SDO10212 - Account of a singular Discovery of a Quantity of Birds Bones buried in Christ Church Priory, Hampshire. By Gustavus Brander, Esq; In a Letter to the President.

A letter from Gustavus Brander to the Society of Antiquaries read on January 19th 1775. In which he states that he has recently aquired the site of Christchurch Priory and that he had cleared the foundations of much it out of curiosity. He describes the refectory as measuring 36 ft long by 20ft wide and having a doorway at the eastern end. This doorway led to an interioer aprtment measuring 20ft x 18ft with two gothic windows in the south wall. The walls themselves were 5ft thick. In the easternmost window a pentagonal stone with hollow interioer was set, presumably some form of container for water. Brander suggested that this room might represent the Prior's private oratory. Furthermore, approximately 2 foot inside the door of this room a square stone had been set in the floor measuring 2ft 9 inches by 2ft and set with lead. On lifting this stone was found to seal a stone lined chamber 2 ft deep containing at least half a bushel (4 gallons) of bird bones, including those of herons, bitterns, cocks and hens. Brander suggested that the site of the priory may have previously been the site of a pagan temple.