The great tower was part of Christchurch Castle, a large Norman castle that once dominated the town of Christchurch.
Richard de Redvers, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066, was granted the manor of Christchurch in 1100. He built an earthwork and timber castle on the site, which was home to the same family, the de Redvers, for the next 150 years. Afterwards, it was owned by several important figures, including two queens of England. This stone tower was added in about 1300.
Dramatic conflicts centred on the castle during two turbulent periods of history. In the 12th century, the castle was attacked by supporters of King Stephen, as the de Redvers supported Matilda, the King's rival claimant to the throne.
During the Civil War, 500 years later, the Parliamentarians attacked and took the Royalist town. In January 1645, a troop of 1,000 Royalists attacked Christchurch in return, forcing the Parliamentarians to seek refuge here in the castle. The castle proved too strong to capture and the Parliamentarians retained both the castle and town throughout the rest of the war.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
