Panorama taken inside the Minster Church of St. Cuthburga in Wimborne. The interior of the church is quite impressive. This panoramic picture was taken quite early on a summer morning in 2007.

Wimborne Minster Church - Wimborne Minster visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Wimborne Minster Church' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Dorset.

Wimborne Minster is the parish church of Wimborne, a Saxon market town on the River Stour in Dorset, southern England. In about 705 AD Cuthberga, sister of King Ina (Ine) of Wessex, founded a nunnery at Wimborne. This was destroyed by the Danes in 1013, though parts of the minster survived. In 1043, King Edward the Confessor created a college of secular canons (none of the college buildings survive), and much of the minster was substantially rebuilt by the Normans between 1120 and 1180. The church has subsequently undergone further modifications with Gothic elements being added over time.

Wimborne Minster is about 198 feet long and 22 feet wide. The western tower is 95 feet high and the smaller tower above the transepts is 84 feet high. This was topped by a 13C spire, which was destroyed in a storm around in 1600. The Minster is built out of a combination of Dorset limestone and New Forest stone. The towers can be seen on this panorama taken outside Wimborne Minster.

Inside Wimborne Minster is one of only four remaining Chained Libraries on earth. It was founded in 1686 and is the second largest chained library in England. On show here is a manuscript written on lambskin dating from 1343, a book bound for the Court of Henry VIII and an incunabula printed in 1495 on the works of St. Anselm. The library is open most days of the week from Easter Monday to October.

Wimborne Minster lies just beyond the northern edges of the Bournemouth and Poole conurbation, close to the A31. Signs will lead there from both towns. The A31 starts at the end of the M27 near to Southampton and continues west to Bere Regis, where it joins the A35.