Christchurch, Dorset
Encyclopedia
Christchurch is a borough
and town
in the county of Dorset
on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth
in the west and the New Forest
lies 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. It covers an area of 19.5 mi2 and has a population of approximately 45,000, making it the fourth most populous town in the county.
Christchurch was founded in the 7th century at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Stour
which flow into Christchurch Harbour
. The town was originally named Twynham but became known as Christchurch following the construction of the priory
in 1094. The town developed into an important trading port and was fortified
in the 9th century. Further defences were added in the 12th century with the construction of a castle
which was destroyed by the Parliamentarian army
during the English Civil War
. During the 18th and 19th centuries smuggling
flourished in Christchurch and became one of the town's most lucrative industries. The town was heavily fortified during Second World War as a precaution against an expected invasion and in 1940 an Airspeed
factory was established on the town's airfield which manufactured aircraft for the Royal Air Force
.
The town's harbour, beaches, nature reserves and historically important buildings have made Christchurch a popular tourist destination attracting some 1.5 million visitors a year. Bournemouth Airport
, an international airport
which handles approximately 800,000 passengers a year, is located within the borough boundary at Hurn
. The airport's industrial park
contains a number of aerospace
and engineering businesses and is one of the largest employment sites in Dorset. Christchurch is a popular destination for retirees and has one of the oldest populations in the country with 30 per cent of residents aged over 65.
sent to Wessex
by St Birinus
, the first Bishop of Dorchester (Oxfordshire). They settled on a stretch of raised land between the rivers Avon and Stour
which carried people and their wares to and from settlements such as Blandford and Old Sarum
(Salisbury). The harbour became one of the most important in Saxon
England as it was easily reached from the continent
and boats could travel up the river Avon to Salisbury. The town appears in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle entry of 901 as Tweoxneam (Twynham) from Old English betweoxn (between) and éam (rivers). In around 890 AD, Alfred the Great
considered Twynham to be of such strategic importance that, with the threat of invasion by the Danes
, he made it a burh
and defensive walls were erected around the town. In 1094 a chief minister of King William II
, Ranulf Flambard
, then Dean
of Twynham, began the building of a priory
on the site of the original mission church. Soon after the construction of the priory the town became known as Christchurch.
Some time in the early 12th century, a castle
was built within the town. Originally a wooden fort built by Richard de Redvers
, first cousin to King Henry I, it was rebuilt in stone by Baldwin de Redvers to resist King Stephen
during the civil war
with the Empress Matilda
. The castle again saw action during the Civil War of 1642–1651
when occupied by the Parliamentarians. Christchurch changed hands a number of times: originally under Royalist control, it was captured by Sir William Waller
's Parliamentary army in 1644. Lord Goring
briefly retook the town in 1645 but was obliged to withdraw and returned with a larger force days later and laid siege to the castle. However, the Parliamentarians withstood the siege and maintained their hold on the town. Fearing such a powerful stronghold might once again fall into Royalist hands, Cromwell
ordered the castle to be destroyed in 1652.
Although the fishing industry thrived in Christchurch, the importance of the harbour declined as it became inaccessible to vessels of a large draught. The harbour entrance was particularly troublesome with constantly shifting sandbars. In 1665 Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, bought the Lordship of the Manor
of Christchurch. As part of his plans to improve trade in the town, he attempted to resolve the problems with the harbour entrance by cutting a new one through the sandspit
at the foot of Hengistbury Head
. However, upon completion the new entrance repeatedly silted up and in 1703 a large storm
damaged a groyne
which blocked the entrance entirely. Over the following 150 years alternative schemes were proposed but none were ever taken up.
Smuggling
was one of Christchurch's most lucrative industries during the 18th and 19th centuries due to easy access to neighbouring towns and the difficult harbour entrance which acted as a barrier to customs cutters. Many townspeople were involved in this illegal trade and large quantities of wealth were accumulated. In 1784 a confrontation between a gang of local smugglers and Customs and Excise
officers led to the Battle of Mudeford
in which a Royal Navy
officer was killed and a smuggler subsequently executed. Another important industry during this period was the manufacture of fusee chains for watches and clocks. In 1790, Robert Cox began to manufacture fusee chains in workshops in the High Street. By 1793 Cox gained a monopoly on chain production in Britain, supplying watch, clock and chronometer
makers throughout the country. In 1845 William Hart opened a similar factory in Bargates. However by 1875 the chains were no longer required due to changes in watch designs and the factories were closed.
The railway came to Christchurch in 1847 although the nearest station, Christchurch Road, was at Holmsley
and passengers were taken the rest of the way by omnibus. In 1862 a station was built in the town close to where it stands today and was served by a branch line from Ringwood
. Christchurch joined the mainline in 1883 and a third station had to be built. Christchurch, and in particular Mudeford
, had been enjoying a modest tourist trade since King George III
had patronised the town in the 1790s but the arrival of the railways made Christchurch accessible to more potential visitors. A power station
was built in Christchurch in 1903 to power the public tram
s. The excess generated was sufficient to light the town and in 1940 it was added to the national grid.
In 1930, the Fisher Aviation Company began to provide flights from fields at the eastern end of Somerford Road and by 1933 the company had flown over 19,000 passengers. In 1934 they obtained permission to establish an aerodrome
on the site which became known as Christchurch Airfield. During the Second World War an Airspeed factory was built on the airfield and began manufacturing aircraft for the RAF and in 1944 the USAAF
Ninth Air Force
established a base there. A second aerodrome
opened at Hurn
in 1944 which became Bournemouth Airport
. In 1940, with the German 6th Army at Cherbourg, Christchurch was fortified against an expected invasion: the construction of pillboxes, gun emplacements and tank traps in and around the town, made Christchurch an "anti-tank island". Between 1941 and 1942 Donald Bailey
developed the Bailey bridge
at the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment at Christchurch Barracks.
Much development with a large increase in housing occurred from the mid-18th century. In 1873, 300 acres (121.4 ha) of common land north of the town known as Portfield was enclosed and built upon and the town's population rapidly expanded. During the 20th century further development has seen the population grown from a little over 11,000 to more than 45,000. In the 1950s a large housing estate was built to the east of the town centre and in 1958 a bypass was constructed which redirected traffic using the town's high street as the main thoroughfare to and from London and Southampton. In 1974 the town was transferred from the county of Hampshire
to Dorset following local government reorganisation
and was granted borough status
by a Royal Charter
.
which has borough status. It is the smallest of Dorset County Council's six districts and one of the smallest boroughs in England by population. The district was formed by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Christchurch with part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District
in 1974. Since then it has been part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset
. It has some large rural areas including Bournemouth International Airport and the parishes of Burton
and Hurn
. For local elections the borough is divided into 12 wards
containing 24 councillors. Elections take place every four years; the last election took place in May 2007 resulting in the Conservatives
retaining overall control with 17 seats. The Mayor of Christchurch for 2010–2011 is Conservative councillor Nicholas Geary and the Deputy Mayor is Susan Spittle (Conservative). In existence since at least 1297, Christchurch's Office of Mayor is now mainly a ceremonial role with little power. The Council Leader is Alan Griffiths who has served as a Conservative councillor since 1999.
Christchurch is represented by a single parliamentary constituency
in the House of Commons. The seat was created in 1983 from parts of the Christchurch and Lymington
, North Dorset and New Forest
constituencies. It had been held by Robert Adley
(Conservative) since its creation until his death in 1993. At the by-election
Diana Maddock (Liberal Democrat)
was elected in one of the largest ever swings
(35.4%) against the sitting party. The seat was retaken by Conservative candidate Christopher Chope
in 1997 and retained in 2001 and 2005. In the 2010 general election, Chope retained his seat with a considerable majority of 15,410 and 56.4% of the vote, making Christchurch one of the safest Conservative constituencies in the country. The Liberal Democrats won 25.3% of the vote, Labour
9.8% and the Independence Party 8.5%. Christchurch is part of the South West England constituency
for elections to the European Parliament
.
of Hampshire
. The town abuts Bournemouth to the west and is approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) east of Poole
, 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Southampton, 23 miles (37 km) south of Salisbury. The town centre lies between the rivers Avon and Stour
which flow directly into Christchurch Harbour
. The borough boundaries stretch to Hurn
Forest in the north encompassing Bournemouth Airport
and eastwards along the coast as far as Walkford. The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the west; the estuary and harbour form the southern boundary.
Christchurch Harbour
contains large areas of salt marsh
and is protected by a sandbar known as Mudeford Spit which has fine sandy beach on both sides of a walkway lined with beach hut
s. The harbour is protected by a natural headland
(Hengistbury Head
) at the start of the sandbanks, and is a special site for sand martin
s which nest annually in the sandy cliffs. The harbour is only accessible to shallow draught boats drawing up to 4 feet (1.2 m) due to the sandbars at the entrance. The entrance, known as the Run, has Mudeford Quay on one side and the spit on the other. Considerable tides flow here: up to 6 knots (3.3 m/s) during spring tides. The harbour is a protected wildlife refuge and is home to large populations of swan
s, wader
s and other bird life. On the south side, the harbour is enclosed by Hengistbury Head which was the site of the earliest settlement here dating back to the Bronze Age
. The landward end of the headland has a bank and ditch known as Double Dykes, built in about 700 BC, to protect the ancient settlement.
Stanpit Marsh is a 65 hectares (160.6 acre) nature reserve
situated just below the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Stour. During the 18th century it was notorious for smugglers landing tobacco and rum in the narrow channels of Christchurch Harbour. It contains areas of salt marsh and freshwater marsh
with reed bed
s and is home to grazing horses, rare birds, and 14 species of rare or endangered plants. It was designated as a Local Nature Reserve
in 1964 and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
in 1986.
