Corfe Castle
Encyclopedia
Corfe Castle is a village
and civil parish in the English county of Dorset
. It is the site of a ruined castle
of the same name
. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills
on the route between Wareham
and Swanage
. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight kilometres (five miles) south-east of Wareham, and the same distance west of Swanage. Both the current main A351 road Lytchett Minster
to Swanage and the Swanage Railway
thread their way through the gap and the village.
The civil parish of Corfe Castle stretches across the width of the Isle of Purbeck
, with coasts facing both the English Channel
and Poole Harbour
. It therefore includes sections of both the low lying sandy heathland that lies to the north of the castle, and the rugged Jurassic Coast
upland to the south.
tribe. Evidence suggests that the tribe co-existed with the Romans in a trading relationship following the Roman invasion c. 50AD.
The name "Corfe" is derived from the Saxon
word for gap.
From the 1796 Corfe Castle Census of the 96 men involved in local industries and living in the town, 55 were clay cutters. These men worked in the nearby pits at Norden supplying Purbeck Ball Clay
to Josiah Wedgwood
and other pottery
manufacturers. Clay extraction continued to provide a major employment for the local population until the 20th century.
there is a valley as well.
. To the south it includes the smaller village of Kingston
and a section of the Jurassic Coast facing the English Channel
. To the north it includes a large area of heathland stretching as far as the southern shore of Poole Harbour
, where Furzey
, Green
, Long
and Round
little islands also form part of the parish. The village is constructed almost completely from the local grey Purbeck limestone
and comprises two main streets, East Street and West Street, linked at their north end at the Square.
runs a shop and a tearoom in the village. The Corfe Model Village, located on the village square, is a 1/20 scale model that shows what the castle and village would have looked like in 1646 before the castle was slighted. Within the Church of St. Edward is an alabaster
reredos
inset with carvings in white marble, designed by the famous Victorian architect George Edmund Street R.A.
, which was presented by Lord Eldon
in 1876. A cross in the square commemorates Queen Victoria
's Diamond Jubilee
of 1897.
in 978.
During the English Civil War
it was a Royalist stronghold and was besieged twice, in 1643 and again in 1646.
It is currently owned by the National Trust
and is open to the public.
. The Bankes family was able to ensure that at least one of the MPs returned to the House of Commons
was a member of the family or a Bankes nominee. The Reform Act 1832
abolished the rotten boroughs and Corfe lost its direct representation. The village and castle were part of Corfe Castle hundred
.
The parish now forms part of the District of Purbeck. It is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons
and the South West England
constituency of the European Parliament
.
, the parish had a population of 1,429 living in 701 dwellings. Pension
er households made up 36 per cent of the population.
in the north and Swanage
in the south. Separating the two streets is an area of common land called "the Halves".
Corfe Castle railway station
lies to the east of East Street, adjacent to the village centre. Originally the only intermediate station on the London and South Western Railway
's branch line from Wareham to Swanage, the station is now a stop on the Swanage Railway
, a steam locomotive
operated heritage railway
. The railway links the tourist centres of Corfe Castle and Swanage with each other, and with a Park and Ride
site at Norden station
just to the north of Corfe Castle.
.
, an English science fiction
writer living nearby set his novel Pavane
partly around the castle and similar events in an alternate history.
The children's author Enid Blyton
spent time in the area and some of her adventure stories like The Famous Five (Kirrin Island) featured castles that were said to be based on Corfe Castle.
The castle is a central setting in Ron Dawson
's children's story, 'Scary Bones meets the Wacky Witches of Wareham'. One of the 'Amazing adventures of Scary Bones the Skeleton' series, the story tells how a wicked wizard has become part of the castle itself.
The Castle itself features prominently in Mike Leigh
's 1976 TV play "Nuts in May
". The two main characters, Keith and Candice-Marie, pay a visit to the castle during their camping holiday.
The juxtaposition of castle and steam train at Corfe Castle is familiar to many television
viewers throughout Southern England
, as it features in the opening sequences of the BBC
's South Today
regional news programme along with the official train.
An episode of Mary Queen of Shops
centred around Mary Portas
revamping the village's convenience store.
coastal path, along to Chapman's Pool and the steps of Houns Tout, before returning to Corfe Castle. The race is held the weekend following the August Bank Holiday.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the English county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. It is the site of a ruined castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of the same name
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills
Purbeck Hills
The Purbeck Hills and South Dorset Downs are a ridge of chalk downs in Dorset, England. The hills extend from the Dorset Downs west of Dorchester, where the River Frome begins to form a valley dividing them from the larger area of downland to the north. The ridge then runs east through the Isle...
on the route between Wareham
Wareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
and Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight kilometres (five miles) south-east of Wareham, and the same distance west of Swanage. Both the current main A351 road Lytchett Minster
Lytchett Minster
Lytchett Minster is a small village in the English county of Dorset. Lytchett Minster is on the A35 road, the main route between the towns of Poole and Dorchester...
to Swanage and the Swanage Railway
Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
thread their way through the gap and the village.
