Corfe Castle - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Uncover the secrets of Dorset's iconic medieval castle. A favourite haunt for adults and children alike, you can't fail to be captivated by these romantic castle ruins with breathtaking views.Castle - Discover 1000 years of the castle's history as a royal palace and fortress. With fallen walls and secret places, there are tales of treachery and treason around every corner. Spot the 'murder holes' and count the arrow loops. Feel history come to life and see the wildlife which has set up home in these facinating castle ruins.Shop - In the village square, our shop offers a range of products from pocket money treats to luxury locally made gifts.Tea Rooms - Indulge in a homemade Dorset cream tea in our delightful 18th centry tea rooms. Enjoy the summer garden with unrivalled castle views or the glowing open log fire in winter.
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  • swings
    Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom206 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant view
    Amazing views & despite being very windy, truly amazing site. Steep climb but well worth it. Use the steam train to access it & visit nearby clay museum. Good facilities for children & lovely village to wonder round with nice pubs
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 29, 2023
  • Janice B
    Southampton, United Kingdom313 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    Castle has wonderful views over Corfe. It is much larger than it looks from the town. Very interesting visit. Not really wheelchair friendly or suitable for disabled. Wear decent walking boots as there are a few steps to climb. Lots to entertain children. Lovely picnic area. A very enjoyable visit and well worth a visit. Entrance we found reasonable.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 13, 2023
  • Sian Wilson
    Southampton, United Kingdom385 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic day out!
    Corfe Castle is one of my favourite attractions in Dorset. The views are fantastic. You can see fields, farms and the local village. Highly recommend and if you like / enjoy history this is the place for you.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 22, 2023
  • Annie F
    Bath, United Kingdom83 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the Climb
    We went today as the weather wasn't too hot. We got there early and there were still places in the car park. Toilets were clean (aways a bonus). Made our way across the road and up the hill. Got to the top and showed our Family National Trust card to the man in the booth. He scanned it and then demaded to see my card! I would have assumed that a Family Card would have covered me too but it appears not!!! Not sure how we would have got around this had I not located mine deep in the annuls of my bag!!! Views are tremendous and well worth the climb. So.....go early, wear sturdy footwear and don't forget ALL your National Trust cards!!
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 2, 2023
  • Bubble ZAUK
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well preserved piece of history
    I drove over to Corfe Castle, on a whim, after an experience in Studland Bay and was well pleased when I arrived that I’d made the spontaneous decision to do so. The town is pretty, well preserved and I had a relaxing wander on my way from the car park to the castle entrance. The staff member at the entrance was helpful and advised that there would be a tour in the next half hour which I spent looking at the very well presented displays in the lower grounds. The tour was very informative and great fun. The guide, Tony (?) , was passionate about the history lesson he was giving with lovely smatterings of humour and audience involvement.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 8, 2023
  • Lauren P
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful views!
    What an awesome castle! We were a little daunted by the size of the hill but actually there isn’t a climb, once you get the village there’s a fairly easy route to the castle. It’s such a pretty and interesting historical site and would definitely recommend it! There’s tons of information dotted around and it has stunning views. The village is also beautiful and would 100% recommend the Greyhound pub close by for lunch or dinner afterwards.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 9, 2023
  • Paul T
    Waterlooville, United Kingdom456 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wow what an experience
    We recently visited this National Trust property, and were not disappointed. The ruins have been very well maintained throughout. The tea rooms were clean and tidy. Plenty of grounds for children to enjoy themselves, the views were magnificent, also plenty of areas for picnics. I would highly recommend a visit.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 19, 2023
  • dcre
    Mannheim, Germany74 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Views and Trails
    Arriving at the parking space you get presented with a great view on to the castle. You walk up the 1km long trail and end up in the Village. Opening up the view on the castle, you walk up the hill through the ruins an d get a wonderful view.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 3, 2023
  • Martin G
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyable visit, with disabled guest assisted by helpful staff
    Amazing castle, really well looked after & lots to see & learn and incredible views. Our teenagers actually really enjoyed exploring & learning about the history! Especially impressed when we arrived with wheelchair bound disabled party member, we were offered a free all-terrain powered wheelchair by extremely helpful staff. This enabled us to get up to the majority of the lower castle grounds which we weren't expecting to be able to do with the whole party. Unable to reach right to the top part, but enough to see, do & learn just at the lower keep. A really enjoyable visit.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 9, 2023
  • Manny Minpin
    29 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful castle ruins
    I’ve wanted to visit for ages and it didn’t disappoint. An amazing site to look around set on top of a hill with stunning views. Pretty village to walk around and explore too. We parked at Norden railway carpark which had lots of spaces, was a fair price and still on a sunny school holiday afternoon. There was a lovely half mile or so walk to get to Corfe. Would recommend.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 17, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,044 reviews
Excellent
1,806
Very good
989
Average
186
Poor
40
Terrible
23

John G
Inverness, UK18 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
My son and I visited Corfe Castle as an extra after visiting the Tank Museum at Bovington. The history is interesting enough and the 80ft tower is a landmark. There is not much as regards information as you go about the site and some of the panels are weather worn. I understand that upkeep of historic structures requires funding but I thought the cost of the visit was expensive. £12 per adult for around an hour and a half plus £5 for the car park. Tank museum, free parking, £14 per adult, then free returns for a year, veterans like me, free.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RevJonB
Nuneaton, UK23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
To visit Corfe Castle is to visit history. It is a wonderful remnant of a bygone age and has a story to tell. However there’s not a whole lot of the castle left and teenage boys don’t enjoy ruins (castles or their parents) that much 😂. £25 for a family ticket to walk around the crumbled remains feels a bit steep (not as steep as the climb to the top of the castle mound though).
Maybe take wooden swords, dress as knights and immerse yourself in childhood dreams to get the most out of this place.
Written July 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

