NEW STONE features, including a nurse with a facemask and the Queen's cypher, have been added to Christchurch Priory as part of a project to replace damaged gargoyles and grotesques.

Several gargoyles and two grotesques at the east end of the11th century church, which were badly eroded and in urgent need of repair, have been replaced.

Whilst the grotesques have been saved through repairs, five gargoyles have been remade with original designs to include the area’s history and current local and national figures.

Rev'd Canon Charles Stewart, head of the parish said: “What we have been doing is the next phase of the conservation and repair work on the Priory. There have been several phases so far and this one is focussing on the far east end by the lady chapel.

"During the preliminary assessments of the Priory, we noticed that there were six gargoyles that couldn’t be repaired. So, the decision was made to replace all of them with new carvings.

"This would have been done numerous times during the Priory’s life as stone does weather, but I have no idea when the last time were replaced. So, the conversation started about what could we put up there."

Bournemouth Echo: One of teh new gargoyles at Christchurch Priory, a nurse wearing a facemasks, was included to as a permanent tribute to the work of the NHS during the pandemic. Photos by Stephen Bath

As part of ongoing conservation work estimated at £660,000, a fresh insert of Queen Elizabeth II's cypher was installed, as well as a masked nurse with the blue NHS logo, as a permanent tribute to healthcare staff and their hard work during the pandemic.

Rev'd Canon Stewart added: “We got in touch with the parochial church council and that, for this year of all years where we have been so thankful and grateful for the NHS that it would only by right and fitting to pay tribute to them all by putting a representative figure up on the east end of the Priory.

“The figure could be up there for 500 years so people would be able to see it and date it back to this period in time.

“This is a tribute that we hope very much will provide some encouragement and support for the healthcare workers who have worked and continue to work so hard to keep us safe during the pandemic and beyond.

“The other one is the EIIR stone for our current Queen. We wanted to pay tribute to our longest running monarch because, as of next year, she would have spent 70 years on the thrown, and her contribution to the nation and the world has been monumental.”

Bournemouth Echo: Christchurch Priory's new gargoyles are positioned at the top of the eastern elevation, which overlooks Convent Walk along the banks of the River Avon. Photos by Stephen Bath

The other four gargoyles include former mayor and burgess of Christchurch James Druitt, engineer Donald Bailey who invented the Bailey bridge, an unnamed figure to represent all of those who have contributed to the priory in recent years, and a fox.

"The last one may confuse people but, in some ways, it helps provide meaning for the other gargoyles - it is a fox," said Rev'd Canon Stewart.

"It is a tradition at this Priory, and others across the country, to have a representative from the animal kingdom.

"For several months now, there have been series of conservation and repair work on the Priory. There has been an area which has been fenced off for a while and we have seen our resident fox on the ground of the priory and inside the enclosed area.

"So, the fox is there, not for anything new, but to continue to the traditional of stone carving which has been going on for so many years."

Bournemouth Echo: The new gargoyles were put in place as part of conservation work at Christchurch Priory. Photos by Stephen Bath

The current phase of conservation work is nearing completion, with the remaining scaffolding due to come down at the end of the month.

Having received a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund to finance this work, Christchurch Priory say they will have to wait for sufficient funding before starting the next phase of repairs.