The ruined walls of Corfe castle in Dorset
by Gordon James
Title
The ruined walls of Corfe castle in Dorset
Artist
Gordon James
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The ruined remains of Corfe Castle in Dorset.
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 of 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.
Uploaded
May 7th, 2014
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Viewed 3,329 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/16/2024 at 6:16 PM
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Comments (2)
Lesley Evered
Congratulations, your picture has been FEATURED on the home page in the group COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND UK on 15th June 2023. Like/Favourite. You are invited to add this featured image to the group discussion page "BEST TWELVE FEATURED IMAGES - APRIL to JUNE 2023"
Lesley Evered
This is the best picture I have ever seen of this iconic castle
Gordon James replied:
Thank you Lesley, I have visited Corfe many times and just managed to see it with the ideal weather conditions. I do have some more in my Dorset Folder that I think are nearly as good.
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