The Outer Gatehouse


View of the castle through the Outer Gatehouse - 2001

The entire castle is separated from the town by a deep ditch cut by miners, probably those employed in 1214 during the reign of King John.  The bridge has four spans of uneven width, with plain semi-circular arches.  Its date of construction is uncertain, but the northern section, which is the oldest part, is almost certainly of the 12th or early 13th century.  The three main piers date from 1280-1285, when work on a bridge was included in the castle accounts.  At this time the roadway itself was constructed from timber, probably with a sliding or lifting bridge against the gatehouse.  The arches built in the late 16th century have considerably raised the level of the roadway.


Vintage Postcard of Corfe Castle Outer Gatehouse

Only the lower parts of the Outer Gatehouse towers with their finely coursed ashlar facing, now survive, standing to less than half their original height.  The towers are solid, and the defence of the gatehouse would originally have been from a ‘fighting deck’ on the first floor level.  Bases of three arrow-loops are visible at the front and sides of each of the tower.
The gateway itself was very well defended, and in the remains of the vaulting of the gateway arch traces of various defence barriers can be seen.  Firstly, a machicolation slot extending to first floor level allowed defence of the passage from above.  Beyond this is a portcullis, with circular slots for counter-balance weights, hung in front of the continuously-chamfered jambs and head of the main gateway.  Finally, the large holes for drawbars still survive.
Behind the gatehouse towers were guardrooms on either side of the passage.  Only slight remains of these survive, and include the remnants of fireplaces in each chamber and the southern door jambs which would have given access from the passage.  A stairway once led up the back of the curtain wall to the gatehouse on the western side, evidence of which was found during excavations in 1986.


Vintage Postcard of Corfe Castle Outer Gatehouse

The Outer Gatehouse gives access to the Outer Bailey, which is defended by a curtain wall and four towers on the western side, and a curtain wall and two towers on the eastern side, where the slopes are steeper.

Watch this space for information on Corfe Castle.  If you have any questions before a certain piece is added, just let us know.

Western Defences of the Outer Bailey:
It is in the western defences of the outer bailey that the slighting of the Civil War is most dramatically seen.  Despite the devastating effects on the walls of undermining and gunpowder, the extent of masonry preserved is a testimony to the strength of building and quality of work employed by the medieval masons.

First Tower
In the south-west angle of the outer bailey, the first tower has moved downhill in two pieces.  It originally dominated a curve in the curtain wall.  In the fine ashlar facing of the exterior, battered plinth and short vertical base, this tower, this tower closely resembles the Outer Gatehouse, the Horseshoe Tower and Plukenet Tower, and is considered to date from the mid to late 13th century.  The tower differs from the other in having a cross-loop rather than the single arrow-loop apparent elsewhere.
Between the first and second towers, the garderobe indicated on Treswell’s plan is no longer visible, although remains of a postern gate can still be seen.

Second Tower
The second tower has toppled outwards with the intervening curtain wall, and probably dates from between 1212 and 1216.  It has traces of three extremely long arrow-loops, which would have provided a downward field of fire for the bowmen covering any approach up the slope.  When the tower was undermined in 1646, the loops adjacent to the curtain wall on either side of the tower provided ready points of fracture, and it is along these that the tower broke away from the curtain wall.

Third Tower
The third tower is similar in structure to the second tower, but survives in position.  The arrangement of the loops with their embrasures can be more readily appreciated in this tower.  Between the third and fourth towers much of the contemporary curtain wall survives.

Fourth Tower
The fourth tower is similar to the previous two, but the north-west embrasure has been removed and the shortened wall refaced.  It is suggested that this was done to facilitate the access to a wall-walk across the South-West Gatehouse.  The surviving axial loop has a small cupboard or recess, similar to those in the Plukenet Tower.

The rough uncoursed rubble wall with three rough cross-loops, that is now visible across the western end of the Great Ditch, is built on top of, and at a slightly different angle to, the presumably 13th century wall footings.  This wall may have been hastily constructed during the Civil War, but there is no real evidence of its date.

