Bournemouth Poole Wimborne Minster Julian's Bridge, Wimborne Cranborne Manor St. Martin's, Wareham The Frome at Wareham Plan of Corfe Castle Corfe Village St. Aldhelm's Old Swanage Tilly

Here Edward the Martyr was brought after his murder at Corfe Castle, the body being afterwards transferred to Shaftesbury with great pomp and splendour.

The views ahead, which include the striking conical peak called "Creech Barrow," are of increasing beauty, and when we approach the break between the long range of Knowle Hill and Branscombe Hill, the strikingly fine picture of Corfe Castle filling the gap makes an unforgettable scene.

[Illustration: CORFE VILLAGE.] Corfe, small town or large village, is picturesque and pleasant enough in itself without the added interest of the castle and the beauty of the surrounding country.

[Illustration: CORFE VILLAGE.] Corfe, small town or large village, is picturesque and pleasant enough in itself without the added interest of the castle and the beauty of the surrounding country.

The architecture of Corfe, as in most of the inland villages of the "island," is most pleasing; a distinctive note being the pillared porch with a room above.

Corfe Castle retained a mayor and eight "barons" until 1883.

It will come as a surprise to most readers to hear that Corfe was admitted to rank as a Cinque Port.

A pleasant route out of Corfe is to take a path between cottages on the left of the lane leading to West Orchard, and, crossing several meadows, to pass over the breezy Corfe common to the Kingston road.

A pleasant route out of Corfe is to take a path between cottages on the left of the lane leading to West Orchard, and, crossing several meadows, to pass over the breezy Corfe common to the Kingston road.

The guild meet every Shrove Tuesday at Corfe to transact the formal business of the year.

A by-road, a little over five miles long, runs under the face of Nine Barrows Down and Brenscombe Hill to Corfe.

It is a picturesque route and has some good views, but a much finer way, and but little longer, is along the top of the Downs themselves culminating at Challow Hill in a sudden sight of Corfe, backed by the imposing Knowle Hill.

This walk is even surpassed by that along the hills westwards from Corfe.

Over three miles from Corfe is the small church hamlet of Steeple; here a road bears upward to the right, and if the hill top has not been followed all the way from Corfe it should certainly be gained at this point.

The removal of the body of the martyred Edward hither from Wareham, after his murder at Corfe Castle, gave Shaftesbury a wide renown and caused thousands of pilgrims to flock to the miracle-working shrine.

(Corfe Castle, Wareham, and Swanage are very convenient, though the drive is a little longer.)

"Banke's Arms Hotel" at Corfe Castle.

] CORFE CASTLE IN THE ISLE OF PURBECK, DORSETSHIRE

Corfe Castle on its great hill, with the little hamlet which goes by the same name which clusters at its foot, is one of the most spectacular of the ruined fortresses to be found in Southern England.

Its position, commanding the whole Purbeck range of hills, made the spot famous in Saxon days, when it was known as Corfe Gate.

He visited Corfe Castle in order to see his brother, but while drinking a goblet of wine in the gateway between the two circular towers shown in the illustration, he was stabbed by command of Elfrida.

During the civil war between Stephen and Maud, the fortress defied all attempts to take it by Stephen's adherents; and up to the struggle between Charles I. and his Parliament, when for a space of six weeks Lady Bankes held the castle with a handful of retainers, Corfe Castle has figured prominently in English history.

[Illustration: CORFE CASTLE.

"The Russel family (say Britton and Brayley,) may date the era of their greatness to a violent storm, which happened about the year 1500, on the coast of Dorset; a county which appears to have been the birthplace of their ancestors, one of whom was Constable of Corfe Castle, in the year 1221.