Christchurch

Christchurch. 1. A ancient municipal and parliamentary borough of Hampshire, situated at the confluence of the Avon and the Stour, 1-1/2 mile from the sea, and 22 miles S.W. of Southampton. Until recently it was known as Christchurch Twineham, the latter word being a corruption of the Saxon Tweonaeteam. The Church of Augustinian priors, founded in the 12th century, is a noble specimen of Norman and Perpendicular architecture, and contains a fine rood screen of the 14th century, and a chapel built by Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, some 200 years later. A monument to Shelley stands in the west tower. There are also remains of a Norman castle attributed to the reign of Henry II. Clocks, watches, and hosiery are the chief manufactures, and salmon-fishing is carried on in the Avon. In Christchurch Bay there is a double tide every twelve hours. 2. The capital of the province of Canterbury, New Zealand, stands on both sides of the river Avon, 5 miles from the sea. It is surrounded by the level expanse of the Canterbury Plains, but the neighbouring district has been thickly planted with trees. The town is well laid out with broad, straight streets, and a good water supply is derived from artesian wells. It is connected with the port of Lyttelton by a railway 8 miles in length, and is the centre of the growing railway system of the province.