The Priory Church Parish of Christchurch, Dorset South West England with a passing priest

The Priory Church Parish of Christchurch, Dorset South West England with a passing priest. Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in the English county of Dorset (formerly in Hampshire). Christchurch Priory is rated as in the top 18 churches in the Country and described by The Times as the least appreciated of the Great Churches of England. It is the longest parish church in the country and is larger than 21 English Anglican Cathedrals. The legend of the miraculous beam dates to the early 12th century. The story is that a beam was found to have been cut too short when it was hoisted into place. This would have been embarrassing for the carpenters since the wood was expensive and would be difficult to replace. There was however a mysterious carpenter who had worked and eaten alone. The day following the discovery, when the carpenters returned they found the beam was in place and it now fitted. The unknown carpenter was never seen again, and the story came to be that it was Jesus Christ who had intervened. The church became Christ’s Church of Twynham in commemoration of the event. In time the town became Twynham-Christchurch and eventually shortened to Christchurch. The beam can be seen today and is located in the Priory’s Ambulatory.