Corfe Castle’s King’s Tower Viewpoint Reopened After 378 Years

A medieval castle structure, built for a king, has been opened to the public for the first time since 1646. The Keep, known as the King’s Tower at Corfe Castle in Dorset, was constructed in the 11th Century for King Henry I. Five hundred years later, it was almost completely destroyed during the English Civil War. As part of a £2m conservation project, overseen by the National Trust, a standalone viewing platform has now been installed at the site. Before its destruction by Parliamentarian troops during the Civil War, the tower had provided Henry I and his successors with luxurious personal quarters. These included the addition of a garderobe – an early en suite – and an “appearance door” from which the monarch and their family could be observed by their subjects, similar to how the balcony at Buckingham Palace is utilized today. Thanks to the new platform, visitors can now ascend the tower and view the surrounding Purbeck countryside from this royal vantage point. James Gould, operations manager at Corfe Castle, commented: “Henry I wanted Corfe Castle to be one of his most splendid royal palaces and fitted it out with the latest decoration and fashionable facilities. “His exclusive penthouse-style royal living quarters at the top of the Keep really was cutting-edge for its time.“There is so much history to explore at Corfe through the eyes of kings both famous and infamous, and visitors will have a unique chance to experience it from this special vantage point.” Work to protect Corfe Castle from the impact of climate change began in 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in 2026. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.