Last chance to see the Kings’ View at Corfe Castle - as access comes to an end on the 28th February
- Opportunity to visit high within the Keep at Corfe Castle will end on 28 February
- Rare permission by Historic England was granted to the National Trust to build Kings’ View platform as part of major conservation works
- The £2million 3-year conservation project enters final phase
First access for 350 years!
Visitors have until 28 February to visit the Kings’ View platform, high within the Keep at Corfe Castle before it closes.
The National Trust was granted rare permission from Historic England to erect the platform as part of the castle’s major conservation works. Launched in December 2024, the King’s View has given visitors the chance to ascend the Keep and access royal living quarters, where nobody had set foot in over 350 years.
The tours, which are accompanied by a knowledgeable guide or ‘storyteller’ have been popular, raising over £63,000 to date with funds going directly towards conservation works.
The Keep, (or King’s Tower), was built around 1107 for William’s son King Henry I, from gleaming white Purbeck limestone. It stood at 23 metres tall, positioned atop a 55-metre-high hill, and could be seen from miles around.
Before its destruction by Parliamentarian troops in the Civil War, the tower had been used to provide Henry I with luxurious personal quarters and included the addition of a ‘garderobe’ – an early ensuite – and an ‘appearance door’ from which the monarch and his family could appear to his subjects, much as the balcony at Buckingham Palace is used today.
Conservation project at Corfe Castle
James Gould, Operations Manager at Corfe Castle said: “When the castle was occupied by royalty, you would’ve needed some serious privilege to enter this area. It’s breathtaking up there and truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as we don’t know if it can achieved again”. He continued “We’d love as many people as possible to enjoy the experience before it’s gone and are still hopeful for a marriage proposal!”
The £2m conservation project began in 2023 to protect Corfe Castle from the impact of climate change, with specialist masons working from ropes and on scaffolding to remove vegetation and conserve the stonework. Masons use similar techniques and materials to those of their predecessors nearly 1,000 years ago.
Stonemasons have been working throughout the seasons with the last phase focusing on the Inner Ward, including the North Building and walls perched above the steepest slopes of the mound. These areas are among the least accessible and least studied, offering exciting opportunities for new discoveries.
They’re also working in the same area where archaeologists recently searched for the long-lost sallyport featured on BBC’s Hidden Treasures. The sallyport was a gateway that enabled Parliamentarian forces to capture the castle during the Civil War.
Christina Newnham, Senior Building Surveyor at the National Trust said “During this final phase, we’re working through some very cold months on walls that are hardest to reach. However, every stone tells a story, and this phase could reveal more secrets about Corfe’s dramatic past.”
Constant cycle of preservation work
Corfe Castle’s walls, some dating back to the 11th century, have endured centuries of weathering and deliberate destruction during the Civil War. Today, climate change poses a new threat: hotter summers dry out lime mortar, while warmer, wetter winters accelerate vegetation growth, loosening stones and destabilising walls. This project aims to make the castle resilient for generations to come.
Once complete, there are plans for a near constant cycle of conservation focussing on ongoing care and vegetation management.
The conservation project is being supported by a generous grant of £150,000 from the Wolfson Foundation, with the rest funded by the National Trust. A fundraising appeal is ongoing with all proceeds going towards the conservation works.
Read more about the history of Corfe
Last chance to see the Kings’ View at Corfe Castle - here's details of the tours...
Two types of tours are available:
- Guided tour and Kings’ view experience. Lasting 90 minutes, an experienced guide takes visitors on an upbeat historical tour of the castle followed by the Kings’ View platform. Available 11am – 12.30pm Monday-Friday in term time. Tickets are £15 and can be booked in advance via the National Trust website.
- The Kings’ View experience. Lasting 30 minutes, this experience gives visitors access to the viewing platform while on a usual visit to the castle. Available daily (afternoons during term time and all-day weekends and school holidays). Tickets are £5 and can be booked in person, on the day.
For more information, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle
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