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Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Reedham Berney Arms Windmill

Reedham

in the county of Norfolk

New view of the Castle

Holy Island

in the county of Northumberland

Pictures of Corfe Castle

a Historic Building in the town of Corfe Castle, in the county of Dorset

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 towns & villages near Corfe Castle

Corfe Town from the Castle

Corfe Castle (194 Pictures)

a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset

(0.1 miles, 0.1 km)

Below the castle, the village of Corfe shows picturesque stone houses of the 17th-century...

Dorset 2009

Worth Matravers (26 Pictures)

a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset

(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...

Ferry

Swanage (242 Pictures)

a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

(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...

Beach huts at Studland

Studland (69 Pictures)

in the county of Dorset

(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...

The village that time forgot

Tyneham (55 Pictures)

a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset

(5.2 miles, 8.4 km, direction W)

Known as the Ghost village of Dorset, the village of Tyneham was requisitioned by the War Office during 1943, with all 225 residents having to leave their homes. The army never.....

All towns in Dorset
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Recommended attractions near Corfe Castle

Local quarrey

Isle of Purbeck (21 Pictures)

(1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction NE)

..

The Blue Pool

The Blue Pool (25 Pictures)

(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.....

Arne Autumn 2012

Arne RSPB Reserve (127 Pictures)

(4.1 miles, 6.6 km, direction N)

..

A picture of St. Aldhelm's Head & Chapel

St. Aldhelm's Head & Chapel (2 Pictures)

(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.....

Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset.

Durlston Country Park (22 Pictures)

(5.3 miles, 8.6 km, direction SE)

This 100 hectare (270 acre) country park offers fantastic views and scenery, coupled with some of the best bird and animal.....


All attractions in Dorset
Complete A to Z of attractions in England