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A luxury suite of ‘rooms with a view’ built for the son of William the Conqueror, but partially demolished in English Civil Warhas become accessible to visitors for the first time in almost 400 years, thanks to a new viewing platform at one of England’s most dramatically situated castles.
The Royal Tower was built in 1107. for William’s son Henry I c Corfe Castlewhich sits atop a steep hill on the Purbeck Peninsula near Wareham in Dorset. Built of gleaming white limestone within the imposing fortification, the 23m tower was Henry’s personal maisonette, built to the highest standards of luxury and featuring a ‘look-out door’ from which he could be seen by his subjects far below.
After remaining a royal stronghold for centuries, parliamentary forces partially demolished the castle in 1646. The walls of the King’s Tower, though still standing, have been badly damaged, and since then its great upper rooms have been inaccessible.
Today, for the first time in 378 years, that has changed, thanks to a new temporary observation platform installed by National Trustcurrent owner of the castle. Visitors can now climb a staircase installed inside the fort to get an up-close look at the remains of the king’s opulent quarters – and its stunning views.
The project arose as part of an extensive three-year activity conservation project to fortify the castle against the effects of the weather emergency, which has accelerated deterioration from vegetation and weathering, said James Gould, the castle’s operations manager.
“During the very dry summer of 2020 we noticed that some of the stones were loosening a bit, so we did a bigger survey of the whole condition of the castle. That said, we actually have to put a lot more thought into preserving it for the future,” he said.
The construction of the new viewing platform, a self-supporting structure built into the southern annex of the fort, required permission from Historic England, given that Class 1-listed the site has been declared a national monument.
Gould said the Royal Tower Tour, a ticket with an additional cost of between £5 and £15, would allow a “window into the world of kings”. As well as enjoying the views of Henry in South Dorset, visitors will also see the King “appearance door”on which he would stand to see and be seen by his guests in the outer bailey and his subjects outside the castle walls.
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“It’s a bit like the balcony of Buckingham Palace where the royal family stands to wave to everyone,” Gould said. “This was the point from which the king would be able to see the castle, the village and his domain.”
The later addition of the southern extension of the keep hid the door for centuries; his rediscovery during conservation work in 2006 highlighted Corfe’s status as one of England’s most important castles, experts said at the time.
The trust said it plans to keep the rig in place for a year or until it completes its conservation repairs.
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