Christchurch is a town and former borough in the county of Dorset on the English Channel coast, adjoining Bournemouth in the west, with the New Forest to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in the county. Its close proximity to the Cotentin Peninsula made it an important trading port and a potential target for invasion during the Napoleonic and Second World Wars.
The borough has over 300 nationally listed buildings and structures, a sample of which are described below, and more than 200 locally listed.
In England, a building or structure is defined as "listed" when it is placed on a statutory register of buildings of "special architectural or historic interest" by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, a Government department, in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. English Heritage, a non-departmental public body, acts as an agency of this department to administer the process and advise the department on relevant issues. There are three grades of listing status: Grade I, defined as being of "exceptional interest"; Grade II*, "particularly important buildings of more than special interest"; and Grade II, used for buildings of "special interest".
Christchurch has seven structures of Grade I status, 12 listed at Grade II* and 316 of Grade II status. Three of the Grade I structures are bridges, one a church, one a Gothic mansion, one a Norman dwelling and one a Norman castle. Other structures given recognition by English Heritage include a Victorian pillar box, a 1935 telephone kiosk, a bandstand, a mausoleum (see below), a drinking fountain (see below), two entire graveyards, and two war memorials.
In addition the borough has 12 scheduled ancient monuments, three nationally important archaeological sites, 12 conservation areas and four sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). For more information on these, see the main articles Christchurch, Dorset, Stanpit Marsh and Christchurch Harbour.
Listed buildings NameImage GradeNotes LocationChristchurch PrioryChristchurch town centre and the Harbour are overlooked by the 11th-century Christchurch Priory. Once a monastery, it was given to the town for use as a parish church by Henry VIII after the dissolution in 1540. It is the longest parish church in England with a nave over 311 feet long. The nave and transepts are Norman with heavy columns and round arches, whereas the lady chapel is from the 14th century and more 'Perpendicular' in style. The great choir is even later, having been rebuilt in the 16th century. The Priory is famous for its Miraculous Beam, which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. DoE Reference: 748/1/14Christchurch, Priory Grounds. Grid Reference: Christchurch CastleThe castle ruins are of a motte and bailey construction and are of Norman origin or possibly even Saxon. It has been suggested that there may have been a castle on this spot as early as 924 AD when; after Aethelwold captured the town ramparts in 901 AD, Edward the Elder decided to fortify the town further with a wooden fort on a motte. After the Norman Conquest (1066) the castle's defences were again strengthened with the addition of a ditch and bailey surrounded by a wooden palisade. The wooden fort was replaced; at first with another wooden structure and then in 1300, with a stone keep. Today the bailey is home to a bowling green and gardens, and the ditch has been filled but parts of the keep and the constable's house still stand. DoE Reference: 1A/17Christchurch, Castle Street. Grid Reference: The Constable's HouseThe Constable's House is a domestic Norman dwelling which was built within the original castle bailey in 1160, earlier than the existing stone keep. Much of the stonework survives, including a rare example of a Norman Chimney (one of only five in the country). The ground floor which has four slit windows was used as a storeroom. The upper floor accessed by steps outside and an internal staircase contained the main hall. As well as the chimney, another notable feature is the privy which extends out over the mill stream. DoE Reference: 1A/18Christchurch, Castle Street. Grid Reference: The Town BridgeThis 15th-century ashlar bridge is sometimes referred to as Quartley's Bridge after Dr. Quartley whose house sits on a narrow strip of land between the Little Avon and the millstream. Dr. Quartley is associated with the town's smuggling folklore. The bridge crosses the narrower of the two branches of the Avon on what was, before the bypass was constructed, the only easterly route out of the town and the only crossing point below Sopley. It has five low, round headed arches with cutwaters between and parapet above. DoE Reference: 1A/19Christchurch, Castle Street. Grid Reference: The Mews BridgeListed as the western part of the Town Bridge but separated by a narrow strip of land, this bridge is one of two mediaeval bridges that cross the mill stream. Built at the same time as the Town Bridge from the same materials, it has two 2 arches with a cutwater between and parapets. It has no documented name but is often referred to as the Mews bridge or sometimes also as Quartley's bridge. DoE Reference: 1A/19 Christchurch, Castle Street. Grid Reference: Waterloo BridgeWaterloo Bridge crosses the wider of the two branches of the Avon on the same easterly route out of the town as the Town Bridge. Built circa 1816 but in