Corfe Castle is the stuff of legends and the perfect place for a campervan trip. The castle was built in the 11th Century by William the Conqueror. The Castle has been used as a Castle, Prison, and family home. Situated on top of a hill to aid its defenses it is surrounded by Corfe village where workers lived. Corfe was a 15 min walk from our campsite and an easy stroll back from the pub.
Corfe is on the south coast of Dorset and only a 2-hour drive by campervan from London. The village is picture perfect with yellow stone buildings, pubs with low ceilings, gift shops and a steam train. Indeed, Corfe is so pretty the Grey Hound Pub claims to be “the most photographed pub in England”.
How to get there
Dorset is roughly a 2 hour drive in a campervan from West London down the M3, across the New Forest on the A31, and then the A3049 and A35 around Poole, and finally the A351 to Corfe.
Where we stayed
We stated in our campervan at Norden Farm campsite which is lovely and we would happily stay there again. The campsite is nicely set up for campervans with good facilities, and play areas, but not too organised.
Recommendation of what to see/do when you are there
If you are going to camp in that part of Dorset, Corfe Castle is a must. It’s owned by the National Trust, is well set up for families and is historically significant to the area. There are lots of good places to eat and drink, such as the Grey Hound where we had a lovely meal. From the beer garden in the Bakers Arms you can watch the steam trains go past.
The beaches of Swanage and Durdle Door are an easy drive in the campervan but go early as parking can be tricky. The beaches of Poole and Bournemouth can be accessed via the Sandbanks ferry, but they get very busy that side of the harbour.
In the surrounding area, Kimmeridge bay is lovely, Lulworth Cove is beautiful but very busy, and Durdle Door is a natural wonder. If you are reasonably fit, my recommendation would be to park in Kimmeridge Bay, and walk over to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. We did that walk a few years ago and saw Hares boxing and dolphins in the sea . On your way home, stop in the Clavells Tower restaurant in the Kimmeridge village as the food is lovely.
