Description of the attraction
Not far from the city of Bournemouth in the southwest of Great Britain is the ancient Church of Christchurch (Church of Christ). The very first church existed on this site as early as 800 AD. Then a small abbey arose here, and in the XI century the construction of a new church began. Many legends are associated with this church. In particular, it is said that initially the church began to be built on the hill of St. Catherine, but overnight all the building materials were miraculously transferred to the place where the church is now located. Another legend says that Jesus Christ himself took part in the construction under the guise of an ordinary carpenter, who miraculously lengthened a too short cut beam. After that, the church began to be called the Church of Christ. Later the name passed to the abbey and to the entire city.
The church was completed and rebuilt until the middle of the 16th century. It has preserved wooden carved misericords - small projections-seats, on which monks could quietly sit down during a long service. The abbey was dissolved in 1539, but the church remained as a parish.
It is still active, and services are held in it. In 1999, in honor of the 900th anniversary of the abbey, a new organ and stained glass window were installed in the church.
