If only stones could talk, there’d be drama and gruesome tales galore to keep everyone entertained during a day out at Corfe Castle with kids.
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These days, the Dorset castle might be in ruins but it’s withstood centuries of tumultuous history – one English king was murdered here, stabbed in the back by a queen determined to see her son on the throne.
Another king imprisoned his niece here, killing her faithful knights who are said to haunt one of the towers. Yet another built a small fortress nearby to besiege his cousin. And that’s all before we’ve got out of the 12th century – there are also tales of treachery, war and one of Queen Elizabeth I’s court favourites for kids at Corfe Castle to discover.
Speed a few centuries into the future, and it’s even said to be the inspiration for Enid Blyton’s Kirrin Castle in the Famous Five books. Today it’s a National Trust site, and if you’re visiting Dorset with kids, it’s one place which should definitely be on your list for a day out.
When we visited during the summer, we ended up exploring on a day with a whole string of extra family activities, from a medieval village including historic crafts, a storyteller and local archaeologists joining the fun.
So it’s well worth keeping an eye out for what’s on at Corfe Castle, but whenever you visit, there’s plenty to explore – including usually a trail during school holidays.
Our trail made a fun way to discover all the sections of the castle, from the open green space as you first walk through the gate to the sprawling ruins up on the hill.
Following the clues, kids could get a sense of the people who lived at the castle over the centuries, to learn more about their jobs, including encouragement to write their own ballad and decide which job they’d prefer to cleaning out the garderobe, the medieval toilets.
In October and November, it’s being replaced by the Secret of the Sappers trail, set during the English Civil War when Corfe was partly destroyed.
Like so many castles which have been reduced to ruins over the years, it’s the stories which bring it to life – and with 1,000 years of history to discover, you’re not short of some gripping drama.
We were lucky to get a performance whisking us through some of the key moments of Corfe’s history: from its Norman origins, including the Anarchy, when King Stephen built his own fortress nearby to try to wrestle it from Empress Matilda – you can still see the remains of The Rings to this day, just out of bowshot.
Later, in the time of bad King John, it was a royal retreat: the self-indulgent monarch extended the castle for his court’s lavish celebrations, including building the luxurious gloriette… which even came with an indoor toilet.
Corfe Castle also doubled as a handy jail for him – keep an eye out for the stocks for a bit more medieval punishment: King John’s niece, princess Eleanor of Brittany, was just one of those held prisoner here.
She, at least, was treated fairly well during her imprisonment but her 25 knights fared less well. After attempting to escape, they were thrown into an oubliette where 22 of them starved to death – their ghosts are said to haunt the Butavant Tower to this day.
Later, during the English Civil War when it stood for the King against Parliament, Lady Bankes defended it bravely during not just one, but two sieges, until finally she was betrayed by one of her own soldiers.
There are boards dotted around the site as well, but it’s worth checking out this mini audio guide if you’re visiting Corfe Castle with kids too, as well as audio posts in the grounds (although we struggled to make them all work during our visit).
Keep an eye out for the wicker dragon currently lounging by a wall, as well as the trebuchet near the entrance, and the usual castle essentials including murder holes and arrow slits, with a great view back down to Corfe itself if you fancy firing on an imaginary invading force.
But half the fun is in wandering around imagining what the castle must have been like before it was destroyed – to the extent that some walls look like they’re barely remaining intact.
Perfect for letting kids’ imaginations run wild, scampering past teetering archways and little chambers, imagining the dreadful stench of the garderobes and the extravagant feasts in the halls.
We were lucky to find a host of extra activities during our visit – you could spend an hour or two exploring Corfe without them, but if there’s a special event taking place, it does transform the site.
When we visited, there was a whole mediaeval village set up within the grounds, complete with mosaic making, swords, viciously sharp flints and wool dyed as it would have been centuries ago.
And as well as the storytelling sessions, there was the chance to try your hand at a bit of archaeology and dress up in fur-lined robes.
After trying on several outfits and posing in our favourites, with our best regal expressions, we decided summer wasn’t the best time to be exploring with heavy cloaks though!
