A modern day pilgrimage has left Corfe Castle to cross Dorset, more than a thousand years after the murder of an English king in Purbeck.
Actors from the Treehouse Theatre are leading pilgrims along St Edward’s Way from Corfe Castle to Shaftesbury in Dorset, entertaining audiences along the way with tales of murder, miracles, music and mayhem.
Dark ages, dark deeds, as recounted by the Treehouse Players at St Edward’s Church, Corfe Castle
Funding from Arts Council England
Their production, The Shaftesbury Tales, has been inspired by Chaucer’s medieval storytelling and by the terrible fate of teenage King Edward the Martyr in Corfe in the year 978 AD.
It is thought that he was murdered on the orders of his stepmother, the dowager Queen Aelfthryth, in order to put her son and Edward’s half-brother Elthelred on the throne.
Supported by public funding from Arts Council England and Dorset Council and with backing from Dorset arts group Artsreach, The Shaftesbury Tales takes a lighthearted peek at life 1,000 years ago.
The month-long journey from Corfe Castle to Shaftesbury began at the Church of St Edward King and Martyr in Corfe on Thursday 11th July 2024 and the first leg of the pilgrimage, to Lady St Mary’s Church, Wareham, sets off from Corfe at 10 am on Saturday 13th July 2024.
Members of Double Act, Corfe Castle, played their part in telling the tale
The crew of Double Act pictured on their medieval murder walk in 2023
“Collective creativity of Dorset people”
Creative director of Treehouse Theatre, Ben Lindsey-Clark said:
“Treehouse Theatre specialises in interactive performances and workshops and we particularly love history and great story-telling. Most of the time we perform in schools, and most of our shows and workshops are educational as well as fun.
“This project has been going on for months and we are delighted to hold the first performance in the grounds of Corfe Castle’s Church of St Edward King and Martyr, where our story began nearly 1,050 years ago.
“The Shaftesbury Tales have come from the collective creativity of the people of Dorset – we held a story writing competition around the Tale of Edward the Martyr, and fed some of the ideas into the final script.
“We have also involved as many people from Dorset as we can into this project, so here in Corfe we have the local drama society Double Act joining us, as well as some children from Corfe Castle primary school, so we hope it feels inclusive.”
The church of St Edward, King and Martyr, is on the site of a miracle attributed to the murdered teenager
The Pilgrims’ Inn was set up in the church grounds for the play’s first performance
Play took place on site of a miracle
Ben Lindsey-Clark added:
“St Edward’s Church stands on the spot where, as the story goes, a blind woman lived in a humble shack. Her encounter with the dead body of Edward the Martyr shortly after his murder, led to her sight being restored – the first miracle attributed to Edward.
“We are very grateful to St Edward’s Church for letting us perform here, in the very spot where our story begins and we are holding a retiring collection for the church’s roof repair fund.
“Our story is all about Dorset in the Dark Ages, and our audience will join us in The Pilgrims’ Inn as our merry company rests for the evening on their journey to Edward’s shrine in Shaftesbury, entertaining each other and everyone else with tales of murder and miracles, music and mayhem.
“In between performances at towns and villages between Corfe and Shaftesbury, we are walking along St Edward’s Way and if anyone fancies a walk, you are welcome to join us!
“You don’t have to dress up yourself, just come and join in with the moment – it’s a secular pilgrimage, we are just trying to enjoy where we are and what we see along the way.”
Pilgrims will follow the route of St Edward’s Way, set up by Dorset Ramblers in 2021
Stage one of the pilgrimage runs from Corfe Castle to Wareham
Following St Edward’s Way
There are further performances of The Shaftesbury Tales at Lady St Mary’s Church, Wareham, at 4 pm on Sunday 14th July and at Wareham Town Hall at 7 pm on Monday 15th July 2024.
The company of players then heads for Winterbourne Whitechurch, Child Okeford, Fontmell Magna and Shaftesbury Abbey.
The pilgrimage follows St Edward’s Way, set up by Dorset Ramblers in 2021 to trace the route along which Dorset folk took the body of the murdered king from Wareham churchyard where he was hurriedly buried after his death, to the abbey at Shaftesbury to be made a saint.
Performances July 2024
Ticket prices: Child under 16 £6 plus 50p booking fee. Adults £10 plus 84p booking fee
- Sunday 14th – Wareham Priory Church of our Lady – 4 pm
- Monday 15th – Wareham Town Hall – 7 pm
- Thursday 18th – Dunbury Academy School, Winterborne Whitechurch – 7 pm
- Saturday 20th – Childe Okeford Village Hall – 4 pm
- Monday 22nd – Springhead Trust – 7 pm
- Thursday 25th – Shaftesbury Abbey – 7 pm
- Friday 26th – St Peter’s Church Shaftesbury – 2 pm
- Saturday 27th – St Peter’s Church Shaftesbury – 2 pm
Drama workshops July 2024
Open to all ages and free when booking a performance ticket
- Sunday 14th – Wareham Library – workshop 1 pm to 2 pm
- Saturday 20th – Childe Okeford Village Hall – workshop 2 pm to 3 pm
- Thursday 25th – Shaftesbury Abbey – workshop 4 pm
- Friday 26th – St Peter’s Church, Shaftesbury – workshop 11 am
- Saturday 27th – St Peter’s Church, Shaftesbury – workshop 11 am
St Dunstan leads the movement to declare King Edward a saint
Family dispute over royal power
Born in 962 AD, Edward was the only son of King Edgar the Peaceful and his first wife Aethelfled – but although he was the first son, he was not the acknowledged heir to the throne as his father had remarried twice and had another son called Ethelred, with his third wife, Queen Aelfthryth.
When Edgar died in 975, a family dispute over power began as Ethelred had a valid claim on the throne and Edward, who was just 13 at the time, had his legitimacy questioned by supporters of Ethelred.
Ethelred’s mother, Aelfthryth, was keen to see her son as rightful heir, but eventually Edward was chosen to be the next King of England with support from the Church, especially Archbishop Dunstan.
In March 978, Edward made a fateful decision to visit his half-brother at Corfe, arriving in the evening with only a small group of men who were met by Aelfthryth’s retainers.
The royal horses of King Edward’s retinue have their say on the murder most foul
Still on his horse when he was stabbed
The assassination took place as Edward waited to be allowed entry, perhaps being offered a drink of mead while he waited. Edward was still on his horse when he was stabbed, dying as his horse bolted into the night, dragging his body along the ground.
His murder was said to have been at the command – or perhaps even by – his stepmother, but as stories of miracles around the body of the dead king were spread, calls for the Church to make him a saint grew.
His full story is being told by Treehouse Theatre and friends at ten performances across Dorset until Saturday 27th July 2024.
First stop Corfe on a month-long pilgrimage to Shaftesbury Abbey
Further information
- Follow Treehouse Theatre and book tickets for The Shaftesbury Tales online
- Discover more of the history of St Edward’s Church on its website
- Read a full history of the reign of King Edward the Martyr at Historic UK
