One of the greatest castles found in England is Corfe Castle.
It is located on the Isle of Purbeck inside of the county of Dorset in the south of England,
and it dates back to the 11th century following the Norman Conquest.
But it is a site where there was history dating back longer, and it is a castle that has shaped
the landscape for almost 1000 years.
However it is a place where today the castle is in ruins, and it has been destroyed and
blown up following the English Civil War.
But it’s a castle which has been a royal residence, siege tower and also a seat of
government and power.
But what is the story behind the dark history of Corfe Castle?
Join us today as we look at this brilliant castle, and remember to support our channel,
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Corfe Castle was built upon a large hill which is protected by a number of other chalk hills.
It was a site which had been inhabited before, and the Anglo Saxons used it as a residence,
and in particular there was one incident that wrote bloodshed into the castle’s foundations.
Edward the Martyr, a boy king during the Saxon Times in 978 whilst visiting his brother was
assassinated as an assassin stabbed him from behind when he approached the gates of Corfe’s
settlement.
However following the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror’s seizure of the throne,
a castle was soon created at Corfe.
Between 1066 and 1087, William created 36 castles in England, and to begin with a stone
wall was built around the top of the hill which created an inner Bailey.
There were other enclosures added creating an outer Bailey, but to begin with these enclosures
and fences were made from wood.
However after time stone was used, and by the early 12th century Henry I began to refortify
Corfe in stone.
At a pace of around 4 metres a year the castle was built in stone, and local limestone was
used to make Corfe a formidable and strong fortress.
By the reign of King Stephen, it was one of the strongest in the Kingdom, and during the
civil war it successfully withstood a siege by the King, and he also built a siege castle
a short distance away to fire artillery towards Corfe.
This was later used during the English Civil War.
But over the next medieval King’s Corfe remained a rather formidable structure, but
during the reign of King John and Henry III it underwent huge expansion work and new towers,
halls and walls were made, including a gloriette which was considered a royal residence for
King John.
The King and Queens stayed here many times, and it also became a place of imprisonment
too.
King John held Scottish hostages Margaret of Scotland and Isobel of Scotland inside
Corfe in relative comfort, and there was also an oubliette found inside the Butavant Tower.
This was a tiny cell and it was known at Corfe for being a place where prisoners were thrown
inside of and simple forgot.
A number of knights during the medieval time were thrown in the oubliette and then died
from disease and starvation, and as King John’s reign was under threat he spent more money
expanding the defences at Corfe Castle.
Further money was invested into the defences at Corfe, and it was considered one of the
most unbeatable castles in the country, and this is a legacy that continued following
the Medieval period.
During the Wars of the Roses, Henry Beaufort and his army marched from Corfe to fight during
the Battle of Wakefield.
But during the Tudor period, the castle remained a royal fortress owned by the crown, and lived
in by the Kings and Queens for a few days a year when they travelled around the country.
But Elizabeth I then sold Corfe to her Lord Chancellor Sir Christopher Hatton, and he
maintained the castle until it was then sold to the Banks Family, and Sir John Bankes.
He was the Attorney General to Charles I and was a close friend of the King.
But as the English Civil War erupted based on the King’s problems, as Parliament went
to war with the King, Corfe initially was under Royalist control.
The Banks family stayed loyal to the King, despite the majority of the county of Dorset
being held by Parliament.
The time came when Corfe was attacked by Parliament, and as John Bankes fought for the King, he
left his wife Lady Mary Bankes in charge of Corfe’s defences.
During this time she lived at the castle with her children, but she was then faced with
a siege.
Corfe was besieged by Parliament, but it was held by a small garrison of forces.
These stayed loyal and were heavily outnumbered, and defended the castle by firing back and
also pouring oil and other substances from towers onto advancing attackers.
But as the Civil War turned against the King, Corfe Castle was one of the only sites still
held by a royalist.
Despite only suffering 2 casualties, the defenders inflicted at least 100 deaths on the attackers.
But the castle was later betrayed, and as the attackers made their way inside the castle
they allowed Lady Bankes to leave peacefully.
The attacking Parliamentarians were so amazed at her defiance that they allowed her to keep
the caste’s key.
However following the Civil War, Corfe Castle would never be the same.
One of the policies following the King’s execution was that Parliament attacked former
royalist strongholds and castles to put them beyond military use.
They were worried that the royalists would use them to launch attacks and another civil
war, and to prevent this they slighted the castles.
This meant they would demolish the sites with a huge amount of gunpowder, and Corfe Castle
was one of those to face the slighting.
A huge amount of gunpowder was brought into the castle, and was then detonated which left
the place a ruin, and it’s incredible to see how much explosives they must have used
to destroy the huge fortress.
The ruins today are a maze, and are colossal still lying in the place they were when they
were destroyed.
Following this the villagers nearby took some of the stone to rebuild their homes, and the
castle was never inhabited again.
One of the most imposing parts of Corfe Castle is the gatehouse which can be found inside
the inner Bailey.
There are in fact 2 gatehouses with the outer gatehouse securing the outer Bailey, but there
was also another gatehouse securing the inner Bailey and the further parts of the castle.
Inside here the guards would be regularly patrolling and holding cells were also found
to interrogate people who were trying to gain access into the further parts of the site.
The outer Bailey was a place where the soldiers who garrisoned the castle would stay and sleep
in wooden huts and sheds, and also other local businesses such as blacksmiths and farmers
would keep animals here.
Animals were kept for banquets inside the keep, but also blacksmiths and stonemasons
were on hand to make repairs to armour and weapons, and also parts of the castle that
were falling into ruin.
The outer Bailey also would have linked to local people to the site, and it was a very
busy area.
The inner Bailey was much more secure and was a place where only select people could
get access to.
It was heavily guarded, and contained other buildings and rooms such as the Great Hall.
This was built up against the oldest part of the castle, and this was where entertainment
and dancing would take place, as well as large banquets.
Like many other fortifications, the great hall at Corfe was outside of the main keep,
and there would also be more luxurious buildings inside of the Keep.
The Keep is the main castle part of Corfe that today stands tall overlooking and dominating
the local landscape.
It was 21 metres high on top of a 55 meter high mound and was a symbol of the power of
the monarchy.
Today it still stands strong, and inside were a network of large rooms and buildings fit
for a King and royalty.
Inside the keep was kitchens, sleeping quarters and other lodging, and built next to it was
the gloriette.
This was a luxurious extension to the keep built by King John which would contain expensive
tapestries and ornate decoration, and would give the King a taste of luxury.
This was in a sense a pocket palace, up against the large Keep.
But when walking around Corfe Castle, what is shocking is the huge amount of destruction
and ruin caused by Parliament in the English Civil War.
This once incredible castle today stands still very formidable, but it is a place which could
never be used in a military capacity today.
The ruins are huge and amazing to walk around, but it is a shame that it’s been left in
this site, and today it would be one of the most incredibly castles in the world.
But the ruins still are captivating and today Corfe Castle tells a story of Regicide, sieges
and destruction and bloodshed runs through the ruins.
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