England
Dorset

Castles in Dorset

Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5EZ, Tel: 01929 481294, Fax : 01929 481294
Corfe Castle is a ruin, but what a ruin! Soaring above Corfe village, the early Norman castle is an unforgettable sight. Corfe Castle was built in the reign of William the Conqueror to control passage through the Purbeck Hills via a road between Swanage and Wareham. There was a fortress at this spot long before the Normans, however; there may have been a Roman military presence here, and certainly there was a wooden palisade here as early as the 9th century. More about Corfe Castle >>

Portland Castle
Castletown, Portland Harbour, Weymouth, Dorset, DT5 1AZ, Tel: 01305 820539, Fax 01305 860 853
Portland Castle was built by Henry VIII as part of that monarch's ambitious scheme of coastal defences against the French and Spanish. It has survived largely unaltered since the 16th century, making it one of the best preserved examples of Henry's castles.. More about the Cerne Abbas Giant >>

Rufus Castle
Access via Church Ope Road, off Wakeham Street, Portland
The ruins of a Norman castle atop a rocky perch overlooking Church Ope Cove. Rufus Castle was probably built by William II. In 1142, Robert, Earl of Gloucester, took the castle on behalf of Empress Maud. The castle is constructed in the form of a pentagon, and the 7-foot-thick walls are pierced by numerous loop-holes meant to allow archers to fire upon attackers. This gives rise to the castle's alternative name; "Bow and Arrow" Castle. More about Rufus Castle >>