Explore virtual ruins in Minecraft

A split image of the real Corfe Castle compared to the virtual build in Minecraft

Have you ever wanted to build castles and historic ruins in a virtual world? We've partnered with Xbox and Minecraft to let you do just that. In Minecraft: The Wild Update, you can reimagine history and create your own virtual versions of some of the oldest buildings and ruins.

Join Minecraft YouTuber Grian and historian Alice Loxton as they recreate Corfe Castle in Dorset in Minecraft. As Alice guides Grian, who builds an exact replica of the castle in-game, you can learn more about different parts of the building, such as the keep and the gloriette. Alice also discusses the historic influences that have played a part in the different architectural styles you can see at Corfe Castle today.

Alice and Grian were also advised by Martin Papworth, Archaeologist from the National Trust, to prepare them with a good foundation of historic knowledge about Corfe Castle.

Corfe Castle reimagined in Minecraft Play Video
Video

Minecraft's Ruins Reimagined: Corfe Castle


In this video, join Minecraft YouTuber Grian and historian Alice Loxton as they reimagine Corfe Castle with Minecraft: The Wild Update.

Minecraft players can access the Corfe Castle foundation ruin in the game and have a go at building up from the existing ruins to reimagine what it would have been like as a working castle over 1,000 years ago. Players can join the Corfe Castle server at corfe.ruinsreimagined.com

How to join the server

Please follow these steps to join the Minecraft Corfe Castle server. You will need a copy of Minecraft Java edition to play.

  1. Launch Minecraft and select Multiplayer from the main menu.
  2. Click Add Server.
  3. In the Server Address box, enter the host server's address – corfe.ruinsreimagined.com – and click Done.
  4. Wait for the server to connect, and when it appears in the list, select it and click Join Server.

Please visit https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/servers for more info on playing safely.

" It was a fantastic experience working with the National Trust to rebuild Corfe Castle in Minecraft. This project is right up my alley. I can’t wait to see more people rebuilding this in their own way."
- Grian, Minecraft YouTuber

Using Minecraft to learn about the past

To continue Minecraft’s mission to improve learning through technology, a Minecraft Education Edition package of the experience will be launched by the end of September 2022. This can be used by teachers across the UK as a creative toolkit to help their Key Stage 2 pupils engage with traditional curriculums such as History, Science, and Design and Technology.

'It was magnificent to see the to-scale recreation of Corfe Castle before its destruction in the English Civil War,' said Alice, Historian and Presenter, who gave Grian some historic context as he built Corfe in the game. 'It is my passion as a historian to spread my love of history to a younger audience, and this partnership with Minecraft and the National Trust did exactly that. I look forward to seeing more imaginative creations of Corfe Castle coming from classrooms around the UK.'

Minecraft is PEGI rated 7+.