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The current railway station in Christchurch was opened on 30 May 1886, replacing one a little further down the line which had opened on 13 November 1862.

This dual map shows how the railway station has switched to the other side of the main road, with the railway line looking like it has been rerouted. It hasn’t, the bit shooting off to the right is the South West Main Line which was extended in the 1870s and 1880s to allow for an extension to Bournemouth that allowed tourists from London to access it. The line which goes up to the north on the old map was the branch line to Ringwood which was closed in 1935 as rail traffic had fallen away since the construction of the South West Main Line.

There’s our South Western Railways (SWR) train from Bournemouth departing the station.

The current station is functional and near to the town centre, with all services operated by SWR.

Located at the Red House Museum and Gardens in Christchurch is this Olympic Torch sculpture. A sign by the sculpture notes that this was designed by local artist Chris Davies and it was sculpted to mark the 70 day Olympic torch relay which took place in 2012 and which reached Christchurch on 14 July 2012.

It’s easy to forget how important events like this would have been for the community, even if it was just for one day. Judging from this video, the turnout on the main street in the town was sizeable.

Attached on a building to the side of Red House Museum, there’s a regularly changing gallery section. At the time of our visit, it was featuring the works of local artist Inga Street.

The artwork is varied and it seems to be an opportunity to both display the pieces and also put them up for sale at the same time. This seems a sensible way of the museum having something to offer in its gallery, whilst still being something very useful for the artist.

I’m not sure that I’m the target market here, and Ross (who is a well-known art critic) declared that he thought he could have painted some of them. But, variety is important and the artist is popular locally, so this feels like another reason for the venue staying open. I mention that as the volunteer suggested when we left that we left a positive review for the museum to ensure that its survival was assured given the challenging finances in local Government at the moment.

This stone memorial is located in the garden of the Red House Museum in Christchurch and it reads:

“SPICER STREET

To commemorate a most destructive fire which on July 20th 1825 in less than three hours rendered fifty two families houseless, and to record the spirit of compassion and liberality which the event awakened in the town and neighbourhood this stone is placed amidst the monuments of their benevolence.

By a committee appointed by the subscribers to the appropriation of the money raised.

Novr. 1825
John Spicer, Chairman of the Committee.”

The house that this memorial was attached to was demolished in the late 1930s, so it has made its way here. The day after the tragedy, a national newspaper published a letter written by a local:

“As you will hear of the distressing fire which happened this morning in this town, I think it best, to prevent your uneasiness on my account, to state the case as far as it has at present proceeded. The fire broke out at about eleven o’clock, in the New Town, a little above Mr. Aldridge’s, and had the wind continued as it then was, the destruction of the whole town it appears would have been inevitable; but very providentially the wind took the direction of the fields, and thereby is is hoped many houses will be saved. Some time since I heard there were at least 50 houses burnt down, and the fire, though much subdued, is still burning in various parts. You can scarcely think with what rapidity it spread, the houses being chiefly thatched, and many of mud walls—the intense heat of the weather, and the dryness of the buildings, no doubt contributed to the work of desolation.—What renders it very afflicting is, that the sufferers are chiefly poor people, who, although it is hoped they have saved many of their things, will still be great losers. The bellman has just been through the town, calling a meeting of the inhabitants this day, at four o’clock, to take into consideration what will be the best mode of providing for their present relief. They will, I should think, have to sleep to-night in the fields, which are strewed with beds, &c. that are saved. It is on this account a happy circumstance that the nights are so hot. I hope something will be done to reinstate them in their dwellings, and that the destructive element will be shortly subdued. Some person in each house will no doubt sit up all night, for there is a general alarm.”

The museum has a photo of where the commemorative stone was once placed, seemingly blocking up the view from Mrs Preston’s window. Anyway, it’s marvellous that the stone has been kept so that at least the memory of what happened 200 years ago isn’t forgotten.

Red House Museum and Gardens is located near to Christchurch Priory and is a volunteer led venue which doesn’t have an admission charge.

As the signage notes, the building was constructed to be a workhouse. The museum itself adds about the history:

“The building dates from 1764 and was the parish workhouse for Christchurch and Bournemouth. In 1886, as a result of the increasing population, a new union workhouse was built in Fairmile and the old house was sold to the vicar of Christchurch Priory, the Reverend T. H. Bush. Reverend Bush named the building ‘The Red House’ after the colour of the bricks and he demolished the women’s wards in 1887 to construct the stables, now the temporary exhibition gallery. Later, the building became the private museum of Herbert Druitt, an avid local collector. It was his passion for textile and fashion, bygones and archaeological material that created the Red House Museum collections. In 1951, the Red House Museum became a charitable trust and our doors have been open to the public ever since.”

There was a friendly welcome from the volunteer at the front desk who explained about the museum, with this being the ground floor that was once the living and dining area of the workhouse.

The displays are a little eclectic, but this is a provincial museum and it is trying to cover a lot of ground. It’s more quirky than formal, but there’s a place for museums like this.

A display on fusee chain making and this was part of the clock and watch making process. It’s explained here that someone living in the workhouse might be required to complete this task for over seventy hours a week. They wouldn’t have been paid directly for their efforts, but they would have living accommodation and meals provided, so they were at least safe if hardly living in great comfort. Although the Victorians often decided that there were benefit fraudsters and so conditions in workhouses often declined towards the end of the nineteenth century.

A display about architectural finds in the local region.

An old menu board from the workhouse.

And an example of the culinary delights that were served up.

A plan of the workhouse from an old Ordnance Survey map.

The rear of the museum.

There’s a small dinosaur garden to the rear of the museum and a path which winds around so that visitors can see them all.

To be fair, this is a great idea for kids to want to come to the museum. Well, and Ross liked them. The plan seemed to work, there were numerous families looking around the museum and although a visit isn’t likely to take more than an hour or so, it’s definitely worth a little pop in.