the mediaeval tradition from dressed stone, with wide segmental arches, circular piers and capped cutwaters. DoE Reference: 1A/20 Christchurch, Bridge Street. Grid Reference: Highcliffe CastleHighcliffe Castle was designed by William Donthorne for Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay, and built between 1831 and 1835. It stands on the site of High Cliff, a Georgian mansion that had belonged to Charles Stuart's grandfather John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Arguably the most important remaining example of the romantic and picturesque style of architecture, Donothorne's design incorporated carved, mediaeval stonework and stained glass dating back to the 12th century. DoE Reference: 13/51Highcliffe, Rothesay Drive. Grid Reference: Place MillPlace Mill is an Anglo-Saxon watermill mentioned in the Domesday Book. The mill stopped working in 1908 and stood derelict until it was restored in 1981. "It is remarkable, in that it takes water from one river and spills it into a second river". A mill-stream is supplied from the River Avon, near to the Electricity Museum behind Bargates, and flows for nearly half a mile to the mill between the Avon and the Priory grounds, before joining the River Stour at the Town Quay. DoE Reference: 1A/15Distance of mill stream flow taken from Ordnance Survey map of Christchurch, which also shows the outflow into the Stour.Christchurch, Town Quay. Grid Reference: The Red House MuseumThe second of the town's museums is The Red House Museum built in 1764 as the town workhouse. Many of the women and children that worked in the towns' fusee factories came from here. It contains a variety of exhibitions pertaining to local history, costume, geology, natural history and archaeology. In addition there are a number of temporary exhibitions that change every few weeks. The grounds contain both formal and informal gardens. DoE Reference: 1A/11. The boundary walls are grade II listed. Christchurch, Quay Road. Grid Reference: Church HatchChurch Hatch is a red brick, Georgian house in Church Street. It was the home of Major-General Sir Owen Tudor Burne, renowned soldier and 3 times private secretary to the Viceroy of India. It was saved from demolition in 1929 by public appeal. DoE Reference: 1A/7 Another former resident was the taphephobic Mrs Perkins whose grade II listed mausoleum can be found in Priory Gardens at the rear of the property. The railings, gate and walls are also grade II* listed. Christchurch, Church Street. Grid Reference: Priory CottageStanding on the edge of Quay Road but within the priory grounds, is Priory Cottage. Mediaeval in origin, it was built as a porter's lodge and apart from the Priory itself; is the only monastic building to have survived the dissolution. It was restored by the last prior in the 16th century. DoE Reference: 1A/12 Christchurch, Priory Grounds. Grid Reference: Tyneham HouseTyneham House is a two-storey, 18th-century stuccoed building with brick eaves and cornice. The house has a centre portion of three windows and advanced side wings with hipped roofs. The Doric porch in the centre has a three-light sash window to each side. There is a stone triglyph frieze and cornice over these windows and the door. It is supposed that the name of the house is a misspelling of the town's ancient name of Twynham, although there is a village of the same name in Dorset. DoE Reference: 1A/29 Christchurch, Bridge Street. Grid Reference: Burton HallBurton Hall was built around 1750 as a 3-storey, private residence but has since been converted into flats. It is a fine example of a grand house from the period and has a stylish facade constructed from brick but with stone dressings. The centre breaks slightly forward and has pediment. Plain parapet and modillion cornice, rusticated quoins and brick stacks. Above the doorway is a pedimented window with a stone balustrade below and flanked by smaller windows. The centre, second-floor window has moulded stone architrave. There is a former orangery at the north end with 5 round arched windows. The interior still retains it large staircase, moulded architrave, six-panelled doors and 18th-century fireplaces. DoE Reference: 9/364 Burton, Salisbury Road. Grid Reference: No. 3 Bridge Street (Prezzo)Built in the early 19th century, this two-storey residence and shop front has a painted brick facade with eaves, cornice and slate roof. Two of the five windows on the first floor are bricked (as a way of avoiding paying the 1766 window tax), dating the building to pre 1851. The shop front on the ground floor has two bowed shop windows with glazing bars, flanking a centre double doorway with a wide, flat cornice overall. There is an additional round arched doorway with a fanlight to east of shop. DoE Reference: 1A/28 Christchurch, Bridge Street. Grid Reference: Mayor's ParlourThe Mayor's Parlour. Was originally built as the market hall in 1745 at the junction of Castle Street, Church Street and the High Street; it was moved to its present position in 1849. Later it was enclosed and extended, and used as the town hall until the civic offices were built, in Bridge Street, in the mid-1970s. It was partly demolished and restored to its former condition circa 1982 when Saxon Square was built. The Celtic cross in the square marks the back of the building before its demolition. DoE Reference: 1A/98 Christchurch, High Street.