To the north of Christchurch is St. Catherine's Hill, the highest part of the borough at 53 metres (173.9 ft) above sea level
. This hill is the most southerly of a chain of three hills, some 3 miles (4.8 km) long with 35 hectares (86.5 acre) area of heathland and coniferous forest. The New Forest
, Christchurch Priory, Hengistbury Head, Avon Valley, Christchurch Bay, The Solent and The Needles
of the Isle of Wight
can be seen from viewpoints on the east side of the Hill. Stour Valley way, Poole Bay
and the Isle of Purbeck
can be viewed from the south west side of the Hill. Due to its commanding views, St. Catherine's Hill has been in use since prehistoric times as a look-out area and beacon and in more recent years served as a military training ground. The hill is home to protected and rare wildlife species including the Dartford Warbler
, Nightjar
, and the Sand Lizard
.
The geology of the borough is unremarkable; the bedrock
is mainly composed of sand
with patches of clay
to the east and west, and superficial deposits (drift
) of sand and gravel
cover the entire area. The extraction of sand and gravel for construction purposes is carried out in the borough and the opening of more sites is planned.
climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The presence of the Gulf Stream
ensures that the British Isles maintain an all-year-round ambient temperature, and, because of its position on the south coast of England, Christchurch has slightly warmer winters and cooler summers than settlements further inland. The warmest months in Christchurch are July and August, which have an average temperature range
of 12 to 22 °C (53.6 to 71.6 F), and the coolest months are January and February, which have a range of 2 to 8.3 °C (35.6 to 46.9 F). The average annual rainfall of 594.5 millimetres (23.4 in) is well below the UK average of 1126 millimetres (44.3 in).
Christchurch has a population of 45,080 according to a 2007 census, making it the fourth most populous settlement in Dorset. It lies in the South East Dorset conurbation
which is one of the South Coast's major urban areas with a total population of over 400,000. Over the three decades between 1971 and 2001, Christchurch's population increased by 32% from 33,768 to 44,865; and between 1991 and 2001 by 8.5%. This was more than three times the average for England and Wales (2.5%), and it is expected to grow by a further 16% to 52,100 by 2028. Between 1999 and 2006 there was a net gain of 4,200 people from migration alone (i.e. excluding births and deaths). On average 3,100 people enter the borough and 2,500 leave each year, giving a net average gain of 600 migrants. The population density
of Christchurch is four times the UK average with 873 people per square kilometre (2,307 per sq mi).
Christchurch has one of the oldest populations in the country with significant proportion of residents wealthy senior citizens. The percentage of the population aged over 65 in Christchurch is 30.4%, almost double the national average of 16.5%. Highcliffe
on the borough's eastern boundary possesses the highest percentage of elderly residents in the entire United Kingdom at 69%. The Office of National Statistics predicted that by 2031, the percentage of residents over 65 will rise to 37.9. In 2005, the life expectancy of female residents was 83.4 years and male residents 79.7 years. This was an increase on ten years previous (1995) when the life expectancy was 82.6 years and 77.0 years for females and males respectively.
In common with the rest of Dorset, Christchurch has low numbers of black and minority ethnic groups: the vast majority (96.83%) consider themselves to be White British
. Other white groups account for a further 2.09% and those of mixed race 0.44%. Asian and British Asian
make up the next largest group with 0.25% of the local population, followed by Chinese, 0.16%, black, 0.13% and 0.11% from other ethnic groups. Over 55% of the economically active population are in full time employment; a further 22% work on a part-time basis. Of those in employment, over 40% of the borough's residents have a high skill level occupation and 17% have a low level one. Some 28.18% have no formal qualifications but 16.63% have a level 4 qualification or above (first or higher degree
, HNC
, HND
, NVQ levels 4 or 5
).
Christchurch contains around 22,800 properties.
In 2005 the average price of a detached house in Christchurch was £323,416. On average property in Christchurch is 24% more expensive than anywhere else in England and Wales. Nearly 80% of residences are owner occupied, 3% are vacant and a further 3% are second homes. The borough has around 25,000 cars: an average of 1.21 per household. Christchurch, in common with the rest of Dorset, has lower crime rates than average for the UK. Reported crime rates per 1,000 of the population in 2006 (with figures for 2001 in brackets) are as follows: violence against the person 10.4 (4.8), sexual offences 0.7 (0.3), robbery 0.2 (0.3), burglary 2.2 (4.0), theft of vehicles 0.9 (2.5), theft from vehicles 3.6 (7.2).
Between 2000 and 2007 the total Gross Value Added
(GVA) of the borough grew by 37% from £552 million to £757 million. The biggest contributor to the local economy through the period 2000–2007 was the transport and communication sector which in 2007 brought in £145 million GVA; £64 million more than in 2000. The sector which saw the largest growth during that period however, was metals and engineering which increased by 140%. The food, textiles and wood industries experienced the largest negative change at -42% whereas the electronics industry experienced the biggest fall with £16.2 million less than seven years previous.
An aircraft manufacturing industry was established in the town with the construction of an Airspeed
factory at Christchurch Airfield in 1942. In 1948 the factory became part of de Havilland
and manufactured a wide range of aircraft such as the Vampire
, Sea Venom and Sea Vixen
. In the 1950s, Bournemouth Airport
, a former RAF base
situated on the outskirts of borough boundaries at Hurn
, also became heavily involved in aircraft production after Vickers Armstrong
—which later became the British Aircraft Corporation
(BAC)—established a factory at the airport.
Although the de Havilland factory closed down in 1962 and aircraft manufacturing at Bournemouth Airport ceased by the late 1970s, the aircraft and engineering industries remained important to the local economy. The BAC works at Bournemouth Airport were converted into a 80 hectares (197.7 acre) industrial estate which has become one of the largest employment sites in the county with over 140 businesses and a working population of some 2,000 people. The town has a number of smaller trading estates including: Airfield Way Industrial Estate, Sea Vixen Trading Estate, Silver Business Park, Hughes Business park, Priory Park, and Somerford Road, all situated on the old Christchurch Airfield; Fairmile/Avon Trading Park, once the old railway yard; and Groveley Road and Stony Lane.
Bournemouth Airport is among the busiest international airports in the country and is an important economic generator for the region. Owned and operated by Manchester Airports Group, the airport handles 800,000 passengers annually and supports around 900 full-time equivalent jobs which contribute more than £24 million to the local economy. Between 2007 and 2010 the airport underwent a £45 million upgrade which included the construction of a new departure terminal. Other major employers in Christchurch include: BAE Systems
, Bournemouth Aviation Services Company (BASCO), Beagle Aerospace, Bournemouth International Airport Ltd
, Channel Express
, College of Air Traffic Control, Data Track Process Instruments, European Aviation
, FR Aviation, Hobbycraft
, Honeywell
, Sainsbury's, Siemens VAI
and SELEX Communications.
The town's High Street contains 48 shops with 61847 ft2 of retail space. The addition of the Saxon Square shopping precinct in 1982 added a further 41748 ft2 of shop floor to the town centre—an increase of 67.5%. The combined number of shops and floor space makes Christchurch the fifth largest shopping centre in Dorset.
Christchurch attracts some 837,000 staying visitors and 792,000 day visitors each year and tourism generates £76,000,000 for the local economy.
Although important to the local economy with spending generating over £53,000,000 GVA, Christchurch is not so heavily dependant on tourism as some of its neighbours. Tourism's contribution to the local economy is about 9% compared to 18% for Weymouth and Portland
, 15% for Purbeck and 12% for Bournemouth. Visitor accommodation consists of 11 caravan and camping parks
and some 900 bed spaces in eight hotels and 75 guest house
s and bed and breakfast
establishments.
and the first market took place in 1149 at the junction of Castle Street and the High Street. These weekly markets stopped in 1872 but resumed a century later in a car park next to the Town Hall, now the site of Saxon Square. When construction of the Square began in 1983, the market was moved to a car park in Bank Close. Today it is held every Monday in the High Street which is then closed to traffic. Periodically there are food fairs and a French Market in the town.
Every year since 2000 the town has held a food and wine festival during May. It includes an international food market with over 100 stalls selling food and drink, and a large marquee with a kitchen area erected in Saxon Square. Here cooking demonstrations are given, sometimes by a celebrity chef: past guests have included Gary Rhodes
and Jean-Christophe Novelli
. The week long festival is a community event which aims to educate people in healthy eating as well as the availability of foods. During the festival local chefs are invited into schools to demonstrate recipes; and throughout the weekend the marquee hosts a cookery workshop for 7–10 year olds.
Christchurch holds an annual music festival on the first weekend in July. Originally a folk festival
, the event has evolved to cater for a wider variety of tastes: clog
and morris dancing groups and salsa
and belly dancing exhibitions have featured. Rock bands
and soul groups
have been included alongside the more traditional types of music. The festival's format changes annually but usually focuses around the town quay where a large marquee contains the main stage. Local bars often host smaller bands and dancing and exhibitions take place throughout the town centre.
Another annual event is the regatta
which has been held every year since 1909. It takes place around the second week in August and involves rowing competitions on the River Stour and a funfair
sited on the adjacent town quay. A carnival
procession and large firework display takes place at the weekend. The part of the quay by the priory is known as The Quomps and was conveyed to the town in 1911 by Lord Malmesbury
. A 19th century bandstand
situated in the Quomps was an anonymous gift to the town in 1938. During the summer months it is used for free open-air concerts on Saturdays, one of the most popular being "Stompin' on the Quomps", a Smooth Jazz
festival. On Sunday afternoons brass bands
often play there.
The town has two museums: The Red House Museum in Quay Road and the Museum of Electricity in Bargates. Once the town workhouse
, the Red House contains permanent and temporary exhibitions pertaining to local history, costume, geology, natural history and archaeology. The museum grounds contain formal and informal gardens. The Museum of Electricity is housed in the old power station in Bargates and is owned by Scottish and Southern Energy. It has educational exhibits and old machinery including a restored 1914 Bournemouth Corporation tram
.
The High Street contains two Grade II listed public house
s: Ye Olde George Inne, once a coach house
, and The Ship Inn which has the oldest licence in Christchurch. A known haunt of smugglers, the Ship Inn's history can be traced back to 1688. At the end of the High Street is Church Street which contains Church Hatch, a Grade II* listed Georgian
residence. Once the home of Sir Owen Tudor Burne, it was saved from demolition in 1929 by public appeal. Ye Olde Eight Bells, a Grade II listed gift shop in Church Street, was once another alehouse frequented by smugglers and central to a number of local legends. Close by in Castle Street is The Perfumery, a 14th century thatched property often referred to as the old courthouse; although some local historians maintain that this was next door and long gone.