The South-West Gatehouse
The South-West Gatehouse occupies a strategically important position at the entrance to the narrow, terraced approach to the West Bailey, between the steep slopes of Inner Bailey beyond the New Bulwark, and the similarly steep slopes of the natural hillside beyond the curtain wall.  The Great Ditch, quarried in 1207, removed the south wall of the presumed earlier south-west bailey.  This runs westward from the Plukenet Tower, and immediately in front of the South-West Gatehouse, turns sharply south-west to cut off, at a right angle, the natural approach up to the West Bailey.
The ditch dies out on the slope of the hill beyond the curtain wall.  The gateway with its twin towers, is approached over a bridge of two spans, which may contain some medieval fabric, but is largely the result of successive patching and rebuilding until recent times.  The last span before the gatehouse must originally have had some form of timber drawbridge.
Part of the extensive building works of Henry III’s reign, and dating to around 1250, the South-West Gatehouse comprises two rounded towers of at least three storeys on either side of a central passage.  Of these, the southern tower has slid dramatically downhill as a result of the Civil War destruction.  The central passage, with its finely-chamfered segmental archway, contained a complex defensive arrangement.
Behind the first archway are the rounded grooves of the outer portcullis, continuing up to the portcullis slot above.  Behind this is a machicolation slot divided into four lengths, and extending upward to a fighting platform at second floor level.  The main outer gate lay behind these forward defences at the rear of the archway.  The holes for drawbars are still visible on the north side.  A second portcullis beyond the gate gave additional protection.
The two towers were built against a pre-existing wall recorded as replacing the palisaded defences of the West Bailey in 1235.  This wall originally had a gateway which may well have completed the defensive arrangement described above.  The rear wall itself has been largely destroyed at the back of the northern tower, but still survives, running up the slope to the forebuilding of the Keep.  Originally this wall carried a stairway up to the Keep.  The base of the newel staircase to the upper floors of the northern tower and thence to the curtain wall still survives at the rear of the tower.
The ground floor of the northern tower of the gatehouse is entered through a fine, shouldered archway with a semi-circular relieving arch above, leading to the ground floor guardroom.  Inside, a cross-loop in a deep embrasure commanded the approach to the gateway.  A hole in the north wall of the floor above probably contained another arrow-loop, whilst opposite are the remains of a fireplace and flue.  Corbels on the outer face of the tower, and radiating chased grooves within the fabric of the tower, clearly supported the beams for a cantilevered timber hourd.  Such features are also visible in the south tower, and in its entirety, must have presented quite an impregnable appearance.
The ground floor of the south tower can be entered only through the partially blocked doorway from the passage, and leads to the in-filled guardroom.  This chamber has three blocked arrow-loops in deep segmental-headed embrasures.  Above this guardroom is a mysterious chamber, having neither door nor windows, and was entered from above, via a ladder.  Access to the fighting deck on the second floor was across the gateway from the north tower.  A garderobe at this level was corbelled out from the outer wall.

Eastern Defences of the Outer Bailey:
The Horseshoe Tower
The curtain wall between the Outer Gatehouse and the first tower to the east has been entirely destroyed.  The tower, known as the Horseshoe Tower, survives almost up to its original two-storey height.  At its highest point, a short length of chamfered corbelling is visible, and was originally built to carry a wall-walk.  The rear of the tower is open, in common with all the other towers in the outer bailey, and it contains three narrow arrow-loops in deep embrasures.
The fine ashlar facing of the outer wall indicates that this tower was built at the same time as the Outer Gatehouse.  A small chamber built within the thickness of the curtain wall to the south has a narrow square-headed window looking into the tower.  The roof of stone slabs is supported of four courses of chamfered corbelling.  It is possible that this small chamber is the “little kitchen next the outer gate”, repaired in 1367.

Curtain Wall
To the north of the Horseshoe Tower, much of the detail of the east curtain wall has completely disappeared, having been destroyed during the Civil War.  There was a stable block built partly within the thickness of the wall, and this is shown on a plan drawn by Ralph Treswell in 1586.  Also gone is the cross-wall which originally divided the outer bailey.  This wall, together with that between the South-West Gatehouse and the Keep, was constructed in 1235 to replace earlier timber palisades.  In Treswell’s plan it appears to be revetting the gun platform on the southern side of the castle ditch.  Despite these losses, there are traces of three arrow-loops on the top of the curtain wall, and there is also a blocked postern gate south of the Plukenet Tower.  The curtain wall on the eastern side of the outer bailey is of a slighter construction than that on the west, reflecting the need for stronger defences where the slope is gentler.

