Corfe Castle Easy Walk
An easy walk, starting in the village square, you follow the footpath around the castle which offers some great view points for photos.
Starting in the village square, head left past the National Trust tearooms and down Ollie Vyes Lane (note there is a sign post on the corner of the Sweet Shop). The lane follows the Corfe River and offers great views of the castle and steep slopes. There are a number of information signs which are worth reading.
At the end of the lane, cross the road through two gates and follow the footpath over the wooden bridge. On the right you will see the remains of West Mill, where you can still see the basic layout of the house and the open fireplace. Some of the stones from the mill were used to build the cross in the square, which commemorates Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897.
Follow the footpath to the left away from the wooden bridge and pass through two more gates (taking the second gate on the right, which should be signposted Purbeck Way). You are now at the base of West Hill, which if you are feeling energetic is worth a climb — on a clear day its summit offers views across Corfe Castle and beyond to Poole Harbor, Swanage and Kimmeridge.
Leaving the second gate, head towards the trees up a slight incline (West hill should be on your left). Follow the path up and around the top of the open filed (know locally as North Castle) where there are some spectacular views of the castle.
As you reach the wood at the end of the path, turn right through the gate (there’s a large gate, but if you look carefully you will see the footpath and smaller gate hidden in the corner of the woods). Head across the filed past the barn towards the bottom left-hand corner. Head left through two gates out on to the pavement next to the main road and bus stop. Opposite this point you will see the National Trust car park and visitors centre, which can be an alternative starting point.
Stay on the pavement (don’t cross the road) and walk over the bridge (sign posted Corfe River) and carefully cross the road to the bottom of the castle (note the Corfe Castle stone sign to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012).
Continue along the pavement and follow the main road as it winds around the castle and up the hill back to the village square. You will pass some interesting buildings on the left and right including Boar Mill and waterfall (on the right), continue to follow the long wall past the waterfall as you head up the hill towards the village where you will see the imposing tower of St Edwards Church in the distance.
If you are lucky you may also see a steam train as it passes alone the Swanage to Corfe Castle heritage line.
We hope you enjoy this short walk, why not spend some time exploring the shops, museum and local attractions.
Walk Route
Download GPX File
Corfe Castle Easy Walk (343 downloads )Public Transport
Morebus: Breezer 40 Swanage to Poole via Corfe Castle, Wareham, Langton Matravers
Swanage Railway: Heritage steam and diesel train service from Swanage to Corfe Castle (seasonal)