Christchurch developed in Saxon and Norman England as a trading port on the south coast of the country and its harbour, beaches and nature reserves attract many visitors today. Its medieval priory church is one of the largest in England and the town is home to many other historical buildings of interest, including the ruins of a Norman castle and the nearby Gothic Revival Highcliffe Castle. Behind its attractive façade, Christchurch also has a history of smuggling, being a major part of the town’s economy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and earlier darker times are memorialised in the town’s ducking stool, on the same mill stream site where the original was used. Later, the town played an important role in the Second World War, its airfield becoming home to an aircraft factory.With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Christchurch will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Dorset.
