Corfe Castle

An early Norman castle overlooking the village of Corfe is an unforgettable sight. Corfe Castle was built during the reign of William the Conqueror to control the passage through the Purbeck Hills on the road between Swanage and Wareham. However, there was a fortress on this site long before the Normans. There could have been a Roman military camp here, and in the 9th century there was a wooden palisade.

Royal Intrigue Scene

Korf played his part in history as early as 975. Edward the Martyr, the boy king of Wessex, was killed on the orders of his stepmother Aelfrida in order to allow the even younger Æthelraid to take the throne. This ineffective 12 year old ruler failed to stop the Danes from taking over England in 980.

The tyranny of John

At the end of the 11th century, the Saxon castle was replaced by a small stone hall surrounded by a perimeter wall. This wall would later become the inner castle. King John expanded Corfe Castle by building an outer curtain wall, a great hall and a chapel. He later used Korf to store part of his royal treasury as well as political prisoners. Here he kept his daughter Eleanor prisoner and allowed 22 of her French knights to starve to death in prison. Another royal prisoner, Edward II, was held here until he was sent to Berkeley Castle and killed.

The Courage of Lady Mary Banks

In 1635, Corfe Castle was sold to Sir John Banks, Chief Justice of England, and used as a second home rather than a fortress. He spent most of his time in London, leaving Korf in the care of his wife, Lady Mary Banks. The castle was besieged twice during the Civil War. The defenders, led by Lady Banks, resisted the troops for almost three full years until they were betrayed by one of their own soldiers. The indomitable Lady Banks fought to the bitter end, locking herself in her private quarters and throwing hot coals through the window to the attacking forces. Although she was finally forced to surrender, Lady Banks so impressed the army commander with her bravery that she was allowed to leave the castle with her garrison and the keys to the castle. These keys are kept at the Banks family home in Kingston Lacy.

Modern copy

The castle was later severely neglected and rendered unusable. The town houses the Korfe Museum, tracing the history of the village and the castle. It was created as a replica of the castle before its destruction, using the same local gray limestone used in the construction of the original keep and most of the slate-roofed cottages in the village.