The civil parish of Corfe Castle stretches across the width of the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
, with coasts facing both the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
. It therefore includes sections of both the low lying sandy heathland that lies to the north of the castle, and the rugged Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
upland to the south.
History
Burial mounds around the common of Corfe Castle suggest that the area was occupied from 6000BC. The common also points to a later Celtic field system worked by the DurotrigesDurotriges
The Durotriges were one of the Celtic tribes living in Britain prior to the Roman invasion. The tribe lived in modern Dorset, south Wiltshire and south Somerset...
tribe. Evidence suggests that the tribe co-existed with the Romans in a trading relationship following the Roman invasion c. 50AD.
The name "Corfe" is derived from the Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word for gap.
From the 1796 Corfe Castle Census of the 96 men involved in local industries and living in the town, 55 were clay cutters. These men worked in the nearby pits at Norden supplying Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay is a concentration of ball clay found on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset.-Geology:The main concentration of ball clay in Dorset is to the north of the Purbeck Hills centred around Norden. Ball clays are sedimentary in origin...
to Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
and other pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
manufacturers. Clay extraction continued to provide a major employment for the local population until the 20th century.
there is a valley as well.
Geography
The parish of Corfe Castle (area 37.45 km²) encompasses a broad swath of the Isle of PurbeckIsle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
. To the south it includes the smaller village of Kingston
Kingston, Purbeck, Dorset
Kingston is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the county of Dorset in southern England.-Location:Kingston is situated about two miles south of Corfe Castle and five miles west of Swanage. The village of Kingston is situated on a hill near Swyre Head, the highest point of the Purbeck Hills...
and a section of the Jurassic Coast facing the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. To the north it includes a large area of heathland stretching as far as the southern shore of Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
, where Furzey
Furzey Island
Furzey Island is an island in Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. The island lies to the south of the larger Brownsea Island. Seen from the water, or adjoining land, the island looks like another wild pineclad island. However, hidden in the trees is an oil well and gathering station for...
, Green
Green Island (Dorset)
Green Island is an island in Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. It lies in the central south part of the harbour, south of Brownsea Island and Furzey Island...
, Long
Long Island (Dorset)
Long Island is an uninhabited island in Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. It lies just off the shore of the Arne Peninsular in the south-west of the harbour, and is separated from the nearby, and inhabited, Round Island by a narrow channel only a few feet wide. The island covers...
and Round
Round Island (Dorset)
Round Island is an island in Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. It lies just off the shore of the Arne Peninsula in the south-west of the harbour, and is separated from the nearby uninhabited Long Island by a narrow channel only a few feet wide....
little islands also form part of the parish. The village is constructed almost completely from the local grey Purbeck limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and comprises two main streets, East Street and West Street, linked at their north end at the Square.
Landmarks
The National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
runs a shop and a tearoom in the village. The Corfe Model Village, located on the village square, is a 1/20 scale model that shows what the castle and village would have looked like in 1646 before the castle was slighted. Within the Church of St. Edward is an alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
inset with carvings in white marble, designed by the famous Victorian architect George Edmund Street R.A.
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
, which was presented by Lord Eldon
Earl of Eldon
Earl of Eldon, in the County Palatine of Durham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1821 for the lawyer and politician John Scott, 1st Baron Scott, Lord Chancellor from 1801 to 1806 and from 1807 to 1827...
in 1876. A cross in the square commemorates Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
of 1897.
Corfe Castle
The castle stands above the village and dates back in some form to the 10th century. It was the site of the murder of Edward the MartyrEdward the Martyr
Edward the Martyr was king of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but not his father's acknowledged heir...
in 978.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
it was a Royalist stronghold and was besieged twice, in 1643 and again in 1646.
It is currently owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and is open to the public.
Governance
The former royal status of Corfe meant that it existed as a borough electing two members of parliament. In the 17th and 18th centuries, with the Bankes's owning much of the property and thereby controlling most of the votes, the town was a rotten boroughRotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
. The Bankes family was able to ensure that at least one of the MPs returned to the House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
was a member of the family or a Bankes nominee. The Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
abolished the rotten boroughs and Corfe lost its direct representation. The village and castle were part of Corfe Castle hundred
Corfe Castle (hundred)
Corfe Castle Hundred was a hundred in the county of Dorset, England, containing only the parish of Corfe Castle.It was sometimes also referred to as Corfe Castle Liberty....
