CORFE C ASTLE

1. CORFE CASTLE Corfe Castle (Stone Keep castle) was built by William The Conqueror in 1086 and other parts were built by other monarchs. Corfe Castle was built where it was to guard the route through the Purbeck hills and to protect the Isle of Purbeck from invaders. The big stone keep of Corfe castle was built by William’s son Henry I. In the early 1200s King John built the Gloriette which means highly decorated chamber. It had two floors, on the ground floor was the under croft where beer and wine was stored. On the second floor was the great hall which was decorated with paintings and jewels. During the Tudor times Corfe Castle was no longer needed as a fortress and improvements were made to make it more like a grand country home. Elizabeth I sold Corfe Castle to her friend, Sir Christopher Hatton. This ended 500 years of royal ownership. During the civil war (1642-52) Corfe Castle was captured by the Parliamentarians who were fighting the Royalists and got destroyed. Now Corfe Castle is looked after by the National Trust and although it is a ruin they make sure no more harm comes to it so people can see what a medieval castle looked like.