Skip to content

The castle view no one has seen since the civil war

Visitors can climb to see the view from Henry I's "penthouse-style" quarters

A medieval castle tower built for a king has been opened to the public for the first time since 1646.

The Keep, known as the King's Tower at Corfe Castle in Dorset, was built in the 11th Century for King Henry I.

Five hundred years later, it was nearly destroyed in the English Civil War.

As part of a £2m conservation project, led by the National Trust, a standalone viewing platform has now been erected at the site.

National Trust/ John Miller An aerial image of Corfe Castle which has a main structure still stood atop of a hill and a wall spreading down the hill and around the countrysideNational Trust/ John Miller
Work to protect Corfe Castle from the impact of climate change began in 2023

Before its destruction by Parliamentarian troops during the Civil War, the tower had been used to provide Henry I and his successors with luxurious personal quarters.

It included the addition of a garderobe – an early en suite – and an "appearance door" from which the monarch and his family could be seen by his subjects, much as the balcony at Buckingham Palace is used today.

Thanks to the new platform, visitors now can scale the tower and see the surrounding Purbeck countryside from this royal viewpoint.

National Trust/ Richard Gregory A woman on the left and a man on the right both peering out of a lookout from the old castle walls. Fields, housing and trees can be seen in the distance as they look out on the scene.National Trust/ Richard Gregory
It is the first time the public have been able to look out from the royal tower since the English Civil War

James Gould, operations manager at Corfe Castle said: “Henry I wanted Corfe Castle to be one of his most splendid royal palaces and fitted it out with the latest decoration and fashionable facilities.

"His exclusive penthouse-style royal living quarters at the top of the Keep really was cutting-edge for its time.

“There is so much history to explore at Corfe through the eyes of kings both famous and infamous, and visitors will have a unique chance to experience it from this special vantage point.

Work to protect Corfe Castle from the impact of climate change, began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2026.

You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

More on this story
Related Links