.
The parish now forms part of the District of Purbeck. It is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and the South West England
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
constituency of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
Demography
As of the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the parish had a population of 1,429 living in 701 dwellings. Pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
er households made up 36 per cent of the population.
Transport
The main route through the village is East Street which forms part of the A351 main road taking traffic to WarehamWareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
in the north and Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
in the south. Separating the two streets is an area of common land called "the Halves".
Corfe Castle railway station
Corfe Castle railway station
Corfe Castle railway station is a railway station located in the village of Corfe Castle, in the English county of Dorset. Originally an intermediate station on the London and South Western Railway branch line from Wareham to Swanage, the line and station were closed by British Rail in 1972...
lies to the east of East Street, adjacent to the village centre. Originally the only intermediate station on the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
's branch line from Wareham to Swanage, the station is now a stop on the Swanage Railway
Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
, a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
operated heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. The railway links the tourist centres of Corfe Castle and Swanage with each other, and with a Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
site at Norden station
Norden railway station
Norden railway station is a railway station located half a mile to the north of the village of Corfe Castle, on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is the northern-most station on Swanage Railway, a heritage railway that currently operates from Norden to Swanage...
just to the north of Corfe Castle.
Notable residents
The village was for many years the residence of composer Kaikhosru Shapurji SorabjiKaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
.
Cultural references
Keith RobertsKeith Roberts
Keith John Kingston Roberts , was an English science fiction author. He began publishing with two stories in the September 1964 issue of Science Fantasy magazine, "Anita" and "Escapism.Several of his early stories were written using the pseudonym...
, an English science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer living nearby set his novel Pavane
Pavane (novel)
Pavane by Keith Roberts is an alternate history science fiction fix-up novel first published by Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd in 1968. Most of the original stories were published in Science Fantasy...
partly around the castle and similar events in an alternate history.
The children's author Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
spent time in the area and some of her adventure stories like The Famous Five (Kirrin Island) featured castles that were said to be based on Corfe Castle.
The castle is a central setting in Ron Dawson
Ron Dawson
Dr. Ronald Leslie Dawson, . Special Educational Needs educator, psychologist, researcher and author. Author and co-author of numerous books and articles concerning the education of pupils with SEN...
's children's story, 'Scary Bones meets the Wacky Witches of Wareham'. One of the 'Amazing adventures of Scary Bones the Skeleton' series, the story tells how a wicked wizard has become part of the castle itself.
The Castle itself features prominently in Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh
Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
's 1976 TV play "Nuts in May
Nuts in May
Nuts in May is a television film devised and directed by Mike Leigh, originally broadcast as part of the BBC's Play for Today series on 13 January 1976. It is the comical story of a nature-loving and rather self-righteous couple's exhausting battle to enjoy what they perceive to be the idyllic...
". The two main characters, Keith and Candice-Marie, pay a visit to the castle during their camping holiday.
The juxtaposition of castle and steam train at Corfe Castle is familiar to many television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
viewers throughout Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, as it features in the opening sequences of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's South Today
South Today
South Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for East Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, West Sussex and the western fringes of Surrey...
regional news programme along with the official train.
An episode of Mary Queen of Shops
Mary Queen of Shops
Mary Queen of Shops is a British television series presented by Mary Portas broadcast on BBC2. The series began with a four week run starting on 7 June 2007, and returned for a second series of six episodes beginning on 9 June 2008. A third three-part series, titled Mary Queen of Charity Shops,...
centred around Mary Portas
Mary Portas
Mary Portas , is an English retail adviser, journalist and television presenter.-Early life and education:Portas was born and brought up in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, in a family of five children. Educated at St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth, she looked after her youngest brother...
revamping the village's convenience store.
Sports
Poole athletic club organised the multi-terrain cross county race known as The Beast. The race starts in Corfe Castle and follows tracks to the PurbeckIsle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
coastal path, along to Chapman's Pool and the steps of Houns Tout, before returning to Corfe Castle. The race is held the weekend following the August Bank Holiday.
See also
- The Shrove Tuesday Football Ceremony of the Purbeck MarblersThe Shrove Tuesday Football Ceremony of the Purbeck MarblersThe Shrove Tuesday Football Ceremony of the Purbeck Marblers is a series of events dating back many years. The events occur on the date that new apprentices are introduced to the Company of Marblers and Stonecutters of Purbeck...
- National Trust Properties in England
External links
- Official Corfe Castle Website
- Corfe Castle information at the National Trust
- Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum for Ball Clay information
- My Jurassic Coast- Discover the secrets of the Jurassic Coast. Where to stay, what to do and where to go.