Corfe Castle Visitor & Travel Guide

Castle Visitor Information

The castle is now managed by the National Trust and is accessed via The Square in the heart of the village.  National Trust members can gain entry for free.

The castle is open all year apart from the 25th and 26th December from 10 am until 5pm (6pm in summer)

Last entry is 45 mins before closing.

Dogs in a lead are welcome

Toilets are available in the welcome centre, ticket office and in the tea rooms.  Public toilets are also available in the public car park in West St.

Corfe Castle Admission Prices 2026

You can buy tickets in advance from the National Trust website or from the ticket office on the day.

Adults £15.40

Child (5 – 17 years) £7.70 – children should be supervised on the uneven terrain.

Under 5’s – Free

Family Ticket £38.50

Castle Accessibility

Please note that the climb to the castle is a little steep with uneven paths and steep slopes around the outside.  Walking sticks are available to hire.

You can be dropped of in the village square, the castle entrance is just yards away.

In the National Trust Visitor Centre at the foot of the castle you will find accessible parking.  You will also find an accessible toilet with an adult sized hoist, adult sized changing bench, peninsular toilet and heigh adjustable basin.

An additional accessible toilet is available at the ticket office.

Corfe Castle Village History

Evidence of a civilization dating back to 6000 BC exists on Corfe Common, on the southern edge of the village. Several barrows (burial mounds) dot the common, visible after leaving West Street. These people likely migrated from Europe across the “land bridge” that once included the Purbeck Hills.

Substantial evidence of Celtic and Roman settlements abounds, including a hoard of coins found on Corfe Common. A legend, later chronicled by Thomas Hardy, tells of an entire Roman legion vanishing in Purbeck, leaving only its ghost. However, a massive battle between Celts and Romans at Maiden Castle led to the Celts’ destruction.

Corfe Castle Nature

Corfe Castle is a haven for nature lovers and walkers. A vast network of paths radiates from the village, allowing you to choose between a vigorous hike up the Purbeck Hills for spectacular views of the Corfe Valley, Brownsea Island, and Poole Harbour, or a more leisurely stroll to Church Knowle or across Corfe Common.

Corfe Castle Shops

The village has a grocery store on East St near the village square.  It has all you need for preparing light meals and essentials.  Larger supermarkets are located in Swanage and Wareham.

There is a olde sweet shop in the village square, together with a large National Trust Shop, Ice Cream Parlour and Antiques Store.

As you walk from the square to the car park on West St you will pass an interesting curio shop (Seasons Green) and a newly opened deli/cafe.

Corfe Castle Travel

You can easily travel to Corfe Castle by public transport or by car.

For those travelling by public transport – you can arrive at Wareham station which is on the line from London Waterloo or by coach.  You then take the Purbeck Breezer Bus 40 to Corfe Castle with a stop outside the NT Visitor Centre and then another near the village school.

Corfe Castle Parking

Corfe Castle is approximately 2.45 – 3.25 hours from London or Birmingham.  Avoid arriving between 10 am and 1pm on sunny summer days or school holidays.  It is best to leave before 2.30 pm or after 7pm to avoid the worst of the traffic during peak holiday season.

There are two main car parks in the village.  The first is by the Visitor Centre (this often gets full by mid morning in the summer months) and another larger public car park on West St.  Both car parks often get full in the summer months.  Another option is to park at the Norden Park and Ride, which is part of the Swanage Steam Railway line.  You can then either hire a bike or hop on for a short train ride into the village station.

Church Knowle sits near Corfe Castle, easily accessible from there. Visitors can walk through farmland, crossing ancient stiles to reach the large village that the imposing castle ruins overlook. Alternatively, as the village lies at the foot of the Purbeck Hills, you can hike to the ghost village of Tyneham or to Creech, enjoying views of the Purbeck Peninsula and distant Brownsea Island.

The village, recorded in the Doomsday Book, boasts traditional Purbeck stone cottages lining the country road that passes through it. Church Knowle is home to both a delightful 17th-century pub (The New Inn, famous for its Blue Vinney Soup) and the Margaret Green Rescue Centre, which hosts various events yearly.

Church Knowle, a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England, hides historical treasures. Smedmore Hill shelters a well-preserved Iron Age or Romano-British settlement surrounded by fragmented “Celtic” fields. A mosaic pavement near East Creech hints at a Roman villa, and several sites reveal evidence of shale working.