S Smith
Highworth, UK38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
Visited Corfe Castle while on a short break in Dorset. We are National Trust members so entry was free although we had to book our arrival slot the day before the planned visit. Parking is great.
On arrival to the castle we were asked to show our membership cards and gave our names, there were other families in the cue that had later time slots thank us but was still allowed entry.
The castle grounds were clean and tidy. There was no one way system in place to keep social distancing although in one part of the castle there is a one way system to follow as this involves stairs. On our visit everyone was abiding by the distancing rules. The visit took us about and hour and bit to get around. Will definitely visit again.
Written September 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

keefnjojo
Plymouth, UK1,403 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
If you are in the area this Castle is a must visit. It only costs £10 each for adults or free to National Trust Members and although it's a climb to get up to the top the views are spectacular. You can easily spend a couple of hours just looking around and listening to the history of the audio posts.

The entrance is located in a quaint little village with lots of little shops, cafes and pubs and lovely cottages to look at.

You can get here by steam train but we chose to park at the National Trust car park and take the little walk around the base of the castle to get there.
Written July 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mcl27
Bristol, UK124 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Great place to come with stunning views all round.
Free as we are national trust members - and gave us something to do for a few hours with young children.
Cafe was open but we took own picnic and sat at bottom of hill once we’d looked round.
Be advised that it is a long walk up to castle so if you book in time slots make sure you allow plenty of time - we got stuck in car park waiting for 20 minutes for a space - extremely busy. Thus meaning we were late for our slot, then a long walk to castle itself. We were allowed in and there were people in front who were over an hour late for their slot.
Written August 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rob H
24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I got the steam train from Swanage to Corfe which I would recommend and spent about one hour looking around the castle. The information boards were informative and had just about enough detail. The site has amazing views and the social distancing measures nessecitated by Covid were managed well. Only shortcoming was the extremely limited menu at the cafe so went into the village to get lunch instead.
Written August 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AIB
21 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
I'm perplexed at this place. They really don't encourage tourism. It cost us £42 today for 2 adults and 2 dogs return from Corfe to Swanage on the train. So even the most uncomplicated way to visit is costly. It cost us £10 to park in Corfe Castle car park for 6 hours. Its a good 8 minute walk from the car park to the village. The few spaces in the village are an hour limit and this is till 8pm at night. So a lone woman wanting a meal in the village at say 6pm (and spending more than an hour) would end up walking back to the car park in pitch black if visiting after the nights draw in as there is no street lighting whatsoever. I understand it is a pretty village and they want to preserve the quaintness but businesses must suffer and its downright dangerous to have a single car park with no lighting. It smacks of greed to make charges so high for what is effectively rough ground and to make no provision for safety in the evenings. I would rate it as user unfriendly. Which is probably what they want.
Written October 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Englandreviewer1111
England18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Family
My family and I visited Corfe castle. It was such a wonderful experience. The castle itself is in ruins but it is amazing to see a castle that was built over 1000 years ago. The audio information gives sufficient (and not too long or boring) level of information of the castle’s history. There are activities, like archery, drawing, etc, which keeps the children entertained.
The area around Corfe castle is very quaint, with little shops, restaurants, pubs, etc.
We were staying nearby and walked up to it through the meadows and a little stream, which the kids loved playing in. The hike was steepish, but an average 4-5 year-old could definitely do it.
It’s definitely worth a visit, especially on a day when it’s not beach weather.
Written July 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alison G
York, England, United Kingdom954 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Family
This was just beautiful! It was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit this area. We drove past it on our way to our accommodation in Swanage and I was very excited having booked tickets for the following morning. We are NT members so no additional charge. We had opening time tickets at 10am and having read the reviews arrived a little early for the walk round, which took about 15 minutes. Easy to park at that time, car park full by lunchtime in half term though. The walk was lovely, by a river round the bottom of the castle, and gave a sense of anticipation as we approached. Really friendly staff at the gate, explained everything to us and pointed out kids activities. We thoroughly enjoyed a scramble around the ruins with airy views over the Isle of Purbeck to Poole Harbour. Nice and quiet as we were first up. Quite a lot of people heading up as we headed down again. Some good info boards near the entrance. The visit took about an hour, perfect timing for a coffee and cake in the tearoom just outside then a quick nosey round the village and a walk onto a small hill next to the castle with fabulous views, see pictures.
Written October 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Merrowmum
Guildford, UK1,325 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Quite possibly the best ruins I have seen in the UK, and definitely the largest - the castle must have been stupendous in its long ago heyday as it is still fascinating and oddly attractive now. Its interesting and quite poignant history and the stunning views of the surrounding countryside add to the appeal. Small pockets of shade made walking around on a roasting day bearable; you definitely need sensible footwear and it’s not an accessible site on the whole. Post “Freedom Day” you no longer need to pre-book a slot to visit and it’s easy to stay away from others; being ruins you are almost exclusively completely outdoors anyway and no part of the structure is fully walled in.
The staff member on the gate was delighted to show us artists’ reproductions of the complete castle when we happened to mention wondering what it had looked like, so do ask!
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Corfe Castle - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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