My love of history, old things and places, events and the people that came before us takes me to amazing places. I find the past more interesting than the present - Not better, certainly not worse, just more engaging and I feel more comfortable when delving into the past compared with engaging with modern society, generally speaking.
This takes me to places where humans have achieved great triumph and success, worked collectively to create amazing things or do righteous deeds, and on the flipside, places where humans have failed, have given in to depravity, greed and ego...Those places often mark the earth like scars we've inflicted upon ourselves, wounds that have healed, but remain...They should remind us of the folly of greedy pursuits but of course they don't always do so and so history repeats. It is just part of being human I guess, we often fail to see what is right in front of us.
The past makes my present feel more real, I am here now because of what happened in the past, and understanding it a little better brings me enjoyment. Author Cormac McCarthy says, scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real, and I completely agree...And so I often find myself in locations where human nature has scared the very land, Corfe Castle was one such place.
Clinging to a hilltop commanding views in all direction this once magnificent castle patiently awaits it final moment, but endures. It crumbles and decays and will eventually be reclaimed by the earth completely, but for now it stands, decayed walls jutting upward and at grotesque angles like the jagged teeth of a great mouth which devoured and consumed those who raised it, and called it home.
It is clear why William the Conqueror decided to construct this castle here, one of the earliest stone-built castles still existing in England today. It was a show of strength, and a reminder that whomever held this high-point, and commanded the men within it, was not to be trifled with.
As Faith and I wandered amongst the ruins, touched the once strong and protective walls, sat and contemplated the history of the castle that seemed to have soaked into the very stone, we were left with a feeling of strength and power, but also despair, sadness and the reminder that nothing lasts for ever.
Men and women once walked where we were and played out their lives; Here they fought, loved, hated, found joy and sadness. They brought new life into the world, and took lives in the name of duty and honour. The lowly lead their lives of servitude, the mighty their lives of privilege and it all transpired here for over a thousand years; The castle stood over and around them whilst humans did human things...Do some of those departed spirits still linger? Have their lives seeped into the stone blocks so that now, centuries later, we can feel them? I don't know of course, but it was easy to feel it to be true. Corfe Castle makes a person feel the past and one's mortality.
Corfe Castle has seen many things, the triumph, failure, ingenuity and folly of men, humankind. I've summarised a few events below.
978 - King Edward the Martyr murdered by Elfrida (his step-mother) in the Old Hall. Stabbed in the back by one of her retainers, his was one of many such events, albeit this one was prior to the construction of the stone castle.
1086 - William the Conqueror acquired the land for Corfe Castle and began construction. He recognised it's easily defensible position and was quick to exchange a church in Gillingham for rights to the land. The rest...Is history.
1106 - Robert Duke of Normandy (c. 1051 – 3 February 1134) was held in the castle keep by younger brother Henry I after Robert lost a battle between the two; The greedy Robert desired the throne of England. These two were the sons of William the Conqueror but were at odds over the throne...I find it strange how brothers can be this way, but...Human nature right?
1138 - Another who desired the throne of England was Empress Matilda who raised an army against her cousin King Stephen. The king besieged one of her commanders, Baldwin de Redvers, here at Corfe Castle. King Stephen set up just out of bow-shot of the castle now known as The Rings, a series of earth mounds where his siege castle once stood.
1199-1214 - Pearl of Brittany, Princess Eleanor of Brittany, was incarcerated by her uncle, King John, as he saw her as a threat to his throne. Her retainers, twenty two knights, were starved to death deep in the dungeons after being re-captured after an attempt to escape. Eleanor survived her imprisonment and died a nun in around 1241.
The immense effort required to destroy this castle is difficult to fathom. It was destroyed after by the Parliamentarians after they won it away it from the Royalists - Its destruction could never have been achieved during battle.
1220-1294 - Henry III and Edward I expanded, improved and modernised the castle adding the South West gatehouse and improving overall defences.
1572 - The last Royal owner of the castle Queen Elizabeth I sold Corfe Castle to Sir Christopher Hatton, a friend and favoured retainer. The price was £4,762. A fortune when translated into today's money.
1635 - Sir John Bankes bought Corfe Castle, he was the Lord Chief Justice and had stayed loyal to King Charles during in the Civil War whilst most of the rest of Dorset was held by Parliamentarian forces.
1643-1646 - Dame Mary Bankes held off two sieges during the Civil War. Eventually betrayed from within she capitulated and handed the castle to the Parliamentarians. In respect for her honourable defence she was permitted to leave safely, taking the keys to the castle with her as a token.
Standing within the castle, where battlements once stood, it is easy to see why this location was so strategic. The clear views all around and elevated position made it difficult to take the castle by surprise and the steep terrain would have been a murderous approach for attacking armies.
1646-1663 - Parliament ordered the partial demolition of the castle. Ralph, Lady Bankes' son, recovered what he could and built a new mansion at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne. The Castle key's his mother had been given can be viewed there.
1982 - The Banke's family gifted the castle to the National Trust ending 350 years of family ownership. The gift included the countryside, coastline, farms, nature reserves and the mansion Ralph built at Kingston Lacy. It is thanks to that gift I was able to visit and soak up the history of the castle, and you can too.
We really loved our visit. It was easy to imagine the castle in it's better times and whilst most of the historical events above are of a brutal nature I'm sure many good times were experienced by the inhabitants of this place.
From the village that abuts the castle walls today, the broken battlements and tumbled walls to the beautiful views surrounding the castle there's a lot to love here...It feels real, meaning one can feel the lives that have called it home, defended and attacked it...It stands a scar upon the earth, but also a strong reminder of humankind's ability to create. The people within it may have been good or bad but the castle is neither...It outlived them all but one day will be gone as well; I feel glad to have added myself to the long list of people whose lives are intertwined in some way.
We were staying in Weymouth and took the 22 mile (35km) drive to Corfe Castle via Wareham. You're best to use the Corfe Castle car park situated on the A351. There's plenty of metered parking there, plus a visitor centre.
From there you can take a nice walk of about ten minutes to the castle; It meanders along the Corfe River, is shaded and quite lovely indeed; It was nice to imagine one thousand years of people walking the same paths. The path leads into the edge of the village and the castle battlements loom large on the left. It's interesting to note parts of the castle battlements that have been destroyed and tumbled down the steep hillside along this walk.
If you get there fairly early there'll be less people and you can wander more freely. It will also mean you can explore then have time to head over to Norden train station and grab the steam train to Swanage. We did that and had a lovely fish and chip lunch in the seaside town. You could also start in Swanage and hop on the train to Corfe Castle I guess. Either way is good. The return train trip is £15 (adults) and £8 (kids).
There is certainly no shortage of other things to do in the area and you might like to check out a few other things we did also:
Tank Museum - Bovington, Swanage Railway - (Steam train), Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Jurassic Coastal path, Cerne Abbas just to name a few.
Thanks for coming along on my little trip into history. I know not everyone values looking back into historical places, people and events and that's ok, it's all personal choice. No matter whether one likes it or not though, I think it's important to remember that, what is, will cease to be at some stage. Everything will end I mean. You, me and everything around us...For me that's great motivation to engage fully now and to live my best life - I hope that's what everyone does too.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
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