The town centre contains three Grade I listed bridges. The Town Bridge is a 15th century ashlar
stone bridge composed of two portions separated by a narrow strip of land. The eastern portion crosses the narrower of two branches of the River Avon that pass through the town and features five low round-headed arch
es. The western bridge features two arches and crosses the millstream which runs adjacent to the Avon. To the east of the Town Bridge on the same route from the town centre the Waterloo Bridge spans the larger branch of the Avon. Built circa 1816–1817 in the mediaeval tradition with dressed Portland stone
, its design incorporates five wide segmental arches, circular piers and capped cutwaters. On the northern side of the bridge a modern steel pedestrian footbridge is cantilevered to the older structure.
is of Norman
origin and was originally of a motte and bailey construction. The castle once dominated the town but now lies in ruins and only a couple of the keep
walls remain. A castle has stood in Christchurch since approximately 924 AD when Edward the Elder
fortified the town with a wooden fort on a motte
. After the Norman conquest in 1066 the castle's defences were strengthened with a ditch and bailey
surrounded by a wooden palisade
. The wooden fort was replaced; at first with another wooden structure and then a stone keep which was constructed in the 12th century. Within the curtain wall of the castle stands the Constable's House, a Grade I listed Norman
dwelling. Much of the building's stonework remains, including a rare example of a Norman chimney (one of only five in the country) and the privy
which extends out across the mill stream. The castle was slighted
by the Parliamentary
army during the English Civil War
to prevent the stronghold from falling into Royalist
hands.
. 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 (94.8 m) 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 noted for its Miraculous Beam, which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Within the Priory grounds stands Priory House, a Grade II listed mansion built in 1777 by Gustavus Brander
. The Priory is in active use for worship and forms part of the Church of England
Diocese of Winchester
.
located a short distance to the south of the Priory on Christchurch Quay. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
and features a mediaeval stone base underneath red brickwork. The mill belonged to the Priory but stopped working in 1908 and stood derelict until purchased by the council and restored in 1981. It is unique in that it takes water from one river (the Avon) and spills it into a second river (the Stour
). A millstream is supplied from the Royalty Fisheries near to the Electricity Museum behind Bargates, and flows for nearly 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the mill between the Avon and the Priory grounds before joining the River Stour. A mediaeval Grade II listed bridge known as the Place Mill Bridge crosses the millstream nearby.
is Highcliffe Castle
, a Grade I listed mansion. The building 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 demolished Georgian
mansion which belonged to Charles Stuart's grandfather John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
. An important remaining example of the Gothic Revival
architecture, Donothorne's design incorporated French mediaeval stonework, stained glass
and 18th century French panelling
. The house was sold in 1950 and was briefly used as a children's home and a Catholic seminary
. After a devastating fire and years of neglect the castle was sold to Christchurch Borough Council in 1977 and underwent restoration. Highcliffe Castle is open to the general public throughout the year and is used for weddings, private functions, exhibitions and other public events.
, play at Hurn Bridge Sports Club situated at the junction of the Avon Causeway and Matchams Lane. Established in 1885 the club was a founding member of the Hampshire Football Association
in 1887. Christchurch F.C. were promoted as champions to Hampshire League
One in 1938, 1948 and 1986, and in 1970, became the first team to win the Bournemouth Senior Cup three times in succession. The club joined the Wessex League
(the ninth tier of the English football league system
) in 1988 and are one of the few clubs in the league that maintain amateur status.
Hurn Bridge is also the home of Christchurch Cricket Club who have teams in the Saturday and Sunday Dorset Leagues. In 2009 the first XI won Division 3 having been newly promoted from Division 4. In those two seasons the team lost only four games. Hurn Bridge houses the Dorset Cricket Centre, an indoor training facility run by the Dorset Cricket Board.
Christchurch has a council run leisure centre
situated at the end of Stony Lane South. The complex contains a swimming pool, golf course and indoor bowling
facility which is home to the East Dorset Indoor Bowls Club. Christchurch has a lawn bowling club, Christchurch Bowling Club, that play on the green adjacent to the castle ruins. The town has two other lawn bowling clubs and golf courses; at Iford and Highcliffe.
Sailing
is a popular leisure pursuit in Christchurch and the harbour is home to three sailing clubs: Highcliffe Sailing Club, Mudeford Sailing Club and Christchurch Sailing Club which are situated at Mudeford Quay, Fisherman's Bank and the Town Quay respectively. The other end of the Town Quay is home to the local rowing
club.
which runs from Devon
through to Southampton
via Poole, Bournemouth and the New Forest
. To the north of the town the A35 connects to the A31
, the major trunk road in central southern England which provides access to the M27 motorway
at Southampton. The A338 road
runs northwards from Bournemouth through Christchurch to Ringwood
in Hampshire.
Two bus companies operate within the borough: Wilts & Dorset
buses and Transdev Yellow Buses
. Together they provide direct routes from Christchurch to: Alderney
, Beaulieu
, Boscombe
, Bournemouth, Burley
, Burton
, Highcliffe
, Lymington
, Milford on Sea
, Mudeford
, New Milton
, Parkstone
, Poole, Ringwood
, and Westbourne
. During the summer months, it is possible to travel directly to Chichester
, Dorchester, Hedge End
, Paultons Park, Portsmouth
, Salisbury
, Southsea
, and Weymouth.
Christchurch railway station
is on the South Western Main Line
from London Waterloo to Weymouth
. Services are operated by South West Trains
and depart for London Waterloo twice an hour, Monday to Saturday; and hourly on Sunday. Weymouth, Dorchester, Wareham, Poole, Bournemouth, Brockenhurst, Southampton and its airport, Eastleigh, Winchester, Basingstoke, Farnborough, Woking, Waterloo can be accessed directly from Christchurch station.
Bournemouth Airport
is situated in Hurn
(a small village within the Christchurch Borough boundary) and is around 3.75 miles (6 km) north-west of Christchurch town centre. Originally an RAF airfield
, the airport began commercial services in the late 1950s and now serves around 800,000 passengers annually. Ryanair
, EasyJet
, Thomson Airways
and Palmair
operate from the airport and provide scheduled flights to European, North African and Caribbean destinations.
During the summer months small passenger ferries
travel between Tuckton and Mudeford Spit via the town quay. Another ferry crosses the Stour between Wick
and the Quay just below Tuckton Bridge. This ferry was running before the bridge was built in 1882 and was then, the only crossing below Iford. Another ferry service operates across the harbour entrance from Mudeford Sandbank to Mudeford Quay. This ferry was operated by rowing boats until the 1960s; payment being at the discretion of the passenger.
s, two junior school
s, five primary schools (combined infant and junior) and three secondary school
s. The secondary schools are, in order of size: Twynham
(1,515 pupils), Highcliffe
(1,347 pupils) and The Grange
(637 pupils). The secondary schools share a sixth form
with the three sites providing different courses.
Schools in Christchurch fall under the jurisdiction of Dorset County Council. From the 2008 General Certificate of Secondary Education
(GCSE) results, Dorset was ranked 32nd out of 148 local authorities in England based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least five A* to C grades at GCSE level including maths and English. Twynham was the best performing school in Christchurch in 2009: 67% of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade including maths and English compared to the national average of 49.8%. Highcliffe achieved 62% but The Grange School was less successful: only 40% of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grade results. Twynham was also the best performing school for A-level
results with an average score of 727.8 points per student, slightly below the national average of 739.3. Highcliffe School School students averaged 618.4 points and The Grange School 571.9 points.
Christchurch has been the birthplace and home of notable people including Benjamin Ferrey
, a renowned architect who was one of the earliest members of the Royal Institute of British Architects
, of which he was twice Vice-President, and a Royal Gold Medal
list in 1870. Ferrey's works include the restorations of Christchurch Priory and Wells Cathedral
. Edmund Lyons
was a Royal Navy
admiral and diplomat who was born and lived in the parish of Burton. He served in the Crimean War
and was elevated to the peerage
in 1856 as Baron Lyons, of Christchurch in the County of Southampton
.
Gustavus Brander
, curator at the British Museum
and governor of the Bank of England
lived at Priory House which he had built in 1777 in the grounds of Christchurch Priory. Prince Louis Phillipe, the future King of France took refuge there during the Napoleonic Wars
. Robert Southey
, writer, poet and Poet Laureate
; lived in Burton between 1797 and 1799. Many other writers and poets of the day visited him there including his brother in law, poet Samuel Coleridge, and the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott.
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
, Prime Minister between 1762 and 1763, amateur botanist
and one of the founders of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
; built a mansion, High Cliff house, on his Christchurch estate close to the cliff top in 1773. The area is now known as Highcliffe
. Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
, diplomat and grandson of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute; built Highcliffe Castle
a grand, romantic style
mansion house on the site of his grandfather's house.
Sir George Rose
, Member of Parliament
for Christchurch
and close friend and advisor to the Prime Minister William Pitt
, built a home, 'Sandhills', at Mudeford. His other great friend, King George III often visited, helping to promote Christchurch as a tourist destination. Sandhills was home to George Rose's two sons: politician and diplomat Sir George Henry Rose
, and poet William Rose
, who both served as Members of Parliament for Christchurch. Field Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
, son of Sir George Henry Rose spent time living at the family home.
Sir Donald Bailey, a civil engineer, developed the Bailey bridge
while he worked in Christchurch during the Second World War. Bailey lived in Christchurch after he retired in 1966 until his death in 1985. Former England football international
and Liverpool
player Jamie Redknapp
attended Twynham School
when his father, Harry Redknapp
, managed A.F.C. Bournemouth
. Another footballer, retired Arsenal
and Scotland
goalkeeper Bob Wilson, has a home near the town centre.
with: Aalen
, Germany
Tatabánya
, Hungary
Christchurch
, New Zealand
Saint-Lô
, France
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
and town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
in the west and the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
and is the most easterly borough in the county. It covers an area of 19.5 mi2 and has a population of approximately 45,000, making it the fourth most populous town in the county.
