For over nine centuries, this church has stood as a place of pilgrimage. A Saxon Minster on this site was established probably in the 7th C by St. Birinus and was demolished on the orders of King William II chief minister Ranul Flambard. The nave and transepts are mostly in the heavy columns and rounded arches Norman Style where the Great Quire and Lady Chapel are in the more delicate and sophisticated Perpendicular style. The "Miraculous Beam" which can be seen high up in an archway of the triforium of the Lady Chapel ambulatory is a famous feature of the Priory. On a board nearby, you can read the amazing story of the beam and how the name of the town changed from Twyham to Christchurch.

The monks conducted their daily worship in The Great Quire where the "misericords" are as well as the Jesse reredos behind the high altar. The reredos illustrates the prophecy of the book of Isaiah which states "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots". This is illustrated by the great figures of Jesse lying at the foot of the reredos and above the fulfillment of that promise in relation to the Christmas story carved in stone.

Events from the life of the Virgin Mary are depicted in the stained glass window of the Lady Chapel. A kneeler which was made to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the start of the construction in 1094 of the present building, is in front of the communion rail. In the west wall of the North Transept is the recently installed 900th Anniversary Window. The pipe Organ was was rebuilt 1998-99 with the aid of a grant from the Capital Lottery Fund through the Art Council of England is housed in the South Transept and Triforium.

Originally used as a school for. Novice monks and later as a grammar school for boys until 1869 is St. Michael's Loft Museum which is situated over the Lady Chapel and reached by climbing 75 steps. When weather permits and when accompanied by a steward, the bell tower can be visited by climbing a spiral staircase of 176 steps. There are extensive view of the town, harbor and surrounding countryside from the tope of this 15th century tower.