lii. CORFE CASTLE AND STUDLAND. 



Castle did not "jut out into the sea," and that phrase evidently 

 referred to the whole peninsula of Purbeck of which in William 

 of Malmesbury's days Corfe Castle was the dominating centre. 

 Thirdly, the words " two miles from the sea " had been referred 

 to Worth Matravers, where was a church containing undoubted 

 Saxon work, and probably the most ancient church in Purbeck. 

 Of the three claims, most could, he thought, be said in favour of 

 Worth Matravers ; but it was surely making a great draft on 

 one's credulity to ask one to believe that the little frail building, 

 which could on such an occasion alone have been built by 

 St. Aldhelm, could, whatever its exact position, have survived the 

 wrack of over 1,200 years. Competent members of the British 

 Archaeological Association, when visiting the Castle in July last, 

 expressed the opinion that the herringbone masonry was probably 

 the oldest part of the Norman Castle, and possibly the original 

 castle hall. 



In regard to the distance from the sea, it was suggested by 

 more than one Member that parts of Poole Harbour now lay 

 within two miles of Corfe Castle, and were very possibly much 

 nearer in former times. 



Mr. BARTELOT said that he was glad to hear the contrary 

 opinion fully and clearly argued. He next called attention to 

 the remains of the Butavant, the octagonal tower so named from 

 its position on the crest of the west spur of the castle hill, and 

 described by Ralph Creswell, in his drawing of the castle as the 

 " dungeon towre." Undoubtedly the lowest of the three storeys 

 of this tower was an oubliette ; and how many a prisoner whom it 

 was sought to dispose of had there been placed and forgotten ! 

 In a storm on February nth, 1866, a part of this tower fell 

 down, and Canon Bankes used to tell him how the old man who 

 lived at West Mills, down below the hill, when his little boy 

 rushed in, saying " Granfer, the castle is a comen down," simply 

 answered " Come inside lad, and shut the door " so confident 

 was he that his door was solid enough to defy the rolling debris 

 of the castle ruins ! (Laughter.) The tower facing north in the 

 second ward Hutchins called the prison chapel ; but its 