Christchurch was founded in the 7th century at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
which flow into Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
. The town was originally named Twynham but became known as Christchurch following the construction of the priory
Christchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset .-Early history:...
in 1094. The town developed into an important trading port and was fortified
Burh
A Burh is an Old English name for a fortified town or other defended site, sometimes centred upon a hill fort though always intended as a place of permanent settlement, its origin was in military defence; "it represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the...
in the 9th century. Further defences were added in the 12th century with the construction of a castle
Christchurch Castle
Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England . The earliest stonework has been dated to 1160 AD. It is a Norman motte and bailey castle...
which was destroyed by the Parliamentarian army
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. During the 18th and 19th centuries smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
flourished in Christchurch and became one of the town's most lucrative industries. The town was heavily fortified during Second World War as a precaution against an expected invasion and in 1940 an Airspeed
Airspeed Ltd.
Airspeed Limited was established to build aeroplanes in 1931 in York, England, by A. H. Tiltman and Nevil Shute Norway . The other directors were A. E. Hewitt, Lord Grimthorpe and Alan Cobham...
factory was established on the town's airfield which manufactured aircraft for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
The town's harbour, beaches, nature reserves and historically important buildings have made Christchurch a popular tourist destination attracting some 1.5 million visitors a year. Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
, an international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
which handles approximately 800,000 passengers a year, is located within the borough boundary at Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
. The airport's industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
contains a number of aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
and engineering businesses and is one of the largest employment sites in Dorset. Christchurch is a popular destination for retirees and has one of the oldest populations in the country with 30 per cent of residents aged over 65.
History
Christchurch was founded in approximately 650 AD by missionariesMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
sent to Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
by St Birinus
Birinus
Birinus , venerated as a saint, was the first Bishop of Dorchester, and the "Apostle to the West Saxons".-Life and ministry:After Augustine of Canterbury performed initial conversions in England, Birinus, a Frank, came to the kingdoms of Wessex in 634, landing at the port of "Hamwic", now in the...
, the first Bishop of Dorchester (Oxfordshire). They settled on a stretch of raised land between the rivers Avon and Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
which carried people and their wares to and from settlements such as Blandford and Old Sarum
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country...
(Salisbury). The harbour became one of the most important in Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
England as it was easily reached from the continent
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
and boats could travel up the river Avon to Salisbury. The town appears in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle entry of 901 as Tweoxneam (Twynham) from Old English betweoxn (between) and éam (rivers). In around 890 AD, Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
considered Twynham to be of such strategic importance that, with the threat of invasion by the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
, he made it a burh
Burh
A Burh is an Old English name for a fortified town or other defended site, sometimes centred upon a hill fort though always intended as a place of permanent settlement, its origin was in military defence; "it represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the...
and defensive walls were erected around the town. In 1094 a chief minister of King William II
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
, Ranulf Flambard
Ranulf Flambard
Ranulf Flambard was a medieval Norman Bishop of Durham and an influential government minister of King William Rufus of England...
, then Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Twynham, began the building of a priory
Christchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset .-Early history:...
on the site of the original mission church. Soon after the construction of the priory the town became known as Christchurch.
Christchurch Castle
Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England . The earliest stonework has been dated to 1160 AD. It is a Norman motte and bailey castle...
was built within the town. Originally a wooden fort built by Richard de Redvers
Richard de Redvers
Richard de Redvers was a Norman nobleman, from Reviers in Normandy, who may have been one of the companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England from 1066...
, first cousin to King Henry I, it was rebuilt in stone by Baldwin de Redvers to resist King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
during the civil war
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
with the Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
. The castle again saw action during the Civil War of 1642–1651
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
when occupied by the Parliamentarians. Christchurch changed hands a number of times: originally under Royalist control, it was captured by Sir William Waller
William Waller
Sir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
's Parliamentary army in 1644. Lord Goring
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich was an English soldier.He was the son of George Goring of Hurstpierpoint and Ovingdean, Sussex, and of Anne Denny, sister of Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich. He matriculated from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1600, and may subsequently have spent some...
briefly retook the town in 1645 but was obliged to withdraw and returned with a larger force days later and laid siege to the castle. However, the Parliamentarians withstood the siege and maintained their hold on the town. Fearing such a powerful stronghold might once again fall into Royalist hands, Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
ordered the castle to be destroyed in 1652.
Although the fishing industry thrived in Christchurch, the importance of the harbour declined as it became inaccessible to vessels of a large draught. The harbour entrance was particularly troublesome with constantly shifting sandbars. In 1665 Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, bought the Lordship of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Christchurch. As part of his plans to improve trade in the town, he attempted to resolve the problems with the harbour entrance by cutting a new one through the sandspit
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
at the foot of Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Milford on Sea in the English county of Dorset.At the end is a spit which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour.-Location:...
. However, upon completion the new entrance repeatedly silted up and in 1703 a large storm
Great Storm of 1703
The Great Storm of 1703 was the most severe storm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel in the Kingdom of Great Britain...
damaged a groyne
Groyne
A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore or from a bank that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment. In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift. In a river, groynes prevent erosion and ice-jamming, which...
which blocked the entrance entirely. Over the following 150 years alternative schemes were proposed but none were ever taken up.
Smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
was one of Christchurch's most lucrative industries during the 18th and 19th centuries due to easy access to neighbouring towns and the difficult harbour entrance which acted as a barrier to customs cutters. Many townspeople were involved in this illegal trade and large quantities of wealth were accumulated. In 1784 a confrontation between a gang of local smugglers and Customs and Excise
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
HM Customs and Excise was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government in the UK. It was responsible for the collection of Value added tax , Customs Duties, Excise Duties, and other indirect taxes such as Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Insurance Premium Tax, Landfill Tax and...
officers led to the Battle of Mudeford
Battle of Mudeford
The Battle of Mudeford was a skirmish fought between smugglers and Customs and Excise officers which occurred in 1784 on what is now a car park at Mudeford Quay, Mudeford, Christchurch, England near the entrance of Christchurch Harbour...
in which a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer was killed and a smuggler subsequently executed. Another important industry during this period was the manufacture of fusee chains for watches and clocks. In 1790, Robert Cox began to manufacture fusee chains in workshops in the High Street. By 1793 Cox gained a monopoly on chain production in Britain, supplying watch, clock and chronometer
Chronometer
Chronometer may refer to:* Chronometer watch, a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards* Hydrochronometer, a water clock* Marine chronometer, a timekeeper used for celestial navigation...
makers throughout the country. In 1845 William Hart opened a similar factory in Bargates. However by 1875 the chains were no longer required due to changes in watch designs and the factories were closed.
The railway came to Christchurch in 1847 although the nearest station, Christchurch Road, was at Holmsley
Holmsley railway station
Holmsley is a closed railway station in the county of Hampshire which served the small village of Holmsley.-History:The station was opened in 1847 as "Christchurch Road" by the Southampton and Dorchester Railway. Sited next to a bridge carrying the A35 road over the line, it was initially the...
and passengers were taken the rest of the way by omnibus. In 1862 a station was built in the town close to where it stands today and was served by a branch line from Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
. Christchurch joined the mainline in 1883 and a third station had to be built. Christchurch, and in particular Mudeford
Mudeford
Mudeford was originally a small fishing village in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset southern England, lying at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour. The River Mude and Bure Brook flow into the harbour there...
, had been enjoying a modest tourist trade since King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
had patronised the town in the 1790s but the arrival of the railways made Christchurch accessible to more potential visitors. A power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
was built in Christchurch in 1903 to power the public tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s. The excess generated was sufficient to light the town and in 1940 it was added to the national grid.
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
on the site which became known as Christchurch Airfield. During the Second World War an Airspeed factory was built on the airfield and began manufacturing aircraft for the RAF and in 1944 the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
established a base there. A second aerodrome
RAF Hurn
RAF Station Hurn is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north east of Christchurch; about southwest of LondonOpened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
opened at Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
in 1944 which became Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
. In 1940, with the German 6th Army at Cherbourg, Christchurch was fortified against an expected invasion: the construction of pillboxes, gun emplacements and tank traps in and around the town, made Christchurch an "anti-tank island". Between 1941 and 1942 Donald Bailey
Donald Bailey
Sir Donald Coleman Bailey, OBE was an English civil engineer who invented the Bailey bridge. Field Marshal Montgomery is recorded as saying that without the Bailey bridge, we should not have won the war. - Background :...
developed the Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
at the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment at Christchurch Barracks.
Much development with a large increase in housing occurred from the mid-18th century. In 1873, 300 acres (121.4 ha) of common land north of the town known as Portfield was enclosed and built upon and the town's population rapidly expanded. During the 20th century further development has seen the population grown from a little over 11,000 to more than 45,000. In the 1950s a large housing estate was built to the east of the town centre and in 1958 a bypass was constructed which redirected traffic using the town's high street as the main thoroughfare to and from London and Southampton. In 1974 the town was transferred from the county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
to Dorset following local government reorganisation
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
and was granted borough status
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
by a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
.
Governance
Christchurch is a local government districtNon-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
which has borough status. It is the smallest of Dorset County Council's six districts and one of the smallest boroughs in England by population. The district was formed by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Christchurch with part of Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District
Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District
Ringwood and Fordingbridge was a rural district in Hampshire from 1932 to 1974. It was formed by the merger of part of the disbanded Christchurch Rural District along with Ringwood Rural District and Fordingbridge Rural District. Its main urban centres were Ringwood and Fordingbridge.The district...
in 1974. Since then it has been part of the non-metropolitan county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. It has some large rural areas including Bournemouth International Airport and the parishes of Burton
Burton, Dorset
Burton Village is a village and parish in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset, England. It is situated some 2 miles north-east of Christchurch town centre...
and Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
. For local elections the borough is divided into 12 wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
containing 24 councillors. Elections take place every four years; the last election took place in May 2007 resulting in the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
retaining overall control with 17 seats. The Mayor of Christchurch for 2010–2011 is Conservative councillor Nicholas Geary and the Deputy Mayor is Susan Spittle (Conservative). In existence since at least 1297, Christchurch's Office of Mayor is now mainly a ceremonial role with little power. The Council Leader is Alan Griffiths who has served as a Conservative councillor since 1999.
