led to the
principal room occupying the whole of the upper story. This upper room
was lighted by three Norman windows on each side, enriched with the
billet, zigzag, and rosette mouldings. At the north end the arch and
shafts remain of a large window decorated with the familiar chevron
ornament. Near the centre of the east wall is a fireplace with a very
early specimen of a round chimney, which has, however, been restored. In
the south gable is a round window, while a small tower, forming a
flank, overhangs the stream which flows through it. The building is much
overgrown with ivy and creepers, and it is a matter for regret that no
efficient means have been taken to preserve so valuable a specimen of
late Norman architecture from slowly crumbling to pieces under the
influences of the weather. Traces of the other sides of the Castle moat
have been discovered in Church Street, Castle Street, and in the
boundary of the churchyard.

A walk along the bank situated between the Avon proper and the stream
that flows by the side of the Norman house leads past the Priory and the
churchyard to the Quay, the spot where much of the stone for building
the Priory was disembarked. Owing to the estuary of the combined rivers
being almost choked with mud and weeds there is very little commercial
shipping trade carried on at the Quay, which is now mainly the centre of
the town's river life during the summer months, for everyone living at
Christchurch seems to own a boat of some kind. During the season motor
launches ply several times a day between Christchurch and Mudeford, with
its reputation for Christchurch salmon.

On the quayside is the old Priory Mill, now called Place Mill, which is
mentioned in the Domesday Survey. It stands on the very brink of the
river; its foundations are deep set in the water, and its rugged and
buttressed walls are reflected stone by stone in the clear, tremulous
mirror. The glancing lights on the bright stream, the wealth of leafy
foliage, the sweet cadence of the ripples as they plash against the
walls of the Quay, and the beauty of the long reflections--quivering
lines of grey, green, and purple--increase the beauty of what is
probably the most picturesque corner of the town, while over the tops of
the trees peers the grey tower of the ancient Priory church. These three
buildings--the Priory, the Castle, and the Mill--sum up the simple
history of the place. The Castle for defence, the Priory for prayer,