A monastery was first founded in Wimborne, 10 miles north of Bournemouth, in around AD 705 by St Cuthburga. Most of the present-day Wimborne Minster was built by the Normans between 1120 and 1180. The big draw is the famous chained library.
The west bell tower has a brightly painted 14th-century astronomical clock; note that in this medieval depiction of the solar system, the sun and moon orbit the earth. Outside, the minster's 15th-century west tower features the Quarter Jack, a red-coated infantryman, complete with knee boots and tricorn hat, who strikes the hours and quarters.