Christchurch is represented by a single parliamentary constituency
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the House of Commons. The seat was created in 1983 from parts of the Christchurch and Lymington
Christchurch and Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch and Lymington was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Christchurch and Lymington in Hampshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, North Dorset and New Forest
New Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
New Forest was a county constituency in Hampshire which elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituencies. It had been held by Robert Adley
Robert Adley
Robert James Adley was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom and railway enthusiast.Adley was educated at Uppingham School and would become a company director. In the 1970s Adley was part-time Marketing Director for Holiday Inn...
(Conservative) since its creation until his death in 1993. At the by-election
Christchurch by-election, 1993
A by-election was held in the British House of Commons constituency of Christchurch on 29 July 1993 following the death of sitting Conservative MP Robert Adley....
Diana Maddock (Liberal Democrat)
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
was elected in one of the largest ever swings
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
(35.4%) against the sitting party. The seat was retaken by Conservative candidate Christopher Chope
Christopher Chope
Christopher Robert Chope OBE is a British barrister and Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Christchurch.-Early life:...
in 1997 and retained in 2001 and 2005. In the 2010 general election, Chope retained his seat with a considerable majority of 15,410 and 56.4% of the vote, making Christchurch one of the safest Conservative constituencies in the country. The Liberal Democrats won 25.3% of the vote, Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
9.8% and the Independence Party 8.5%. Christchurch is part of the South West England constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
for elections to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
Geography
Christchurch is the most easterly coastal town of Dorset and lies within the historic county boundariesHistoric counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The town abuts Bournemouth to the west and is approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) east of Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Southampton, 23 miles (37 km) south of Salisbury. The town centre lies between the rivers Avon and Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
which flow directly into Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
. The borough boundaries stretch to Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
Forest in the north encompassing Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
and eastwards along the coast as far as Walkford. The River Stour forms a natural boundary to the west; the estuary and harbour form the southern boundary.
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour
Christchurch Harbour is a natural harbour in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England named after the nearby town of Christchurch.Two Rivers the Avon and the Stour flow into the Harbour at its northwest corner. The harbour is generally shallow and due to the tidal harmonics in the...
contains large areas of salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and is protected by a sandbar known as Mudeford Spit which has fine sandy beach on both sides of a walkway lined with beach hut
Beach hut
A beach hut is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings...
s. The harbour is protected by a natural headland
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
(Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Milford on Sea in the English county of Dorset.At the end is a spit which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour.-Location:...
) at the start of the sandbanks, and is a special site for sand martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
s which nest annually in the sandy cliffs. The harbour is only accessible to shallow draught boats drawing up to 4 feet (1.2 m) due to the sandbars at the entrance. The entrance, known as the Run, has Mudeford Quay on one side and the spit on the other. Considerable tides flow here: up to 6 knots (3.3 m/s) during spring tides. The harbour is a protected wildlife refuge and is home to large populations of swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, wader
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s and other bird life. On the south side, the harbour is enclosed by Hengistbury Head which was the site of the earliest settlement here dating back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. The landward end of the headland has a bank and ditch known as Double Dykes, built in about 700 BC, to protect the ancient settlement.
Stanpit Marsh is a 65 hectares (160.6 acre) nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
situated just below the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Stour. During the 18th century it was notorious for smugglers landing tobacco and rum in the narrow channels of Christchurch Harbour. It contains areas of salt marsh and freshwater marsh
Freshwater marsh
A freshwater marsh is a marsh that contains fresh water. They are usually found near the mouths of rivers and are present in areas with low drainage. The Florida Everglades, the largest freshwater marsh in the United States, are an example of this type of marsh....
with reed bed
Reed bed
Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions andestuaries. Reed beds are part of a succession from young reed colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground...
s and is home to grazing horses, rare birds, and 14 species of rare or endangered plants. It was designated as a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
in 1964 and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
in 1986.
To the north of Christchurch is St. Catherine's Hill, the highest part of the borough at 53 metres (173.9 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. This hill is the most southerly of a chain of three hills, some 3 miles (4.8 km) long with 35 hectares (86.5 acre) area of heathland and coniferous forest. The New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, Christchurch Priory, Hengistbury Head, Avon Valley, Christchurch Bay, The Solent and The Needles
The Needles
The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation...
of the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
can be seen from viewpoints on the east side of the Hill. Stour Valley way, Poole Bay
Poole Bay
Poole Bay is a bay in the English Channel, off the coast of Dorset in southern England, which runs from the mouth of Poole Harbour in the west to Hengistbury Head in the east. It consists of steep sandstone cliffs and several 'chines' that allow easy access to the sandy beaches below...
and the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
can be viewed from the south west side of the Hill. Due to its commanding views, St. Catherine's Hill has been in use since prehistoric times as a look-out area and beacon and in more recent years served as a military training ground. The hill is home to protected and rare wildlife species including the Dartford Warbler
Dartford Warbler
The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe, and northwestern Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy...
, Nightjar
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
, and the Sand Lizard
Sand Lizard
The sand lizard is a lacertid lizard distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia. It does not occur in the Iberian peninsula or European Turkey. Its distribution is often patchy....
.
The geology of the borough is unremarkable; the bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
is mainly composed of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
with patches of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
to the east and west, and superficial deposits (drift
Drift (geology)
In geology, drift is the name for all material of glacial origin found anywhere on land or at sea , including sediment and large rocks...
) of sand and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
cover the entire area. The extraction of sand and gravel for construction purposes is carried out in the borough and the opening of more sites is planned.
Climate
Christchurch, like the rest of the country, has a temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The presence of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
ensures that the British Isles maintain an all-year-round ambient temperature, and, because of its position on the south coast of England, Christchurch has slightly warmer winters and cooler summers than settlements further inland. The warmest months in Christchurch are July and August, which have an average temperature range
Temperature range
Atmospheric temperature range is the numerical difference between the minimum and maximum values of temperature observed in a given location....
of 12 to 22 °C (53.6 to 71.6 F), and the coolest months are January and February, which have a range of 2 to 8.3 °C (35.6 to 46.9 F). The average annual rainfall of 594.5 millimetres (23.4 in) is well below the UK average of 1126 millimetres (44.3 in).
Demographics
| Age | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 0–15 | 15.8 |
| 16–17 | 2.0 |
| 18–44 | 27.1 |
| 45–59 | 19.1 |
| 60–84 | 31.9 |
| 85+ | 4.1 |
Christchurch has a population of 45,080 according to a 2007 census, making it the fourth most populous settlement in Dorset. It lies in the South East Dorset conurbation
South East Dorset conurbation
The South east Dorset conurbation is a multi-centred conurbation on the south coast of Dorset in England. The area is rapidly becoming an amalgamation with the area of South West Hampshire immediately on the fringe of the newly formed New Forest National Park...
which is one of the South Coast's major urban areas with a total population of over 400,000. Over the three decades between 1971 and 2001, Christchurch's population increased by 32% from 33,768 to 44,865; and between 1991 and 2001 by 8.5%. This was more than three times the average for England and Wales (2.5%), and it is expected to grow by a further 16% to 52,100 by 2028. Between 1999 and 2006 there was a net gain of 4,200 people from migration alone (i.e. excluding births and deaths). On average 3,100 people enter the borough and 2,500 leave each year, giving a net average gain of 600 migrants. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of Christchurch is four times the UK average with 873 people per square kilometre (2,307 per sq mi).
Christchurch has one of the oldest populations in the country with significant proportion of residents wealthy senior citizens. The percentage of the population aged over 65 in Christchurch is 30.4%, almost double the national average of 16.5%. Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
on the borough's eastern boundary possesses the highest percentage of elderly residents in the entire United Kingdom at 69%. The Office of National Statistics predicted that by 2031, the percentage of residents over 65 will rise to 37.9. In 2005, the life expectancy of female residents was 83.4 years and male residents 79.7 years. This was an increase on ten years previous (1995) when the life expectancy was 82.6 years and 77.0 years for females and males respectively.
In common with the rest of Dorset, Christchurch has low numbers of black and minority ethnic groups: the vast majority (96.83%) consider themselves to be White British
White British
White British was an ethnicity classification used in the 2001 United Kingdom Census. As a result of the census, 50,366,497 people in the United Kingdom were classified as White British. In Scotland the classification was broken down into two different categories: White Scottish and Other White...
. Other white groups account for a further 2.09% and those of mixed race 0.44%. Asian and British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
make up the next largest group with 0.25% of the local population, followed by Chinese, 0.16%, black, 0.13% and 0.11% from other ethnic groups. Over 55% of the economically active population are in full time employment; a further 22% work on a part-time basis. Of those in employment, over 40% of the borough's residents have a high skill level occupation and 17% have a low level one. Some 28.18% have no formal qualifications but 16.63% have a level 4 qualification or above (first or higher degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
, HNC
Higher National Certificate
A Higher National Certificate is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel, and in Scotland, an HNC is a Higher National awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority...
, HND
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
, NVQ levels 4 or 5
National Vocational Qualification
National Vocational Qualifications are work based awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are achieved through assessment and training. In Scotland they are known as Scottish Vocational Qualification ....
).
Christchurch contains around 22,800 properties.
