Bell's Cathedrals: Wimborne Minster and Christchurch Priory A Short History of Their Foundation and a Description of Their Buildings — Text and Context

Architectural Chronology as Narrative

The excerpts show that Perkins organizes each church by historical periods, tracing alterations from Norman foundations through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. For Christchurch Priory, he notes that building operations "must have been almost constantly in progress" and identifies specific phases: the Norman arcading and triforium, the Early English clerestory built under Prior Peter (c. 1200), the fourteenth-century rood screen and reredos, and the fifteenth-century western tower. This chronological approach is not merely descriptive; it implies a narrative of continuous development, with each prior or dean leaving a mark. Perkins also acknowledges gaps in the record, such as the lack of documentary evidence for a central tower at Christchurch, which he infers from carvings on a chantry and a seal.

Patronage and Funding in the Text

Perkins frequently links architectural changes to the actions of patrons and clergy. At Christchurch, he recounts how Henry I granted the church's patronage to Richard de Redvers, Earl of Devon, who appointed his chaplain Peter as dean. Peter "diverted the funds from the work of completing the church," while his successor Randulphus resumed building so that "the church and the conventual buildings were roofed in." Later, the conversion from a secular college to an Augustinian priory in 1150 is tied to Bishop Henry of Blois. These details show that Perkins treats architecture as inseparable from institutional history, though the excerpts do not reveal whether he systematically analyzes funding sources across both churches.

Evidence from the Building Itself

Perkins emphasizes physical evidence over documentary records. For Wimborne Minster, he states he "verified all the descriptions by actual examination of the building." At Christchurch, he uses carvings on Draper's chantry and a seal to argue for a former central tower, despite the absence of written records. He also notes initials on bosses and arches—"W. E." for Prior William Eyre (1502–1520)—as evidence for dating the vaulting. This reliance on observable details, such as the placement of the rood screen or the style of arcading, gives the guide a forensic quality. However, the excerpts do not indicate whether Perkins discusses any controversies or alternative interpretations among contemporary scholars.

Readers interested in the practical methods of Edwardian architectural history will find Perkins's approach instructive. His combination of on-site photography, consultation of local antiquaries, and attention to mason's marks and sculptural details offers a grounded perspective. The guide is best used alongside a visit to the buildings, where one can test his observations against the surviving fabric.

Sitting with Rev. Perkins’s guide to Wimborne and Christchurch, I found myself lingering less on the measured descriptions of stone than on how patiently he waits between the architectural facts and the quiet human story beneath them. It reminded me of another kind of patience—the sort found in The Principles of Ornament — A Closer Reading, where each detail asks only to be looked at slowly, not hurried into meaning.