Corfe Castle

The name "Corfe" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word, ceorfan, meaning to cut or carve, referring to the gap in the Purbeck hills where Corfe Castle is situated. Burial mounds around the common of Corfe Castle suggest that the area was occupied from 6000 BC. The common also points to a later Celtic field system worked by the Durotriges tribe. Evidence suggests that the tribe co-existed with the Romans in a trading relationship following the Roman invasion circa 50 AD. In 1572, Elizabeth I sold Corfe Castle to Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir John Bankes bought the castle in 1635, and was the owner during the English Civil War. His wife, Lady Mary Bankes, led the defence of the castle when it was twice besieged by Parliamentarian forces. By 1645 Corfe was one of the last remaining royalist strongholds in southern England and fell to a siege ending in an assault, and then destroyed. In 1981, his descendant Henry Bankes bequeathed the castle to the National Trust. In the 18th century, clay quarrying developed as an industry in the village. Clay extraction continued to provide major employment for the local population until the 20th century. On the A351 4 mi (6.4 km) south-east of Wareham and 4 mi (6.4 km) north-northwest of Swanage. There is a small convenience store in the centre of the village. There are a number of holiday cottage rentals available in the area....