Corfe Castle: a Dorset Day Trip Not to be Missed

"The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood." Sir Richard Burton

 

You would think that traveling half way around the world and starting a new school in a place where we know not a single soul would be a quite daunting for the kids. However they have come through this week with flying colours and we are so very proud of them. Emma took a ballet class on Monday and made a lovely friend which gave her a huge boost of confidence for her first day of school on Wednesday. She has loved it since the minute she arrived, it's a much smaller class than she is used to at home and the teachers and children are lovely so this has made it easier.

 

 Julian is at Kindy three days a week this term and on his first day his teacher had to suggest he go back and say goodbye to us as he had run straight inside without looking back. By his second day, with a day off in the middle giving him time to think about how different the routine was and miss his special buddies at home, he wasn't keen to go. However it was suggested that rather than taking him home we join the group for a walk and we had such a special morning playing hide and seek in the forest with his class that he is has been keen everyday since.

 

Meanwhile Rob and I have joined a gym, mainly to give us something to do together while the kids are at school. And so we have fallen quickly into a routine of gym while Julian is at school, cooking, and cleaning when he is not and when the weekend arrives, well the weekends are for extra special day trips together.

 

 

I chose Corfe Castle as my grandmother maiden name was Korff and I wondered if there was a perhaps a family connection. So we set the TomTom on Corfe Castle and in just under an hour we caught our first awe inspiring glimpse of this imposing ruin. Rather than needing to build a motte or mound for the castle to sit on, such as we had seen in Christchurch, Corfe Castle was built on a steep chalk hill. The hill stand in a gap, cut off from a long line of hills on either side but the action of rivers on either side, This cutting, or ceorfan in old English, was the source of the name of the castle, thus doing away with any claim to fame here I'm afraid.

 

Emma's reaction to seeing the castle was priceless "oh no it's not another broken down castle is it!" I promised her it would be fun and guaranteed her that by the end of the day when asked she would be sure to tell me she loved it. While I was only grunted at in return, I was very pleased that she was gracious enough to tell me with a big smile not too long after that "Mum I'll tell you now I LOVE it here".

It was midday and we were starved, we always plan to get moving early and somehow we always take much too long to get moving so we had already lost the morning. It was agreed that we should try our first National Trust tea room for lunch and see the castle after. The tea rooms are by the ticket office where you enter the castle, a gorgeous half mile walk from the car park. Along the way the NT have placed fold out information boards relating to the plants, animal, insects and land we might see on our walk around the base of the hill and along the river.  These boards were such a hit with the kids they would run ahead looking for them and then trying to find the trees or insects mentioned.

 

 

The river was very tempting for Julian and it was hard to keep him close so we would try to distract him with "can you see where the old mill was over here" or "who can reach the bridge first" or anything we could think of to direct him away from the river and keep on our way to lunch. Then he saw the sheep grazing on hill below the castle and his new goal was patting  sheep and we were on our way again.

 

When we arrived in the town of Corfe Castle I wanted to ooh and ahh over this quintessential English village, while Rob and the kids prodded me along with the idea of plenty of time for that later after lunch and my stomach responded to this request and in we went.

 

 

The lunch menu proved disappointing so we opted for something lighter and a late Sunday lunch in one of the lovely looking pubs after the castle visit. Emma and I were disappointed that our cold scones were presented with jam and cream in little plastic containers like at a supermarket café, though admittedly they tasted quite nice. The boys has sandwiches that were nothing to get excited about.

 

And so refuelled we were ready to head off the castle. The ladies in the NT office were amazing, offering us loads of advice on places to visit and gave the kids a family trail to follow with the promise of a medal each if they were able to answer the questions correctly. Already excited about finding notice boards the kids were eager for take off to find the shield signs with questions for them to answer. These trails and quests are such a wonderful way of engaging kids in learning about the places they are visiting and keeping it all fun and exciting. Julian can't read or write but it didn't stop him from trying hard to find the quest shields and have a go at answering questions.

 

Visiting in the winter is just perfect. I mean what is the possibility of a little drizzle, which never eventuated anyway, in return for the opportunity to explore an amazing ruin practically alone.We were told that in summer 1000 people a day is not unusual. Corfe castle was one of the first stone castles built in England, along with a number of others by the order of William the Conqueror. It was considered impregnable and it proved to be, being besieged on a number of occasions but only ever breached due to an act of treachery during the English civil war. The Parliament then voted to blew up the castle as a warning to remaining Royalist forces.
 

 

This provided us with a brilliant place for a game of hide and seek, while secretly keeping a close eye on the kids. It really is a ruin and while you can imagine what it might once have looked like you can also imagine the danger an adventurous four year might find himself in. 

 

The views across the Dorset countryside and the Purbeck Hills were breathtaking and so was the wind that whipped the hair and scarves across our faces. The kids spotted a steam train chuffing along through the countryside and they were off and racing to see it closer up and wave at the driver. It was such an exhilarating day and it will take a lot to beat it, though we hope we are up to the effort.

 

When we checked the time on leaving the castle we were amazed to find it was close to four o'clock so we had time to pop into the sweet shop for the kids and then head over to the Bankes Arms for a very late lunch. The food was tasty and warming, as was the roaring fire and the welcome of the landlady.

The kids had been intrigued by the steam train earlier and we would like to come back later in the year and take a ride so we decided on a quick visit to the train station before the drive home. Unfortunately it was closed but we were still able to take a quick peek and I felt as though I had stepped straight onto Hogesmead station, or at least as it has always appeared in my imagination.

We walked back to the car in the dark and when we arrived home at six we were sure it felt like an hour later. But the kids were not fooled so we swapped our early night for a light dinner and our nightly game of fish. Every night after dinner and dishes we play a game together, cards, a board game or a jigsaw puzzle. I am really loving this routine we have fallen into.
 

 

 

And here finishes a truly perfect day and now I am looking forward to telling you all about our next adventure, Stonehenge and Old Sarum, which I will be back with very soon. I hope you have enjoyed today as much as I did.

 

(Date of visit to Corfe Castle: 12 January 2014)