With so many stories to discover here, we hardly needed the final child-friendly bonuses – for kids who are fans of the Famous Five books, the castle is said to have inspired Kirrin Castle (and nearby Brownsea Island to have inspired Kirrin island).
Or for a rather more modern twist, there’s also a Minecraft link – as well as being able to join the Corfe Castle Minecraft server, you can check out a video to inspire you to build your own castle.
Whether you choose to imitate some of Corfe Castle’s previous inhabitants is up to you – but maybe stick to battling your cousin rather than imprisoning your niece!
More things to do during a day out at Corfe Castle with kids
You can easily while away plenty of time following the kids’ trails and exploring every corner of Corfe Castle, but it’s also easy to combine a visit with some of the other things to do in Dorset.
Explore Corfe & the local area
Don’t miss a wander through the streets of Corfe itself – the pretty village is lined with old pubs and ivy-covered low stone buildings, as well as an imposing church at the centre.
There’s ice cream on sunny days, including at the National Trust tea room, just before the entrance to the castle itself, as well as treats galore at Corfe Castle sweet shop.
You’ll also find plenty of walking routes to explore near Corfe Castle with kids, in order to see more of the beautiful Dorset countryside.
Corfe Castle Model Village
Transport yourself back to the days when the castle’s walls still stood back in 1646, before it was destroyed in the Civil War as well as a mini version of the village.
Corfe Castle model village shows people visiting the church, standing by the moat and generally getting on with life in the village, while there is also a fairy garden, life-size Civil War soldiers on guard plus other activities for families (and more working stocks if anyone misbehaves).
Dorset Waterpark
This is a waterpark with a difference: instead of the usual flumes and splashzones, the park’s two lakes have inflatable obstacles as well as other hurdles like wobbly bridges, floating stepping stones and balance beams.
Each lake at Dorset Waterpark has a different set of obstacles, with sessions lasting an hour (half an hour per lake), plus a mud trail course among the other challenges at Dorset Adventure Park.
Minimum age is six (4+ for the mud trail), and you do have to be a confident swimmer: wetsuits are available to hire on the day, tickets must be prebooked.
Go to the Studland beaches
It’s easy to combine a visit to Corfe Castle with kids and a spot of beach time too – the beaches of Studland Bay are just a short drive away, as well as walks to Old Harry Rocks as well if you fancy something more active.
There are miles of golden beaches, part of a nature reserve with dunes lining the sand and water that’s great for everything from paddling to watersports.
Watch out for the 1km naturist section on Knoll Beach, but otherwise that’s one of the most popular for families, while Middle Beach is backed by low cliffs or South Beach is one of the quietest stretches.
Take the chain ferry
If you fancy checking out the millionaire’s playground of Sandbanks, hop on the chain ferry from Studland, which takes around four minutes to cross Poole Harbour.
You don’t need to have millions in the bank yourself to enjoy Sandbanks either. As well as more lovely golden sand beach, there’s a fun mini golf course to enjoy.
Swanage Railway
This lovely heritage steam railway chuffs through the countryside along the old Southern Railway line between Swanage and Norden – as it stops at Corfe, you can also use it as a more unusual way to get around too.
Look out for the services marked with an ‘O’ when the special Observation Car is also running, with its huge windows for the best views, as well as special themed services on the Swanage Railway year-round.
Need to know: visiting Corfe Castle with kids
Tickets for Corfe Castle cost from £10 for adults, £5 for kids, and are free for National Trust members. Under-fives also go free.
Check here for opening times, which vary throughout the year.
There is parking for 90 cars at the National Trust car park: it’s well worth arriving early during peak times, including school holidays, as it fills up fast.
From the car park, it’s a short walk – less than 10 minutes – to the entrance to the castle, which includes crossing a road, but otherwise is along a footpath.
There are also other pay and display car parks with more space, including Purbeck Park, which is handy if you’re planning to take the Swanage railway steam train.
The castle is also on various bus routes, as well as cycling routes if you’re visiting with older kids.
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