Jane's Midlife Journey

Corfe Castle is the name of both a castle and a village in the Purbecks near Wareham, just across Poole Harbour from Bournemouth. The village and its thousand year old castle are either 15 miles from Bournemouth (if you cross Poole Harbour by ferry) or 20 miles away (if you drive round the harbour).

How to get to Corfe Castle

By car, either take the A338/A35/AA351 around the Poole Harbour. Or cross Poole Harbour on the Sandbanks Ferry and follow the B3351.

By public transport, Corfe Castle can be reached by bus or train. The most fun option is to take the Breezer 50 open top bus to Swanage. Then continue on the Breezer 40, which stops just before the castle or just after it. If you get off just after (we did, as we missed our stop), it’s a pleasant ten minute walk around the base of the hill upon which the castle is built, with lovely views upwards to the castle itself.

Alternatively, you can take a Steam Train from Swanage to Corfe Castle Station. The original 19th Century station is just a few minutes walk from the castle.

Parking

If you choose to drive the Corfe Castle, the NT Car Park is just north of the village, with the castle a short walk away; 5- 10 minutes, depending on whether you walk clockwise (quickest) or anticlockwise (most scenic) around the base of the castle. Parking for non-members costs £2 for one hour.

Opening Times

Corfe Castle is open daily from 10 am. The closing time is seasonal – between 4 pm and 6 pm.

Price

The castle is owned by the National Trust, so entry is free to NT members. Non-members must pay a seasonal entry fee. During peak times (school holidays) it costs £12 for adults and the rest of the year it is £11 (£6/£5.50 for children over five).

Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle is located on a steep hill in a gap in the Purbecks. It was built in the 11th Century, during the reign of William the Conqueror, and remained a royal castle until Elizabeth I sold it in 1572. In 1635, it was acquired by the Bankes family, who supported the Royalists in the English Civil War. During the war, the Bankes family successfully defended their castle. However, afterwards, in 1646, its destruction was ordered by the Parliamentarians and it was blown up by packing holes with gunpowder.

From the Village Square, the castle is accessed by a bridge which brings you to the Outer Gatehouse. This is flanked by two towers; Horseshoe Tower and First Tower. From here, you can follow the path past the remains of the second, third and fourth towers, through a second gatehouse to the Keep.

Corfe Castle Village

It is worth leaving some time to further explore the picturesque village of Corfe Castle. The village is, not surprisingly, geared to tourists, with a splattering of gift shops, pubs and cafes. Central in the Village Square is a cross erected to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 – a popular spot to sit a while for a rest and to consume drinks and snacks purchased in the village shop.

Corfe Castle Model Village

There is also model village where you can see a 1/20 scale replica of what the castle and village would have looked like in 1646. Opening hours for the model village mirror those of the castle and entry costs £4.50 (£3.20 for children).

Wander further out of the village, and it feels like you accidentally fell into a chocolate box lid depicting stone cottages with thatched roofs. The bus stop to return to Swanage is located in front of Wissett Cottage – I can think of worse places to sit and wait a while…

Corfe Castle for Children

Children can follow the family quest to collect each character’s personalised embossing stamp in a booklet on the way round the castle ruins and discover life-sized portraits of each character along the way. Collecting all the stamps will earn a special edition siege coin at the end.  In addition, there are plenty of family friendly activities during school holidays, such as summer games, outdoor theatre performances and teddy bear ziplining (yes, really).

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

• Updated: September 2023