In 2005 the average price of a detached house in Christchurch was £323,416. On average property in Christchurch is 24% more expensive than anywhere else in England and Wales. Nearly 80% of residences are owner occupied, 3% are vacant and a further 3% are second homes. The borough has around 25,000 cars: an average of 1.21 per household. Christchurch, in common with the rest of Dorset, has lower crime rates than average for the UK. Reported crime rates per 1,000 of the population in 2006 (with figures for 2001 in brackets) are as follows: violence against the person 10.4 (4.8), sexual offences 0.7 (0.3), robbery 0.2 (0.3), burglary 2.2 (4.0), theft of vehicles 0.9 (2.5), theft from vehicles 3.6 (7.2).
| Historical population of Christchurch | |||||||||||
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 265 | 230 | 317 | 359 | 1,317 | 1,332 | 3,460 | 5,589 | 7,717 | 14,686 | 11,155 |
| Year | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| Population | 8,496 | 11,572 | 15,773 | 18,828 | 22,475 | 27,549 | 33,768 | 37,285 | 41,240 | 44,869 | - |
Census: 1801 2001 |
|||||||||||
Economy
| Sector | 2000 | 2004 | 2007 | Change (£M) |
Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 10.5 | 14.6 | 16.3 | 5.9 | 56% |
| Mining/Quarrying | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
| Food/Textiles/Wood | 6.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | -2.9 | -42% |
| Printing and Publishing | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.0 | -0.7 | -19% |
| Chemicals and Minerals | 10.2 | 6.7 | 7.4 | -2.8 | -28% |
| Metals and Engineering | 12.8 | 26.9 | 30.8 | 17.9 | 140% |
| Electronics | 56.8 | 34.7 | 40.5 | -16.2 | -29% |
| Transport equipment | 52.7 | 62.4 | 71.6 | 18.8 | 36% |
| Manufacturing nes | 3.5 | 4.7 | 3.2 | -0.3 | -8% |
| Electricity/Gas/Water | 12.5 | 14.9 | 20.7 | 8.2 | 66% |
| Construction | 34.7 | 49.6 | 43.5 | 8.8 | 25% |
| Distribution | 73.5 | 104.2 | 110.8 | 37.4 | 51% |
| Hotel and Catering | 21.5 | 27.0 | 34.3 | 12.8 | 60% |
| Transport and Communications | 80.5 | 119.9 | 145.1 | 64.6 | 80% |
| Banking and Insurance | 15.2 | 20.1 | 25.5 | 10.3 | 68% |
| Other business services | 57.8 | 56.2 | 84.8 | 27.0 | 47% |
| Public administration and Defence | 9.8 | 13.2 | 16.5 | 6.7 | 68% |
| Education and Health | 67.2 | 70.7 | 76.8 | 9.6 | 14% |
| Miscellaneous services | 22.9 | 20.4 | 22.3 | -0.6 | -2% |
| Total GVA | 552.5 | 664.5 | 757.0 | 204.5 | 37% |
Between 2000 and 2007 the total Gross Value Added
Gross value added
Gross Value Added ' is a measure in economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy...
(GVA) of the borough grew by 37% from £552 million to £757 million. The biggest contributor to the local economy through the period 2000–2007 was the transport and communication sector which in 2007 brought in £145 million GVA; £64 million more than in 2000. The sector which saw the largest growth during that period however, was metals and engineering which increased by 140%. The food, textiles and wood industries experienced the largest negative change at -42% whereas the electronics industry experienced the biggest fall with £16.2 million less than seven years previous.
An aircraft manufacturing industry was established in the town with the construction of an Airspeed
Airspeed Ltd.
Airspeed Limited was established to build aeroplanes in 1931 in York, England, by A. H. Tiltman and Nevil Shute Norway . The other directors were A. E. Hewitt, Lord Grimthorpe and Alan Cobham...
factory at Christchurch Airfield in 1942. In 1948 the factory became part of de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
and manufactured a wide range of aircraft such as the Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
, Sea Venom and Sea Vixen
De Havilland Sea Vixen
The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a twin boom 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s...
. In the 1950s, Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
, a former RAF base
RAF Hurn
RAF Station Hurn is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north east of Christchurch; about southwest of LondonOpened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
situated on the outskirts of borough boundaries at Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
, also became heavily involved in aircraft production after Vickers Armstrong
Vickers Armstrong
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927...
—which later became the British Aircraft Corporation
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs , the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with...
(BAC)—established a factory at the airport.
Although the de Havilland factory closed down in 1962 and aircraft manufacturing at Bournemouth Airport ceased by the late 1970s, the aircraft and engineering industries remained important to the local economy. The BAC works at Bournemouth Airport were converted into a 80 hectares (197.7 acre) industrial estate which has become one of the largest employment sites in the county with over 140 businesses and a working population of some 2,000 people. The town has a number of smaller trading estates including: Airfield Way Industrial Estate, Sea Vixen Trading Estate, Silver Business Park, Hughes Business park, Priory Park, and Somerford Road, all situated on the old Christchurch Airfield; Fairmile/Avon Trading Park, once the old railway yard; and Groveley Road and Stony Lane.
Bournemouth Airport is among the busiest international airports in the country and is an important economic generator for the region. Owned and operated by Manchester Airports Group, the airport handles 800,000 passengers annually and supports around 900 full-time equivalent jobs which contribute more than £24 million to the local economy. Between 2007 and 2010 the airport underwent a £45 million upgrade which included the construction of a new departure terminal. Other major employers in Christchurch include: BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, Bournemouth Aviation Services Company (BASCO), Beagle Aerospace, Bournemouth International Airport Ltd
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
, Channel Express
Channel Express
Channel Express was an airline based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It operated scheduled services from Bournemouth to the Channel Islands and nightly cargo services to Europe and throughout the UK on behalf of Royal Mail and other overnight express carriers...
, College of Air Traffic Control, Data Track Process Instruments, European Aviation
European Aviation Air Charter
European Aviation Air Charter was an airline based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It operated ad hoc charter services, VIP flights, and inclusive-tour and sub-charter flights, as well as ACMI wet leases for other airlines. Its main base was Bournemouth Airport...
, FR Aviation, Hobbycraft
Hobbycraft
HobbyCraft is the registered trademark of HobbyCraft Group Ltd., an arts and crafts superstore chain.It is the largest chain of craft superstores in the United Kingdom, and the first of its kind in Europe. Craft shops are traditionally small and based on specific crafts, whereas HobbyCraft stocks...
, Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
, Sainsbury's, Siemens VAI
Siemens VAI
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies based in Linz, Austria, is an engineering and plant building company for the iron and steel industry, for the flat-rolling sector of the aluminum industry and for open cast mining...
and SELEX Communications.
The town's High Street contains 48 shops with 61847 ft2 of retail space. The addition of the Saxon Square shopping precinct in 1982 added a further 41748 ft2 of shop floor to the town centre—an increase of 67.5%. The combined number of shops and floor space makes Christchurch the fifth largest shopping centre in Dorset.
Christchurch attracts some 837,000 staying visitors and 792,000 day visitors each year and tourism generates £76,000,000 for the local economy.
Although important to the local economy with spending generating over £53,000,000 GVA, Christchurch is not so heavily dependant on tourism as some of its neighbours. Tourism's contribution to the local economy is about 9% compared to 18% for Weymouth and Portland
Weymouth and Portland
Weymouth and Portland is a local government district and borough in Dorset, England. It consists of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and includes the areas of Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southill, Chiswell, Castletown, Fortuneswell, Radipole, Nottington,...
, 15% for Purbeck and 12% for Bournemouth. Visitor accommodation consists of 11 caravan and camping parks
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
and some 900 bed spaces in eight hotels and 75 guest house
Guest house
A guest house is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world a guest house is similar to a hostel, bed and breakfast, or inn whereas in other parts of the world , guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging...
s and bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
establishments.
Culture
A weekly market was granted to the town by Baldwin de RedversBaldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon was the son of Richard de Redvers and his wife Adeline Peverel.He was one of the first to rebel against King Stephen, and was the only first rank magnate never to accept the new king. He seized Exeter, and was a pirate out of Carisbrooke, but he was driven out...
and the first market took place in 1149 at the junction of Castle Street and the High Street. These weekly markets stopped in 1872 but resumed a century later in a car park next to the Town Hall, now the site of Saxon Square. When construction of the Square began in 1983, the market was moved to a car park in Bank Close. Today it is held every Monday in the High Street which is then closed to traffic. Periodically there are food fairs and a French Market in the town.
Every year since 2000 the town has held a food and wine festival during May. It includes an international food market with over 100 stalls selling food and drink, and a large marquee with a kitchen area erected in Saxon Square. Here cooking demonstrations are given, sometimes by a celebrity chef: past guests have included Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
and Jean-Christophe Novelli
Jean-Christophe Novelli
-Life:Born in Arras, Northern France, in 1961, in a family with Italian roots, Jean-Christophe Novelli left school at age 14 and worked in a bakery before, at the age of 20, becoming a personal chef to the Rothschild family....
. The week long festival is a community event which aims to educate people in healthy eating as well as the availability of foods. During the festival local chefs are invited into schools to demonstrate recipes; and throughout the weekend the marquee hosts a cookery workshop for 7–10 year olds.
Christchurch holds an annual music festival on the first weekend in July. Originally a folk festival
Folk music of England
Folk music of England refers to various types of traditionally based music, often contrasted with courtly, classical and later commercial music, for which evidence exists from the later medieval period. It has been preserved and transmitted orally, through print and later through recordings...
, the event has evolved to cater for a wider variety of tastes: clog
Clogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
and morris dancing groups and salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
and belly dancing exhibitions have featured. Rock bands
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and soul groups
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
have been included alongside the more traditional types of music. The festival's format changes annually but usually focuses around the town quay where a large marquee contains the main stage. Local bars often host smaller bands and dancing and exhibitions take place throughout the town centre.
Another annual event is the regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
which has been held every year since 1909. It takes place around the second week in August and involves rowing competitions on the River Stour and a funfair
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
sited on the adjacent town quay. A carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
procession and large firework display takes place at the weekend. The part of the quay by the priory is known as The Quomps and was conveyed to the town in 1911 by Lord Malmesbury
James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury
James Edward Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, DL , styled Viscount FitzHarris from 1889 to 1899, was a British peer and Conservative politician....
. A 19th century bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
situated in the Quomps was an anonymous gift to the town in 1938. During the summer months it is used for free open-air concerts on Saturdays, one of the most popular being "Stompin' on the Quomps", a Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
festival. On Sunday afternoons brass bands
Brass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...
often play there.
