The history of Corfe Castle

The Rings 

In a field south of Corfe Castle there are some low mounds known as ‘The Rings’. These are the remains of siegeworks built in 1139 by King Stephen. Stephen was the cousin of Empress Matilda, who claimed to be the rightful heir of her father King Henry I during an English civil war known as ‘The Anarchy’ (1138–1153).

Stephen built the second castle for his army while laying siege to Corfe Castle, which was loyal to Matilda. Having withstood King Stephen’s army, the siege was eventually abandoned, and after Stephen’s death in 1154, Empress Matilda’s heirs became Kings of England and inherited Corfe Castle.  

The Plantagenets, progress and prisoners 

King John (1166–1216) was a frequent visitor to Corfe Castle. He built the Gloriette, which housed the royal quarters, and furnished it with luxurious interiors and an indoor toilet for the king’s use. John lavished more than £1,400 (around one million pounds in today’s money) on improvements to the castle.  

John’s reign was a troubled one. Rebellion ensued when John refused to abide by the Magna Carta (1215), an attempt to secure peace between the king and his disaffected barons. Earlier in his reign, John’s nephew, Prince Arthur of Brittany, challenged his right to the throne. A refuge in times of crisis, Corfe Castle also was a convenient place to imprison political opponents. After Prince Arthur’s mysterious disappearance in 1203, John held his niece, Eleanor, and 25 of Arthur’s knights captive at the castle.  

Henry III (1207–1272) spent large sums of money improving the Keep. In 1244 he ordered that it should be whitewashed like the Tower of London. During his reign, the castle was used for storing weapons. In 1224, Corfe sent 15,000 crossbow bolts for use in the siege of Bedford Castle.

Private owners 

Corfe Castle remained in Royal ownership until 1572 when it was sold by Elizabeth I (1533–1603) to her Lord Chancellor, Sir Christopher Hatton (1540—91). Among his titles was Admiral of the Purbeck Fleet, which gave him the right to fit out warships both to defend England against invaders and to capture enemy vessels as prizes. He also invested in the expeditions of the colonial explorer, privateer and trader of enslaved people, Sir Francis Drake, who named his ship the ‘Golden Hind’ after the Hatton family arms.  

Christopher never married, so his estates passed to his nephew William Newport (1560–97), who changed his name to Hatton. William’s widow, courtier Lady Elizabeth Hatton (1578–1646), inherited them on his death. Little is known about Elizabeth’s ownership of the castle, but historic surveys show that she developed pleasure gardens inside and outside the walls. In 1635 Corfe Castle and its estates were purchased by Sir John Bankes, Attorney General to Charles I. The following year he also purchased the Kingston Lacy estates. 

Civil war and destruction 

The Bankes family sided with the King during the British Civil Wars (1642–52). John’s wife, Mary, Lady Bankes (1598–1661), successfully defended the castle during the first siege of 1643, earning her the moniker ‘Brave Dame Mary’. Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary forces captured Corfe in February 1646 during a second siege. The castle fell following the betrayal of Lieutenant-Colonel Pitman who allowed Parliamentary troops dressed as reinforcements to enter. In March Parliament passed an order for the castle’s demolition. A team of skilled sappers used explosives to blow its walls apart.   

Return and restoration 

John died during the wars in December 1644. In 1647 Mary petitioned Parliament to restore her estates, which were returned following payment of fines. Instead of rebuilding the castle, John and Mary’s son, Sir Ralph Bankes (1631–1677), chose to build the new family home at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne. The estates of Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy remained in the family for over 300 years. 

Throughout the late 17th and 18th centuries, Corfe Castle was looted for building materials, and the ruins started to deteriorate. In its ruined state, Corfe Castle became a tourist attraction and inspired Romantic era artists such as J.M.W. Turner. In the 19th century, work was carried out to stabilise the structures, with further consolidation undertaken by the Ministry of Works in the mid 20th century.   

National Trust ownership 

In 1982, the estates of Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy were bequeathed to the National Trust in the will of Henry John Ralph Bankes (1902–1981), the seven times great grandson of Sir John Bankes. The Bankes estate is one of the most generous gifts in the National Trust's history. In 1986, the Trust embarked on an exciting period of archaeological research, revealing stories that had lain hidden for centuries. Among the discoveries was a rare Dutch-made stink/smoke bomb, an early form of grenade, found in the Outer Gatehouse.

Excavations in the Fourth Tower revealed the original flooring, which had been buried beneath several feet of soil and rubble. Throughout the site, extensive medieval pottery items were uncovered, forming one of the most significant collections in Dorset. 

The National Trust is committed to conserving the ruins, enhancing visitor access and facilities, and mitigating the wear and tear caused by visitor footfall. Major structural conservation projects have been carried out, particularly on the Keep and Gloriette, and in 2010 the Trust received a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors South West Award for Building Conservation. 2023 marked the start of the largest conservation project in the castle's history, which will ensure that Corfe Castle can be enjoyed by generations of visitors to come.  

Further reading

Corfe Castle in its original state and Kingston Hall by Reverend John Hutchings, late 19th Century | V&A images