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Churches of the British Isles

Gallery: Churches of Dorset

by Peter Kessler, 18 July 2010

East Dorset Part 1: Churches of Wimborne

Wimborne Minster, Wimborne, Dorset

Wimborne Minster lies between Cook Row and King Street in the town of Wimborne, which itself lies on on the River Stour. The town was a Saxon settlement, and the foundation of the Minster dates to about 705, when the sisters of the West Saxon King Ina endowed a monastery here. Apparently this was a foundation for both sexes, dedicated to one of the sisters, St Cuthberga. The nunnery was destroyed by the Danes in 1013 during a wave of attacks.

Wimborne Minster, Wimborne, Dorset

The present Minster, with its twin mottled brown towers dominating the town, was built by the Normans between 1120-1180 to support a secular college of canons founded by Edward the Confessor on the site in 1043. The college was abolished in 1537, during the Dissolution. An extensive restoration of the building's fabric took place in 1855-1857. The Minster is home to the famous Quarterjack clock, a fourteenth century astronomical clock.

All photos on this page kindly contributed by M Kessler.

 

 

     
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