On the Arthur Romney Green Christchurch trail - the Priory

Walking out of the former 3 Bridge Street, Arthur Romney Green's (ARG's) workshop, showroom and home, it is only a few metres further down the road until you reach the bridge over the River Avon.  ARG "loved the symmetry of the five arches...describing the built arch 'so gracefully suspended over empty space by virtue of its weight' as one of the miracles of human art like the sailing shop and the bicycle."  (Life to the Lees, Elkin, Susan, 1998).

View of Prezzo, formerly 3 Bridge Street, from the bridge,
Christchurch, Dorset

The bridge over the Avon by 3 Bridge Street,
Christchurch, Dorset

From the bridge you can see the Priory, the remains of the great tower of Christchurch castle and the Norman House.  You have to walk past the Norman House and castle remains to access the Priory.  English Heritage describes these buildings as "the mound top-keep or great tower was a part of a large Norman castle that once dominated the town...Nearby is the 12th century riverside chamber block known as the Norman House, one of the few remaining examples of domestic Norman architecture in England.  Built in about 1160, it provided grand and comfortable living quarters for the lord of Christchurch.  The tall circular Norman chimney is a particularly rare survival."

The view from the bridge across to The Priory,
Bridge Street, Christchurch

The Priory approach is particularly impressive.  Following the description of the ARG furniture in the  Priory by Elkin (ibid.) we were aiming to go to the Lady Chapel at the far end of the building, but we stopped to see the main features on the way.

It was a good job we did because the nice surprise was that the ARG chairs are now placed at the front of the nave altar and choir stalls.   Elkin describes only one of these chairs in her book, the one of the right below, although surely they are both by ARG and are displayed opposite each other as "a magnificent ceremonial chair".  The geometric designs on the chairs are classic ARG, the mirror of the cut-out pattern on the left opposite the other carved with various Christian symbols.

the nave altar at Christopher Priory,
the ARG chairs facing each other either side of the altar

There 'IHS' at the top, and a star of David below it on the right, with another star of David below on the far left.  A circle with a cross in them are I think referred to as a 'solar cross' or 'sun cross'.  The fourth row of symbols are two 'X's.  The final row, that can be seen at least from standing as a visitor, seems to have the initials HRX.  These symbols by the side of the altar which has the large altar cloth symbol of the triquetra reflects an interest I suspect by someone at the Priory in Christian symbolism.  Wikipedia explains the triquetra as representing "the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The unbroken circle represents eternity. The interwoven nature of the symbol denotes the indivisibility and equality of the Holy Trinity. It symbolizes that the Holy Trinity is three beings of power, honor, and glory but is indivisibly one God".

ARG ceremonial chair engraved with Christian symbols,
Christchurch Priory

Walking further into the Priory, looking at the High Altar, we saw the two prayer desks opposite each other.  Elgin describes these as "Instead of a ball shape for the hand to grasp at the top of each upright, there is a truncated octahedron.  It's a mathematical idea typical of Green.  He had the same shape carved in stone for eventual use on his tombstone." (ibid.)

High altar, with ARG prayer tables opposite each other
Christchurch Priory

The positioning of the chairs at the nave altar and the prayer desks at the High Altar is all the more remarkable for the story behind ARG's commission, as Elkin explains "She and Green were still unmarried, and although most of their London friends had been away of their position, they saw little need to advertise it on arrival in Christchurch.  When, however, the Vicar of Christchurch, Canon Gay, decided to order some pieces for the Lady Chapel in the Priory, Green thought that he had better 'own up'.  And his honesty cost him the order.  It wasn't until several years later, when Gay's successor saw Green's and Bertha's dog, Fanny, clad in a cosy jacket, that he observed that a man who looked after his dog so well couldn't be all bad, so he placed an order." (ibid.)

ARG prayer table, high altar
Christchurch Priory

ARG prayer table, high altar
Christchurch Priory

ARG prayer table, high altar
Christchurch Priory

I could not find the moveable altar rails which Elkin had also identified as at the Priory, but I think that the chairs and prayer tables are more distinctive and pleasing to the eye.  ARG's memorial stone is shown on the Dorset Life website here.

Head of ARG's memorial stone,
Christchurch