Bell's Cathedrals

Thomas Perkins, Rector of Turnworth, Dorset, gives a short history of the foundation of Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory and a description of their buildings, with illustrations from his own photographs. One passage discusses the origin of the name Wimborne, which he suggests may be a contraction of Winterborne, and places the town near where the Allen meets the Dorset Stour. He describes the church's central Norman and western Perpendicular towers, and notes that ancient documents give dates from 705 to 723 for the foundation, when Ine was king of the West Saxons.

At Christchurch the church measures 311 feet from the east wall of its Lady Chapel to the west wall of its tower, and is seen from the Channel above the low shore of Christchurch Bay. The Shelley monument stands in the priory, erected by the poet's son, Sir Percy Florence Shelley, who lived at Boscombe Manor. Chapter IV lists the deans of the secular college, beginning with Ralf Flambard.