Corfe Castle Town Trust Museum
Free museum on the ground floor of Corfe Castle’s small Town Hall, with dinosaur footprints and displays on the history of the village and the Isle of Purbeck.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Corfe Castle Town Trust Museum is on the ground floor of the Town Hall in West Street, which the Trust calls the smallest Town Hall in England. The museum is run by the Corfe Castle Town Trust and covers the local history of Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck.
The displays begin with the footprints of an iguanodon dinosaur and early settlement of the area, and show the industries of clay, stone and Purbeck Marble. They also explain how the village developed into its present form. A touchscreen on village life, celebrations and traditions includes short videos made by pupils of Corfe Castle Primary School as part of a local history project.
The permanent exhibition space is very small, so many objects are not on display. The Trust also keeps a written archive and a collection that includes the Corfe Castle town seal, books, letters, deeds, census records and family history material. Items not on display and the archive can often be seen by appointment.
Highlights
- Iguanodon dinosaur footprints
- Clay, stone and Purbeck Marble industries
- Corfe Castle town seal
- Touchscreen with videos by local schoolchildren
- Archive of deeds, letters and family history material by appointment
Permanent exhibition
- History of Corfe Castle and the Isle of Purbeck – Small exhibition on dinosaur footprints, early settlement, the clay, stone and Purbeck Marble industries and the development of the village.
- Founded
- 1962
- Operated by
- Corfe Castle Town Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free; donations are gratefully received.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is on the ground floor of the Town Hall. No further accessibility information is published; contact the Trust for details.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Regular buses run to Corfe Castle from Poole, Bournemouth, Wareham and Swanage. The nearest mainline stations are Wareham, Poole and Bournemouth. The Swanage Railway runs from Norden through Corfe Castle to Swanage.
By car
Parking available
Short-stay spaces are in the Square and in West Street, and a pay-and-display car park is further down West Street. A park and ride operates from Norden station.
Corfe Castle is on the A351 between Wareham and Swanage. The Trust building is the red building to the right of the church when viewed from the castle.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Items not on display and the written archive can often be viewed by appointment; researchers should get in touch with the Trust. |
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