Plukenet Tower
The Plukenet Tower is so named because the coat of arms of Alan de Plukenet are carved on the outside of the tower.  They are still visible, carved in high relief and supported by two hands.  Alan de Plukenet was constable of the castle between 1265 and 1270. The tower stands on the ridge at the eastern end of the castle ditch and contains some fine interior detail.  This includes three arrow-loops in square embrasures, each with a small square locker for the convenience of the bowmen.  Outside the tower on the north are traces of a newel staircase leading to the wall-walk, which is also indicated by the series of five remaining chamfered corbels to carry the rear projection.
The short length of curtain wall to the north of the Plukenet Tower is a remnant of the 12th century enclosing wall to a south-west bailey, which was destroyed when the Great Ditch was dug during the reign of King John, in the early 13th century.  The wall is of well-coursed square limestone blocks.  At its abutment with the Plukenet Tower, the stub of the westward returning wall is still apparent.

Andrew, do you have any information on the wall walk through the keep at Corfe?

A ground-plan of Corfe Castle.

From the BBC Website, 6th April 2006

Safety fears close castle's keep

A castle in Dorset has been partially closed because of fears some of the structure is crumbling and could pose a safety risk to climbing youngsters. The upper section of the medieval Corfe Castle is being fenced off.

The castle, in the Isle of Purbeck, was blown up during the Civil War and most of the ruined structure has remained unchanged since the 17th Century.

The National Trust, which runs the castle, said it had recently found some evidence of crumbling masonry. It said the upper area, which contains the keep, would be closed but the rest of the castle, including the Outer Bailey and West Bailey, would remain open to visitors.

The crumbling has been caused by water freezing and expanding inside the more exposed parts of masonry that are scattered around the keep. A decision to carry out any remedial work will be taken once English Heritage has inspected the site.

Pippa Russell, visitor and enterprises manager for Corfe Castle, said: "The safety of our visitors is of paramount importance to us and must determine our course of action when faced by a potentially dangerous situation. The ravages of time may be having a temporary effect on part of the castle, but we are not anticipating any reduction in the huge appeal of Corfe, especially to families, during the Easter holidays."

Corfe Castle was built in the 11th Century replacing a wood castle that had been built on the site in the 9th Century.

From the BBC Website, 7th June 2006

Daredevil engineers survey castle

Abseiling engineers are being used to assess the crumbling stonework of an ancient Dorset ruin. Engineers are using the daredevil technique to survey weather damage to the walls of Corfe Castle.

The castle's keep was closed in April by owners The National Trust after the winter weather left masonry in an unstable condition. The trust plans to carry out full repair works once the survey of the castle is complete. Meanwhile, the visitor attraction will remain open.

From the BBC Website, 23rd August 2006

Plans to restore ancient fortress

Plans to restore a ruined medieval castle have been unveiled. The National Trust and English Heritage plan to restore the top section of Corfe Castle - at a cost of £700,000 - to allow public access again.

The top part of the castle was closed after frost damage and crumbling stonework prompted health and safety fears in April this year. The 1,000-year-old monument near Wareham, Dorset, attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.

Pippa Russell, visitor services manager at the castle, said: "The ravages of time have begun to catch up with the large pieces of stonework around the keep, many of which lie on their side or upside down where they fell when the castle was blown up by gunpowder in 1646. The inner core of these sections is more exposed to the elements than standing walls and this is where much of our remedial work will be focused."

The two-year project will see the capping on top of walls replaced, the original plasterwork in the keep restored and loose sections of stonework pinned back. The first phase will begin next month.

The fortress has had a troubled history and was thought to have been an important Roman defensive site.
Henry III constructed additional walls, towers and gatehouses, while Queen Elizabeth I sold it to Sir Christopher Hatton, her dancing master and supposed suitor, in 1572.

By 1643 the Parliamentarians occupied most of Dorset, and the castle then survived a six-week siege, followed by a number of blockades, and a second siege started by Colonel Bingham, Governor of Poole. The castle was then betrayed from within and the Roundheads took over in February 1646.

From the Dorset Echo, 24th August 2006

Battle begins to prevent decline of siege castle

Conserving a ruin might seem a contradiction but when it is as dramatic and historic as Corfe Castle, it is worth every penny. That's the view of the National Trust, who are spending around £1 million to make safe their top visitor attraction in Dorset.

The number one Scheduled Ancient Monument in the county, looming from its prominent hill on the Purbeck ridge, has fallen victim to the weather. What gunpowder failed to destroy in the Civil War has been damaged by the forces of nature, leaving masonry in a dangerous condition.

"Over the winter there was further deterioration and we felt we should close it for health and safety reasons," said Martin Roscoe, buildings surveyor for the NT.

