Bells Cathedrals: Wimbourne Minster and Christchurch Priory | Page 6

the same time; the upper stages are
ornamented with an arcading of intersecting arches indicating a
somewhat later date.
In the thirteenth century the east end of the choir seems to have been
removed and the presbytery added: its date is pretty clearly determined
by the east window, in which we notice some signs of the approaching
change from the Early English simple lancet into the plate tracery of
the Decorated period. Rickman gives its approximate date as 1220.
During the fourteenth century the nave aisles were widened and
extended farther west, and at the same time two bays were added to the
nave itself. The Norman chapels on either side of the choir were
lengthened into aisles, not, however, extending as far to the east as the
thirteenth-century presbytery; arches were cut in the Norman choir
walls to give access to these new aisles. The transepts were lengthened,
the south one by raising the walls of the Norman chapel mentioned
above, which, it has been conjectured, was used as the Lady Chapel,
the north transept by the addition of Bembre's chantry.
During the fifteenth century the western tower was built 1448-1464,
and probably at the same time the walls of the nave were raised; and
the roofs of the nave aisles, which had been much lower than now, so
as not to block up the Norman clerestory windows, were raised on the
sides joining the nave walls above the heads of these windows, and a
new clerestory was formed in the raised wall. This contains five
windows on each side, each window being placed over one of the piers
of the nave arcading.
During the Early English period, probably by John de Berwick, who

was dean from 1286-1312, a spire was added to the central tower. This
was for long in an unsafe condition, and at length, in 1600, it fell. The
following is the description given by Coker, a contemporary writer:
"Having discoursed this longe of this church, I will not overpasse a
strange accident which in our dayes happened unto it, viz. Anno
Domini 1600 (the choire beeing then full of people at tenne of clock
service, allsoe the streets by reason of the markett), a sudden mist
ariseing, all the spire steeple, being of a very great height, was
strangely cast downe, the stones battered all the lead and brake much
timber of the roofe of the church, yet without anie hurt to the people;
which ruin is sithence commendablie repaired with the church revenues,
for sacriledge hath not yet swept awaye all, being assisted by Sir John
Hannam, a neighbour gentleman, who if I mistake not enjoyeth
revenues of the church, and hath done commendablie to convert part of
it to its former use." Other accounts mention a tempest at the time of
the fall. It is not unlikely that the tower was weakened by the
alterations in the fourteenth century, when wider arches were cut in the
west walls of the transepts, in consequence of the widening of the nave
aisles. The fall of the spire, which fell towards the east, demolished the
clerestory windows of the choir on the south side, and their place was
supplied by a long, low Tudor window oblong in shape and quite plain.
The windows, however, on both sides have been entirely altered, and
those now existing in the clerestory are small lancets of modern date.
The spire was not rebuilt, but the heavy looking battlement and solid
pinnacles which still remain, and detract considerably from the beauty
of the tower, were added as a finish to it in the year 1608. It is curious
that the churchwardens' books, in which many entries occur detailing
repairs and other work connected with the spire, make no mention of its
fall.
The western tower was also a source of trouble. It was built, as has
been already mentioned, during the latter half of the fifteenth century,
the glazing of the windows being completed in 1464; but as early as
1548 it was thought necessary to brick up the west doorway, and
notices of unsoundness of the tower occur frequently in the church
books. In 1664 we find the following entry made:--"Paid in beere to the

Ringers for a peale to trye if the Tower shooke £0 1s 0d." As we read
this entry, we cannot help wondering if the large amount of beer which
a shilling would purchase in those days was given to the ringers so as to
give them a fictitious courage and blind their eyes to the possible
danger of bringing the tower down upon their heads. In 1739 the
Perpendicular window in the western face of the tower was taken out
and a smaller oval one put in its place, with a view to the strengthening
of the