the Priory.

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