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Pictures of Corfe Castle
About Corfe Castle
Standing in lofty splendour above the chimney pots of the village with the roaring ocean lapping the cliffs to the other side of a rocky outcrop, the romantic ruins of medieval Corfe Castle, cast a dramatic shadow from every approach. There is evidence of habitation in the area in the days of pre-history but Corfe really came to prominence when the great castle was begun at the time of William the Conqueror.
The castle has a stirring history, and although for nearly all of the medieval period it was a Royal residence, it was tainted by dark and secretive deeds. King Edward II was imprisoned here and strangely, King John kept his crown jewels at Corfe. When the throne passed to Henry VII he gave the castle to his mother, however when Henry VIII succeeded, he claimed the castle for himself. Henry's daughter Queen Elizabeth I, sold Corfe to Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourite courtier and Chancellor. He fortified it as part of England's defences against the Spanish Armada.
Corfe Castle was eventually sold by the Hatton family, and at the time of the Civil War it was owned by the powerful Bankes family. Sir John Bankes was Lord Chief Justice to Charles I. Again mischief was afoot, Lady Bankes stood alone and in spite of holding the castle through the sieges of 1643 and 1645, she was finally brought down by the treachery of Colonel Pitman, one of her own officers.
The castle was left in ruins by the Parliamentarian forces, and although it continued in the ownership of the Bankes family it remained derelict throughout the centuries until it was gifted by the Bankes's to the National Trust in 1982.
Below the castle, the village of Corfe shows picturesque stone houses of the 17th-century. At the Corfe Castle Model Village you can see a perfect replica of the once mighty fortress. It's former splendour is vividly portrayed and like the magnificent hilltop ruin, cannot fail to impress all who see it.
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Recommended attractions near Corfe Castle | (1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction NE) .. Information | Pictures (16) | Hotels |  | (2.1 miles, 3.4 km, direction NW) Between Wareham and Corfe Castle can be found the unique visitor attraction called the Blue Pool, which was once a clay pit. Tiny..... Information | Pictures (6) | Hotels |  | (4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction N) .. Information | Pictures (15) | Hotels |  | (4.2 miles, 6.7 km, direction S) One of the oldest churches in England, set on a 300ft cliff top in an area that is designated a Special Area of Conservation..... Information | Pictures (2) | Hotels |  | (4.7 miles, 7.6 km, direction E) Miles and miles of glorious sandy beaches, this famous Dorset Beauty Spot also embraces two national nature reserves, being a..... Information | Pictures (2) | Hotels |
All attractions in DorsetComplete A to Z of attractions in EnglandRecommended towns & villages near Corfe Castle | (0.1 miles, 0.1 km) Below the castle, the village of Corfe shows picturesque stone houses of the 17th-century... Information | Pictures (75) | Hotels | | (3.0 miles, 4.8 km, direction S) Picturesque Dorset village with a history pre-dating Roman times as evidenced by the medieval lynchets cut into the steep hillsides... Information | Pictures (15) | Hotels |  | (4.6 miles, 7.5 km, direction SE) The town is wedged between towering downs that result in lofty cliffs at both ends of the bay, from these high vantage points there are spectacular views across the sea... Information | Pictures (88) | Hotels |  | (4.7 miles, 7.6 km, direction E) Beyond the woods, heaths and downs of Dorset lies a fascinating coastline with a hinterland of precious little villages, such a village is Studland which sits close to the wide sweep of picturesque Studland Bay, which belongs to the National Trust... Information | Pictures (24) | Hotels |  | (5.9 miles, 9.4 km, direction NE) .. Information | Pictures (15) | Hotels |
All towns in DorsetComplete A to Z of towns in EnglandNearby travel help| Wareham Station | (4.5 miles, 7.3 km, direction NW) | | Holton Heath Station | (5.2 miles, 8.4 km, direction N) | | Bournemouth Airport | (14.1 miles, 22.7 km, direction NE) | | M27 Junction 1 | (28.3 miles, 45.5 km, direction NE) | | M27 Junction 2 | (31.5 miles, 50.6 km, direction NE) | | Southampton Airport | (37.7 miles, 60.7 km, direction NE) | | Corfe Castle to London | (103.4 miles, 166.4 km, direction NE) |
Hotels near Corfe Castle |  Louisa Lodge & Purbeck House Hotel91 High Street, Swanage, Dorset, England (4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction SE)
A high quality, newly built, 20 bedroom annex to this family run hotel. The Purbeck House & Louisa Lodge nestle in extensive gardens in the centre of Swanage. They combine the atmosphere of a tradit...
More info and book online.. Price from £72.00 |  | Purbeck House Hotel & Louisa Lodge91 High Street, Swanage, Dorset, England (4.9 miles, 7.8 km, direction SE)
A unique family run hotel steeped in over a century of history. The Purbeck House & Louisa Lodge nestle in extensive gardens in the centre of Swanage. They combine the atmosphere of a traditional ...
More info and book online.. Price from £72.00 |  |  The Haven161 Banks Rd, Sandbanks, Dorset, England (5.8 miles, 9.3 km, direction NE)
The Haven is located literally on the waters edge, on the famous Sandbanks peninsula in Poole. The facilities at the 77-bedroom hotel include everything you would expect from a four-star hotel and mor...
More info and book online.. Price from £108.00 |  | The Best Western Mansion HouseThames St, Poole, Dorset, England (5.9 miles, 9.6 km, direction NE)
The Mansion House Hotel and Restaurant is one of the most highly rated and renowned hotels in Dorset. Built in 1779 as the Mayoral House, now restored with warmth and style but still with Georgian ele...
More info and book online.. Price from £96.00 |  | The Antelope8 High Street, Poole, Dorset, England (6.0 miles, 9.7 km, direction NE)
The Antelope Hotel is a famous old coaching house on the High Street of Poole. It has been a popular meeting place through the centuries. It still retains part of its original 15th century buildin...
More info and book online.. Price from £70.00 |
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