scenic viewpoint
Ballard Down
The chalk ridge above Swanage running out to Old Harry Rocks, with views over Poole Harbour and Studland Bay.
6 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Corfe Castle
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle works well as a base: 10 minutes from Arne, 9km from Old Harry Rocks.
Corfe Castle is in England, United Kingdom, with about 1,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Arne, about 6 km away.
Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The first phase was one ofRead more
the earliest castles in England to be built at least partly using stone when the majority were built with earth and timber. Corfe Castle underwent major structural changes in the 12th and 13th centuries.
In 1572, Corfe Castle left the Crown's control when Elizabeth I sold it to Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir John Bankes bought the castle in 1635, and was the owner during the English Civil War. While Bankes was fighting in London and Oxford, his wife, Lady Mary Bankes, led the defence of the castle when it was twice besieged by Parliamentarian forces. The first siege, in 1643, was unsuccessful, but by 1645 Corfe was one of the last remaining royalist strongholds in southern England and fell to a siege ending in an assault. In March that year Corfe Castle was slighted on Parliament's orders. Owned by the National Trust, the castle is open to the public and in 2018 received around 237,000 visitors. It is protected as a grade I listed building and a scheduled monument.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Corfe Castle?
Within an hour or so of Corfe Castle: Ballard Down (6 km), Kimmeridge Bay (6 km), Old Harry Rocks (9 km), Lulworth Cove (14 km).
Are there any good drives near Corfe Castle?
The nearest famous roads are Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, Military Road, Isle of Wight and Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135).
Where is Corfe Castle?
Corfe Castle is in England, United Kingdom, about 6 km from Arne.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,355
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.6395, -2.0567
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Corfe Castle
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
Kimmeridge Bay
A dark shale bay with ledges exposed at low tide, a marine reserve and a working nodding-donkey oil well above.
6 km · about 10 min drive
natural wonder
Old Harry Rocks
Iconic chalk sea stacks marking the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, standing as sentinels against the English Channel.
9 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Lulworth Cove
Almost perfectly circular cove formed by the sea eroding through Portland limestone, creating one of the world's finest examples of coastal geology.
14 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Stair Hole
A small collapsing cove beside Lulworth, showing the tightly folded Lulworth Crumple in its cliff face.
14 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Bournemouth Beach
A seven-mile stretch of golden sand along the Dorset coast, one of England's most popular seaside destinations.
15 km · about 30 min drive
beach
Man O’War Bay
A sheltered crescent of shingle immediately east of Durdle Door, enclosed by an offshore reef of eroded rock.
15 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Durdle Door
Iconic natural limestone arch jutting into the sea on Dorset's Jurassic Coast, one of the most photographed landmarks in Britain.
16 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Corfe Castle
- Right hereBallard DownThe chalk ridge above Swanage running out to Old Harry Rocks, with views over Poole Harbour and Studland Bay.
- 31 kmPortland BillThe southern tip of the Isle of Portland, marked by a red-and-white lighthouse above a fierce tidal race.
- 38 kmRhinefield Ornamental DriveA New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
- 47 kmMilitary Road, Isle of WightThrilling clifftop road along the southwest coast of the Isle of Wight with sweeping sea views and access to dramatic landslip scenery.
- 56 kmGolden CapThe highest point on England's south coast at 191 m, its sandstone summit glowing gold above Charmouth and Lyme Bay.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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