The exposed top third of the majestic castle was cordoned off in April, after frost damage led to cracks and large pieces of stonework becoming dislodged. Now the Trust has announced a £700,000 two-year programme of conservation, designed to let people again roam the top of the castle with its spectacular views.

"The problem is the mortar," said Pam White, historic buildings expert. "It's 900 years old. We've had 10 years of really mild winters then really hard frosts and heavy rain. The water is freezing and forcing apart the matrix of the mortar," she said, and that was resulting in large stones coming away from the "tumble".
These are chunks of wall thrown out when the castle was blown up in 1646 and very popular with climbing youngsters.

"It's the original mortars that are failing," she said. "They are made of lime, chalk, shell and brick dust and are exquisite."

The castle has been surveyed with high-level inspections carried out by helium balloon and abseiling engineers. The aim of the work is to use similar lime mortars to consolidate the original plasterwork and replace capping.

"The challenge we have is to make it safe and secure anything that's loose and put it back again so no-one notices," said Sam Wheeler, of Philip Hughes Associates, surveyors and architects who specialise in historic building conservation.

They need the nod from English Heritage but hope to start as soon as possible, working from the Keep, through the Inner Ward and Gloriette - living accommodation - opening up to the public as they go along.

Steeped in 1,000 years of history, the medieval castle was re-built in the 11th century from Purbeck limestone, replacing a ninth-century wooden structure.

Henry I built the Keep and in the 13th century King John built the Gloriette and most of the defences of the Outer Bailey.

Henry III added walls, towers and both gatehouses. In 1572 Queen Elizabeth I sold the estate to Sir Christopher Hatton and in 1635 it passed to the Lord Chief Justice, Sir John Bankes.

He turned it into Purbeck's first holiday home, but by 1643 this Royalist stronghold was under siege to Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians, eventually falling to Roundheads in 1646.

It remained part of the Bankes Estate until 1981 when it was bequeathed to the NT.

Closure of the top part of the castle seems to have had little effect on visitors, with 100,000 recorded since March, only slightly down on last year, said Pippa Russell, visitor services and enterprise manager.

Next year there will be "conservation in action" escorted tours and this September 15 and 16 two days of lectures and practical demonstrations on Conserving Corfe Castle. These cost £40 and can be booked on 01929 480609.

That would be good to see.

Postcard of Corfe Castle recently added to my collection.

From the BBC Website, 4th April 2007

Repaired castle opens to visitors

Parts of a ruined castle closed off to protect visitors from falling masonry have now been made safe. The National Trust says 90% of Corfe Castle, near Wareham, Dorset, will be open in time for the Easter weekend.

A £700,000 makeover was begun in spring 2006 to shore up crumbling masonry in the Gloriette and inner ward sections. The project's second phase, which will begin once the trust has the relevant planning consent, will see the Keep repaired by spring 2008.

Pippa Russell, castle visitor services manager, said: "The first phase of the restoration project has gone very well and visitors are now able to explore the inner sanctum of the castle again and enjoy those wonderful views over Purbeck. About 90% of the castle is open, with only the Keep area itself still closed."

The restoration project was launched after frost damage and crumbling stonework prompted fears over the safety of visitors to the 1,000-year-old castle.

From the BBC Website, 1st June 2007

£500,000 needed for castle repair

The guardians of a 1,000-year-old castle have launched an appeal to raise the £500,000 needed to carry out more vital repairs to the ruin. The National Trust is calling on visitors to Corfe Castle near Wareham, Dorset, to give extra donations to help pay for the second phase of work.

The major makeover was begun in spring 2006 to shore up crumbling masonry in the Gloriette and inner ward sections. Work will now see the top of the Keep walls capped with turf to protect them.

Plasterwork will also be repaired and loose sections of stonework will be pinned and re-pointed. Work has already started on building a 23m (75ft) scaffolding tower which will cover the East Wall of the Keep. The two-year project, which is now halfway through, is designed to restore full safe public access to the top third of the castle, which has been damaged by recent warm, wet winters.

Pippa Russell, the trust's visitor services and enterprise manager, said: "We hope that everyone will appreciate how important it is for us to get the repairs completed urgently. Due to the specialist nature of the work, it is a time-consuming and costly project. The admission fees will help contribute, but we also need people to dig deep and donate to the appeal, so that we can ensure that the castle is made safe again for visitors and no more parts of this amazing monument are lost."

It is hoped the Keep will be repaired by spring 2008.

An old postcard of Corfe Castle, recently purchased.