The town has two museums: The Red House Museum in Quay Road and the Museum of Electricity in Bargates. Once the town workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, the Red House contains permanent and temporary exhibitions pertaining to local history, costume, geology, natural history and archaeology. The museum grounds contain formal and informal gardens. The Museum of Electricity is housed in the old power station in Bargates and is owned by Scottish and Southern Energy. It has educational exhibits and old machinery including a restored 1914 Bournemouth Corporation tram
Bournemouth Corporation Tramways
Bournemouth Corporation Tramways served the town of Bournemouth in Dorset from 23 July 1902 until 8 April 1936.. The system extended to the suburb of Winton to the north and to the adjacent towns of Poole to the west and Christchurch to the east.-Infrastructure:Routes were centred on The Square at...
.
Town centre
Christchurch's town centre encompasses a mixture of traditional public houses, restaurants, coffee shops, antiquated cottages and historic listed buildings. The older part of the town dates from Saxon times and retains its Saxon street layout. The Grade II listed Mayor's Parlour was built as the market hall in 1745 at the far end of the High Street but was moved to its present position in 1849. It was enclosed and extended, and used as the town hall until the civic offices were built in the mid 1970s. It was restored to its former condition circa 1982 when the Saxon Square shopping precinct was built.The High Street contains two Grade II listed public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s: Ye Olde George Inne, once a coach house
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
, and The Ship Inn which has the oldest licence in Christchurch. A known haunt of smugglers, the Ship Inn's history can be traced back to 1688. At the end of the High Street is Church Street which contains Church Hatch, a Grade II* listed Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
residence. Once the home of Sir Owen Tudor Burne, it was saved from demolition in 1929 by public appeal. Ye Olde Eight Bells, a Grade II listed gift shop in Church Street, was once another alehouse frequented by smugglers and central to a number of local legends. Close by in Castle Street is The Perfumery, a 14th century thatched property often referred to as the old courthouse; although some local historians maintain that this was next door and long gone.
The town centre contains three Grade I listed bridges. The Town Bridge is a 15th century ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone bridge composed of two portions separated by a narrow strip of land. The eastern portion crosses the narrower of two branches of the River Avon that pass through the town and features five low round-headed arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es. The western bridge features two arches and crosses the millstream which runs adjacent to the Avon. To the east of the Town Bridge on the same route from the town centre the Waterloo Bridge spans the larger branch of the Avon. Built circa 1816–1817 in the mediaeval tradition with dressed Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
, its design incorporates five wide segmental arches, circular piers and capped cutwaters. On the northern side of the bridge a modern steel pedestrian footbridge is cantilevered to the older structure.
Castle
The Grade I listed Christchurch CastleChristchurch Castle
Christchurch Castle is located in Christchurch, Dorset, England . The earliest stonework has been dated to 1160 AD. It is a Norman motte and bailey castle...
is of Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origin and was originally of a motte and bailey construction. The castle once dominated the town but now lies in ruins and only a couple of the keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
walls remain. A castle has stood in Christchurch since approximately 924 AD when Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
fortified the town with a wooden fort on a motte
Motte
Motte may be:*Motte-and-bailey, a type of construction used in castles*Isaac Motte, an 18th century American statesman*La Motte , various places with this name-See also:* Mote * Mott...
. After the Norman conquest in 1066 the castle's defences were strengthened with a ditch and bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
surrounded by a wooden palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
. The wooden fort was replaced; at first with another wooden structure and then a stone keep which was constructed in the 12th century. Within the curtain wall of the castle stands the Constable's House, a Grade I listed Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
dwelling. Much of the building's stonework remains, including a rare example of a Norman chimney (one of only five in the country) and the privy
Garderobe
The term garderobe describes a place where clothes and other items are stored, and also a medieval toilet. In European public places, a garderobe denotes the cloakroom, wardrobe, alcove or an armoire. In Danish, Dutch, German and Spanish garderobe can mean a cloakroom. In Latvian it means checkroom...
which extends out across the mill stream. The castle was slighted
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
by the Parliamentary
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
army during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
to prevent the stronghold from falling into Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
hands.
Priory
Christchurch town centre and the Harbour are overlooked by the 11th century Grade I listed Christchurch PrioryChristchurch Priory
Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset .-Early history:...
. Once a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, it was given to the town for use as a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
by Henry VIII after the dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1540. It is the longest parish church in England with a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
over 311 feet (94.8 m) long. The nave and transepts are Norman with heavy columns and round arches, whereas the lady chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
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 noted for its Miraculous Beam, which attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Within the Priory grounds stands Priory House, a Grade II listed mansion built in 1777 by Gustavus Brander
Gustavus Brander
Gustavus Brander , English naturalist, who came of a Swedish family, was born in London in 1720, and was brought up as a merchant, in which capacity he achieved success and became a director of the Bank of England....
. The Priory is in active use for worship and forms part of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Diocese of Winchester
Diocese of Winchester
The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England.Founded in 676, it is one of the oldest and largest of the dioceses in England.The area of the diocese incorporates:...
.
Place Mill
Place Mill is a Grade II* listed Anglo-Saxon watermillWatermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
located a short distance to the south of the Priory on Christchurch Quay. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and features a mediaeval stone base underneath red brickwork. The mill belonged to the Priory but stopped working in 1908 and stood derelict until purchased by the council and restored in 1981. It is unique in that it takes water from one river (the Avon) and spills it into a second river (the Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
). A millstream is supplied from the Royalty Fisheries near to the Electricity Museum behind Bargates, and flows for nearly 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the mill between the Avon and the Priory grounds before joining the River Stour. A mediaeval Grade II listed bridge known as the Place Mill Bridge crosses the millstream nearby.
Highcliffe Castle
Situated on the cliffs at HighcliffeHighcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
is Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability...
, a Grade I listed mansion. The building was designed by William Donthorne
William Donthorne
William John Donthorne was a notable English architect of the early 19th century and one of the founders of what became the Royal Institute of British Architects .Donthorn was born in Norfolk and was a pupil of Sir Jeffry Wyattville...
for Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay GCB, PC , known as Sir Charles Stuart between 1812 and 1828, was a British diplomat...
, and built between 1831 and 1835. It stands on the site of "High Cliff", a demolished Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion which belonged to Charles Stuart's grandfather John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
. An important remaining example of the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
architecture, Donothorne's design incorporated French mediaeval stonework, stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and 18th century French panelling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
. The house was sold in 1950 and was briefly used as a children's home and a Catholic seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. After a devastating fire and years of neglect the castle was sold to Christchurch Borough Council in 1977 and underwent restoration. Highcliffe Castle is open to the general public throughout the year and is used for weddings, private functions, exhibitions and other public events.
Sports and recreation
The town's football team, Christchurch F.C.Christchurch F.C.
Christchurch F.C. is a football club based in Christchurch, Dorset, England. They were established in 1885. In the 2002–03 and 2008–09 seasons, they reached the 4th round of the FA Vase. They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division...
, play at Hurn Bridge Sports Club situated at the junction of the Avon Causeway and Matchams Lane. Established in 1885 the club was a founding member of the Hampshire Football Association
Hampshire Football Association
The Hampshire Football Association, also known as Hampshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Hampshire. It was formed in 1887.-External links:* * *...
in 1887. Christchurch F.C. were promoted as champions to Hampshire League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
One in 1938, 1948 and 1986, and in 1970, became the first team to win the Bournemouth Senior Cup three times in succession. The club joined the Wessex League
Wessex League
The Wessex League is an English association football league formed in 1986, with its premier division currently at the fifth step of the National League System, or the ninth tier of the overall English football league system...
(the ninth tier of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
) in 1988 and are one of the few clubs in the league that maintain amateur status.
Hurn Bridge is also the home of Christchurch Cricket Club who have teams in the Saturday and Sunday Dorset Leagues. In 2009 the first XI won Division 3 having been newly promoted from Division 4. In those two seasons the team lost only four games. Hurn Bridge houses the Dorset Cricket Centre, an indoor training facility run by the Dorset Cricket Board.
Christchurch has a council run leisure centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
situated at the end of Stony Lane South. The complex contains a swimming pool, golf course and indoor bowling
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
facility which is home to the East Dorset Indoor Bowls Club. Christchurch has a lawn bowling club, Christchurch Bowling Club, that play on the green adjacent to the castle ruins. The town has two other lawn bowling clubs and golf courses; at Iford and Highcliffe.
Sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
is a popular leisure pursuit in Christchurch and the harbour is home to three sailing clubs: Highcliffe Sailing Club, Mudeford Sailing Club and Christchurch Sailing Club which are situated at Mudeford Quay, Fisherman's Bank and the Town Quay respectively. The other end of the Town Quay is home to the local rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
club.
Transport
Christchurch has some 199 kilometres (123.7 mi) of highway of which 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) are A roads, 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) are B and C roads. The town is served by the A35 roadA35 road
The A35 is a trunk road in southern England, running from Honiton in Devon, that then passes through Dorset and terminates in Southampton, Hampshire...
which runs from Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
through to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
via Poole, Bournemouth and the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
. To the north of the town the A35 connects to the A31
A31 road
The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset.-Route of road:The road begins in the centre of Guildford, meeting the A3 road before running south west along the Hog's Back. It continues past Farnham, Alton and New Alresford before...
, the major trunk road in central southern England which provides access to the M27 motorway
M27 motorway
The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is long and runs west-east from Cadnam to Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983. It is however unfinished as an extension to the east was planned...
at Southampton. The A338 road
A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
runs northwards from Bournemouth through Christchurch to Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
in Hampshire.
Two bus companies operate within the borough: Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
buses and Transdev Yellow Buses
Transdev Yellow Buses
Yellow Buses is a bus operator based in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, owned by the RATP Group, a company owned by the government of France. Although most routes are restricted to the Bournemouth local authority area, an increasing number are expanding into the adjacent areas of...
. Together they provide direct routes from Christchurch to: Alderney
Alderney, Dorset
Alderney is a suburb and electoral ward in the town of Poole in Dorset, England with a population of 11,196. It is Poole's second most densely populated area with 31 people to each hectare and suffers much higher than average levels of poverty, illiteracy and crime.-External links:...
