Castle and Shell Beach

View from the Gate House

Bridge over moat

We woke to lovely blue skies. After breakfast we left the campsite at 9.45 so that we could walk to Corfe Castle and look around before it got too busy. Lottie as ever was keen to go for a walk and this time we went straight to the castle as the cows were out of sight. Lottie took several dips in the stream that ran alongside the path near the castle.

King of the Castle

Remains of the Keep with Raven's nest

We reached the Castle at 10.10 with only a couple of people viewing it. It was amazing with an almost complete outer wall apart from where it had crumbled and fallen down the bank due to insufficient foundations.
A lot of the keep was intact and the views were excellent. Lottie enjoyed exploring but waited patiently while Van-Man took photos.

engine reversing before turning

entering the station

While looking around Van-Man heard a steam train and shot off to the outer wall to get a good look. The steam train and coaches slowly left Corfe Castle Station and steamed past the castle to a place where it could turn round. Van-Man watched delightedly and took loads of pictures as it passed us again this time heading towards Swanage.

Raven's Nest

We found the castle’s raven perched in its nest high up on the keep wall. It looked almost as big as a swan’s nest. How do the young ravens cope? One day they get too big for the nest and have to fly for it, with no second attempt if things go wrong. The parents flew gracefully and loved their high position.

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romantic ruins

Trebuchet

Shell beach

On the way out we looked at a trebuchet (giant catapult) of the type used in medieval warfare to throw huge rocks at castles in siege times. There was also a display of various medieval crafts including weaving, wattle and daub construction and ironmongery. We also picked up a leaflet showing a map of the area with NT car parks. Returning via the shortest path we reached the campsite at noon.

Old Harry Rocks

Lurcher bathing with Van Man on lead

After lunch we drove to Studland Bay hoping to be able to park in one of the NT car parks. We headed to Shell Beach, the furthest parking next to the ferry to Sandbanks. There was no height restriction and we found some bays long enough for Sally to fit into so as members has free car parking. Dogs had to be on a lead from May to September but Lottie took the restriction placidly.
The beach was lovely with plenty of shells so it lived up to its name. 

washed up jelly fish

dunes at Shell Beach

Some of the shells were huge, far bigger than we had seen elsewhere.There were also sea urchin shells and some giant jelly fish (12 to 18 inches across) floating in the shallow water.

Behind the beach were sand dunes unlike those found in Cornwall which Lottie was desperate to explore. 

We walked around the headland to Knoll beach in Studland Bay which had wonderful views across the water of Sandbanks, Poole, Bournemouth, and Old Harry Rocks.

within a stone's throw of the sea

Dunes ,sand and sea

Old Harry Rocks from South Beach

We walked back across the dunes delighting Lottie even though she had to remain on the lead due to ground birds nesting. Soon she found a fresh water stream to stand in and drink. We finally returned to Sally after a 2 hour amble.

After relaxing at the van we left at 16.00 to check out South Beach. The access was narrow but the car park was fine. We could choose whether to walk to the Old Harry Rocks or the beach and as we had exercised well the nearby beach won. South beach was small and compact with mooring for boats and a row of beach huts that had long family histories.

After just under an hour we headed back to Corfe Castle, stopping for a few minutes at a view point overlooking the estuary.

Once back Lottie eat her dinner and crashed out in the evening sunshine.