Corfe, both as a village and a castle, is located on the A351 halfway between Wareham and Swanage, on the Isle of Purbeck, in Dorset.

From the east

  In terms of access locally, visitors, for some part of the year, can also enjoy a steam train ride on The Swanage Railway which presently runs from the Norden Park & Ride just outside Corfe Castle to Swanage without the hassle of finding parking in Swanage itself. There is also a station at Corfe Castle.

For a map location see: MultiMap

Details such as opening times, cost of admission, functions and facilities may be obtained from the National Trust Corfe Castle site

  The medieval castle, commanding a gap in the Purbeck Hills as demonstrated in the picture below, is now an imposing ruin and a popular tourist centre drawing on it’s many years of history.
  To the left of the castle is what is known as West Hill, and to the right, East Hill. In front of the castle the village, and in the distance a small part of Poole Harbour is apparent.

	Poole	Harbour
West Hill		Corfe Castle		East Hill
			Corfe Village
From the SW		Corfe Common

  There is belief it may have been a Roman defensive site, but the castle we see the ruins of today was a rebuild in the 11th century of what was a wooden building/hall/castle back into the 9th century.

From the east

  The village and its famous castle are built mainly from the local Purbeck stone which is probably the finest limestone available for building and polishing in England, and is used throughout the world.
  The adjacent picture centres on St.Edward's Church and the Square, with the castle up and off to the right.

From the west

  In the 13th century King John went to great lengths improving his accommodation and the defences. He built a fine hall and chapel together with domestic buildings. Henry III constructed additional walls, towers and gatehouses.
  Monarchs had come and gone until 1572 when Queen Elizabeth I sold it to Sir Christopher Hatton, her dancing master and some suppose a suitor.

From the east

  In 1635 the Castle was sold to Sir John Bankes, the then Lord Chief Justice, more as a holiday home rather than as a first home.
  By 1643 the Parliamentarians occupied most of Dorset, the castle survived a six-week siege. Sir John Bankes died in 1644 and the castle endured a number of half-baked blockades. Later in 1645 a second siege was started by Colonel Bingham, Governor of Poole, and courtesy of an insider the Roundheads took over in February 1646.
  The Castle was systematically destroyed by the Parliamentary forces, but the fact that some remains is surely testimony to strength of construction.

From the south

  If you have looked at these pictures, visited the castle itself, or just heard about what went on, perhaps you might wonder what the castle actually looked like in the early 17th century. Could it have been like the picture on the right ? This is just part of the Corfe Model Village which can be found on the Square in Corfe, and well worth a visit.

   Corfe Castle is widely acknowledged as the inspiration for Kirren Castle in Enid Blytons Famous Five books. See Enid Blyton.

   For those interested in the royal line of succession encompassing the story of Corfe see Kings & Queens.

  Ownership remained with the Bankes Family until 1982 when it was bequeathed to the National Trust.

Details such as opening times, cost of admission, functions and facilities may be obtained from the National Trust Corfe Castle site

Booking and further information:-	Walks	01929-480609
	Education Enquiries	01929-480609
	Castle Events	01929-481294
	Shop	01929-480921
	Tea Room	01929-481332

LOCAL EVENTS 2006
EVENT	DATE	TIME	MEET	DESCRIPTION	COST	DETAILS and/or BOOKING

For the increasing number of quiz oriented folk out there:
   Q: Where are the keys to Corfe Castle ?
   A: On the wall in the library at Kingston Lacy House, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4EA.

NB: Regarding the information on this site, one must stress that it is a very small part of the history and related interest of Corfe Castle. There is to our knowledge no all encompassing history book on the subject.
If anyone is in a position to provide large pieces of history they would be most welcome, particularly in the earlier years when there was a Roman presence.
Any such information can be sent as part of an e-mail, but if it is a large piece of text it may be sent as an attachment in txt, doc, or similar format.

A rudimentary Street Map of Corfe is available on a separate page.

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Rev:20060525

© 2006 isleofpurbeck.com

Disclaimer: Whilst we endeavour to ensure the content of this site is correct, we cannot undertake that information you find here, is, or will remain accurate and complete. If you wish to place reliance on any such information you must check it's accuracy by some other means before doing so.