Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle is a parish and village 5 miles south-east of Wareham and 20 miles from Dorchester most famous for its ruined castle. The first historical record of Corfe is in connection with the murder of King Edward the Martyr in AD 978. Made a royal residence by King John, by 1635 it had passed to the then Attorney General, Sir John Bankes (by purchase). During the Civil War the castle was held siege by the Parlimentary forces who were held at bay for many months by Lady Bankes, her husband being a royalist and away fighting. The castle was finally taken in 1643 after which the parliamentary forces spent many months reducing it to rubble with gunpowder.

The first part of the name 'Corfe' derives from the Old English 'Corf' meaning a cutting or pass, describing the gap in the Purbeck Hills where the castle stands. The church of St Edward the Martyr was rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in 1860. It has a peal of 6 bells and a fine stained glass east window in memory of Lady Charlotte Bankes. The main trade of the village for many centuries was in stone and a grey marble known as 'Purbeck marble' which was used in parts of several cathedrals such as Winchester, Salisbury and Gloucester.

The OPC for Corfe Castle is Rachel Kent - note new email address 26 Jul 2010
Transcriptions by OPC unless otherwise stated