A man’s home is his castle

Other attractions which prove popular amongst visitors year-in, year-out are trips to walk amongst the ruins of Dorset’s many charming castles. Perhaps Dorset’s most famous ruined castle is Corfe Castle, set high upon the rolling green hills of Wareham. With a history dating back over 1,000 years, the castle is extremely popular with tourists who enjoy strolling between the walls or simply reading up on its history in the National Trust Visitor Centre. Grade 1 listed building Highcliffe Castle, described as ‘the most important remaining example of the romantic and Picturesque style of architecture’, is another building with huge significance to local heritage. Restoration work on the structure has been ongoing since the 1990s and so the castle open day held during Heritage Week presents the perfect opportunity for visitors to see the results of all of this hard work. Travel further afield to Portland and you find Portland Castle nestled in Castletown overlooking the town’s pretty harbour. The fortress has a diverse and fascinating history, originally having been built to defend Weymouth against the French and Spanish invasion. It stands today virtually unaltered and so holds much interest to visitors wishing to learn how a castle of this size would have operated in its day.

For history-lovers, Heritage Week presents visitors with the opportunity to visit a wealth of museums dotted around Dorset. Popular sites include Wareham Town Museum which tells the story of Wareham’s history with the aid of graphic displays and The Priest’s House Museum in Wimborne where visitors can see how servants and their affluent employers lived during a special ‘Upstairs Downstairs Weekend’. Other museums of great interest are located in Bournemouth, Portland, Beaminster, Dorchester and Bridport.

Visitor feedback collected by the Trust has always been extremely positive, with many saying that Dorset’s Heritage Week is the best organised in the UK. Recent comments have included: “We took part in a great set of events which we thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to all of the team for organising it and to all the people who opened their buildings or spoke so eloquently”; the enthusiasm of the guides is infectious – thanks to them and EDHT for a memorable week”; and “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know our county better – long may it continue.”

A glimpse at modern architecture

What many people don’t realise is that Heritage Week is not just about showcasing historic buildings, it also aims to make contemporary architecture accessible to the public. This is achieved primarily through the support of the Dorset branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) which organises a special coach trip around newly-constructed, architect-designed houses in Dorset. The event is extremely popular and Dorset RIBA Committee Member David Underhill attributes this to the attention architecture is given in the media. He said: “This event has always been oversubscribed. I think one of the main reasons for this is due to the increased exposure architecture has been given in the media – particularly with television feeding the public’s fascination of looking around other people’s houses.” For the RIBA 2007 coach trip, enthusiasts were taken to view four architecturally-striking houses, all of which were constructed within two years. David described each of the properties as boasting their own individual style, combining design which is: “Strictly contemporary, stunning, big, bold and beautiful.”

Alan Wilson is hoping that in coming years, the Trust will have the opportunity to showcase even more modern buildings located in the county. One structure he is particularly keen to secure visits to is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Lifeboat College in Poole. He commented: “The college building is internationally recognised and has won many awards. I very much hope that we can add it to our future calendar of events. We are always looking for new properties to feature and encourage anyone with any ideas to approach us.”

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1. Introduction
2. A man’s home is his castle
3. Educational heritage fairs
4. Photo Gallery
5. > View entire feature