The last time I was back in the UK I had a trip down to Dorset to see some friends and we made a visit to Corfe Castle.
Originally built as an earth and timber Keep by William the Conqueror, of one in the eye for Harold fame in the 11th century on the Isle of Purbeck it is one of the oldest castles in England. Over the centuries major rebuilds turned the wooden keep into a huge stone walled stronghold.
Strong enough to withstand many sieges one in 1139 with the Anarchy of King Stephens reign. Later in the English Civil War, it finally fell to the Parlimentarian Roundheads in 1645 after a protracted siege.
Owned now by the National Trust it is a great place to visit. If your not a member it's £10 for adults and £5 for kids with concessions for families. So well worth getting a National Trust membership if you enjoy visiting old buildings and love history as much as I do.
It is about an 800m walk from the car park but it's not a steep climb and quite picturesque.
A steep hill to climb for any attackers. I'm not convinced the sign would have stopped any of Cromwells Roundheads though.
An old castle is a great place for photos.
If you don't want to drive you could always arrive in style at the old railway station on Corfe. The trains did run frequently on the heritage line from Swanage but now with Covid, I'm not so sure.
I hope all of you Hivers enjoyed this trip down memory lane to Corfe Castle I certainly did.