Corfe Castle Dorset
A picnic at the foot of Corfe Castle
(Photos/words © urban75, 15th-16th May, 2009)
With evidence of a stronghold predating the Norman Conquest, the grade I listed Corfe Castle has been a part of the Purbeck landscape for a thousand years.
Stuck high on a mound, this was one tough castle to crack, with the first line of defence being the the Outer Gatehouse, supported by murderholes, where defending soldiers would have poured rocks on their enemies.
With the walls also punctured by arrow-slits, the Castle became known as 'the most secure of all English Castles,' ready to kick the arse of anyone charging into the Purbeck Hills from Poole Harbour.
Entrance to Corfe Castle, with the  National Trust building to the right.
Before the present Castle was built, legend has it that King Edward the Martyr was murdered at Corfe in 978 by his stepmother who wanted to shimmy her own son, Ethelred 'the Unready', on to the throne.
This dastardly deed was accomplished when Edward paid a visit to Corfe during a stag hunt. Elfryda offered him a goblet of wine, and before he could enjoy a good quaff, she stabbed him in the back and killed him.
The oldest surviving structure on the site dates back to the 11th century.
The stone hall and inner bailey wall were constructed during this time, with extensive construction of other towers, halls and walls taking place during the reigns of Henry I, John and Henry III.
Used as a royal treasure storehouse and prison in the 13th Century, the castle was sold by Elizabeth I in the 16th century to her Lord Chancellor, Sir Christopher Hatton, who later sold it on to Sir John Bankes, Attorney General to Charles I, in 1635.
The castle saw active duty twice during the English Civil War, coming under siege by Parliamentarian forces.
The first 1643 siege proved a flop for the Parliamentarians who withdrew after six weeks with the loss of 100 men. The second second siege of 1646 was more successful.
After holding out for two months, the castle was betrayed by a member of the garrison, and the Parliamentarians set about blowing up the structure to ensure it could never stand as a Royalist stronghold again.
The castle was slighted (destroyed) with explosives and undermining.
Mustard keen local DIY-ers keen to get their hands on some free building materials quickly set about stripping the structure. Look around the village and you can see door frames, stones and other items from the castle now used in houses.
With the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Bankes family regained their properties, but decided not to rebuild the ruined castle, building a nice new house at Kingston Lacy on their other Dorset estate near Wimborne Minster.
In the 1980s, ownership of the entire Bankes estate (including Corfe Castle, much of the village of Corfe, the family home at Kingston Lacy, and substantial property and land holdings elsewhere in the area) was bequeathed to the National Trust.
Now a popular tourist attraction, the castle received nearly 170,000 visitors in 2004.
It's not free to get in though, with 2009 prices pegged at around £6 for adults and £3 for kids, with group discounts.
We picnicked by a river, in the shadow of the castle.
Goats climbing up the steep slopes.
Children's author Enid Blyton spent some time in the area, and some of her adventure stories like The Famous Five (Kirrin Island) featured castles said to be based on Corfe Castle.
A last look before we headed off to the station to catch our train. A steam train! Yipee!
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Corfe Castle views
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