, Beaulieu
Beaulieu, Hampshire
Beaulieu is a small village located on the south eastern edge of the New Forest national park in Hampshire, England and home to both Palace House and the British National Motor Museum.- History :...
, Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
, Bournemouth, Burley
Burley, Hampshire
Burley is a village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, England, with a wealth of tea rooms, gift shops, art galleries and a pick-your-own farm.-The village:...
, Burton
Burton, Dorset
Burton Village is a village and parish in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset, England. It is situated some 2 miles north-east of Christchurch town centre...
, Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
, Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
, Milford on Sea
Milford on Sea
Milford on Sea is a large village and civil parish located on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. With a population of approximately 4500, Milford has a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs in its high street, which borders the village green.-Overview:Milford on Sea is village...
, Mudeford
Mudeford
Mudeford was originally a small fishing village in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset southern England, lying at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour. The River Mude and Bure Brook flow into the harbour there...
, New Milton
New Milton
New Milton is a market town in south west Hampshire, England. The town has a high street and holds a market every Wednesday. Situated on the edge of the New Forest, the town is about 6 miles west of Lymington town centre and 12 miles east of Bournemouth town centre.-History:New Milton dates back...
, Parkstone
Parkstone
Parkstone is an area of Poole, Dorset. It is divided into 'Lower' and 'Upper' Parkstone. Upper Parkstone - "Up-on-'ill" as it used to be known in local parlance - is so-called because it is largely on higher ground slightly to the north of the lower-lying area of Lower Parkstone - "The Village" -...
, Poole, Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
, and Westbourne
Westbourne, Dorset
Westbourne is an affluent residential and shopping area of Bournemouth, Dorset. It is located in between Branksome, Poole and the centre of Bournemouth, just off the main A338. Poole Road, mainly full of specialised shops and small cafes, runs though the centre Westbourne with Seamoor Road curving...
. During the summer months, it is possible to travel directly to Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, Dorchester, Hedge End
Hedge End
Hedge End is a town and civil parish located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, adjoining the districts of West End and Botley. Hedge End lies within the Borough of Eastleigh and is part of the Southampton Urban Area.It is sometimes mistakenly claimed...
, Paultons Park, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, and Weymouth.
Christchurch railway station
Christchurch railway station
Christchurch railway station is a station serving the town of Christchurch in Dorset in England. The station is on the London Waterloo to line operated by South West Trains.-History:...
is on the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
from London Waterloo to Weymouth
Weymouth railway station
Weymouth railway station is a railway station serving the town of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The station is the terminus of both the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo and the Heart of Wessex Line from and .-History:...
. Services are operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
and depart for London Waterloo twice an hour, Monday to Saturday; and hourly on Sunday. Weymouth, Dorchester, Wareham, Poole, Bournemouth, Brockenhurst, Southampton and its airport, Eastleigh, Winchester, Basingstoke, Farnborough, Woking, Waterloo can be accessed directly from Christchurch station.
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
is situated in Hurn
Hurn
Hurn is a village in southeast Dorset, England, between the River Stour and River Avon in the borough of Christchurch, five miles north east of the Bournemouth town centre. As of 2001, the village has a population of 468. The village is the location of Bournemouth Airport , an important airfield...
(a small village within the Christchurch Borough boundary) and is around 3.75 miles (6 km) north-west of Christchurch town centre. Originally an RAF airfield
RAF Hurn
RAF Station Hurn is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north east of Christchurch; about southwest of LondonOpened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
, the airport began commercial services in the late 1950s and now serves around 800,000 passengers annually. Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
, EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
, Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, offering scheduled and charter flights from the UK to destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The company commenced operations on 1 November 2008, following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First...
and Palmair
Palmair
Palmair was a British tour operator with its head office in the Space House in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. Palmair offered charter and scheduled flights on behalf of Bath Travel. Its main base was Bournemouth Airport...
operate from the airport and provide scheduled flights to European, North African and Caribbean destinations.
During the summer months small passenger ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
travel between Tuckton and Mudeford Spit via the town quay. Another ferry crosses the Stour between Wick
Wick, Bournemouth
Wick is a village on the southern bank of the River Stour just before it enters Christchurch Harbour. Although only half a mile away from Christchurch Priory, the village is in the borough of Bournemouth, the town centre of which is 4.5 miles away....
and the Quay just below Tuckton Bridge. This ferry was running before the bridge was built in 1882 and was then, the only crossing below Iford. Another ferry service operates across the harbour entrance from Mudeford Sandbank to Mudeford Quay. This ferry was operated by rowing boats until the 1960s; payment being at the discretion of the passenger.
Education
Christchurch has two infant schoolInfant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
s, two junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
s, five primary schools (combined infant and junior) and three secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s. The secondary schools are, in order of size: Twynham
Twynham School
Twynham School is a comprehensive school in Christchurch, Dorset. There are approximately 1,500 students in the school covering years 7–13 . The school has Leading Edge, Training School, and Technology College status. In April 2007 it also became a music college...
(1,515 pupils), Highcliffe
Highcliffe School
Highcliffe School is a Foundation school for students aged 11–19 and a specialist Language College, situated in Highcliffe-on-Sea in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England.-Features:...
(1,347 pupils) and The Grange
The Grange School, Christchurch
The Grange School is a school for 11–18 year olds in Christchurch, Dorset. The school is sited in Somerford & takes pupils from the Somerford, Mudeford & Burton areas.- History :...
(637 pupils). The secondary schools share a sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
with the three sites providing different courses.
Schools in Christchurch fall under the jurisdiction of Dorset County Council. From the 2008 General Certificate of Secondary Education
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
(GCSE) results, Dorset was ranked 32nd out of 148 local authorities in England based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least five A* to C grades at GCSE level including maths and English. Twynham was the best performing school in Christchurch in 2009: 67% of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade including maths and English compared to the national average of 49.8%. Highcliffe achieved 62% but The Grange School was less successful: only 40% of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grade results. Twynham was also the best performing school for A-level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
results with an average score of 727.8 points per student, slightly below the national average of 739.3. Highcliffe School School students averaged 618.4 points and The Grange School 571.9 points.
Notable residents
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.-Family:Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr, a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch. He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School....
, a renowned architect who was one of the earliest members of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
, of which he was twice Vice-President, and a Royal Gold Medal
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture....
list in 1870. Ferrey's works include the restorations of Christchurch Priory and Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
. Edmund Lyons
Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons
Admiral Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons, GCB, KCH was a British naval commander and diplomat who led a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, culminating with the Crimean War and his appointment as Commander of the Black Sea Fleet...
was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
admiral and diplomat who was born and lived in the parish of Burton. He served in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and was elevated to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in 1856 as Baron Lyons, of Christchurch in the County of Southampton
Viscount Lyons
Viscount Lyons, of Christchurch in the County of Southampton, was a title in Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 24 November 1881 for the diplomat Richard Lyons, 2nd Baron Lyons. In 1887 it was announced that he was to be created an Earl but he died before the patent was sealed. On his...
.
Gustavus Brander
Gustavus Brander
Gustavus Brander , English naturalist, who came of a Swedish family, was born in London in 1720, and was brought up as a merchant, in which capacity he achieved success and became a director of the Bank of England....
, curator at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and governor of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
lived at Priory House which he had built in 1777 in the grounds of Christchurch Priory. Prince Louis Phillipe, the future King of France took refuge there during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
, writer, poet and Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
; lived in Burton between 1797 and 1799. Many other writers and poets of the day visited him there including his brother in law, poet Samuel Coleridge, and the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott.
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
, Prime Minister between 1762 and 1763, amateur botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and one of the founders of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
; built a mansion, High Cliff house, on his Christchurch estate close to the cliff top in 1773. The area is now known as Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
. Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay GCB, PC , known as Sir Charles Stuart between 1812 and 1828, was a British diplomat...
, diplomat and grandson of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute; built Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability...
a grand, romantic style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
mansion house on the site of his grandfather's house.
Sir George Rose
George Rose
The Right Honourable George Rose was a British politician.Born at Woodside near Brechin, Scotland, Rose was the son of the Reverend David Rose of Lethnot, by Margaret, daughter of Donald Rose of Wester Clune...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
and close friend and advisor to the Prime Minister William Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, built a home, 'Sandhills', at Mudeford. His other great friend, King George III often visited, helping to promote Christchurch as a tourist destination. Sandhills was home to George Rose's two sons: politician and diplomat Sir George Henry Rose
George Henry Rose
Sir George Henry Rose GCH PC was the eldest son of George Rose. He was Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1794–1813 and for Christchurch from 1818–32 and 1837–44, Clerk of the Parliaments from 1818–55 and sometime Envoy Extraordinary to Munich and Berlin, and to the...
, and poet William Rose
William Stewart Rose
William Stewart Rose was a British poet and translator, son of George Rose, who held various Government offices, including that of Treasurer of the Navy...
, who both served as Members of Parliament for Christchurch. Field Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
, son of Sir George Henry Rose spent time living at the family home.
Sir Donald Bailey, a civil engineer, developed the Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
while he worked in Christchurch during the Second World War. Bailey lived in Christchurch after he retired in 1966 until his death in 1985. Former England football international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
player Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
attended Twynham School
Twynham School
Twynham School is a comprehensive school in Christchurch, Dorset. There are approximately 1,500 students in the school covering years 7–13 . The school has Leading Edge, Training School, and Technology College status. In April 2007 it also became a music college...
when his father, Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
, managed A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. Another footballer, retired Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
goalkeeper Bob Wilson, has a home near the town centre.
Twin towns
Christchurch is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Aalen
Aalen
Aalen is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, about east of Stuttgart and north of Ulm. It is the seat of the Ostalbkreis district, and its largest city, as well as the largest city within the Ostwürttemberg region. In spatial planning, Aalen is designated a Mittelzentrum...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Tatabánya
Tatabánya
Tatabánya is a city of 69,988 inhabitants in north-western Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County.- Location :...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...