The Norman House, constructed in about 1160, provided elegant and comfortable domestic quarters for the lord of Christchurch.
In Norman times, ordinary domestic buildings were built of timber, and so have not survived. The Norman house, part of the home of an important lord, was high-status and therefore built of stone. It is one of the few remaining examples of Norman domestic architecture in England.
Warmed by the large fireplace, the chamber on the first floor was perhaps used for entertaining the lord's most important guests. At one end of the hall, there is an elaborately decorated window. Several English kings, including King John, are known to have stayed and dined at Christchurch.
A passageway, accessed by an external staircase, divided the chamber from a private bed-chamber, which had a latrine emptying into the adjacent mill stream. The ground floor was a storage room.
The east wall, nearest to the river, is thicker as it served as the defensive curtain wall of the castle. All the doors and windows on this exposed side had draw-bars in case of attack.
Later in the history of the castle, this building became the home of the lord's constable or bailiff.
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.
