Visitors to Corfe Castle in Dorset were given an opportunity to see the sunrise on the shortest day from a unique vantage point which was once only the privilege of royalty.
The royal residence of Norman King Henry I at the castle has been open to the public for a year, but not used to see in the winter solstice for the past 350 years.
From the window of kings at Corfe Castle, dawn on midwinter’s day
Sunrise over East Hill
Special dawn tours were held at the 23 metre tall tower on Sunday 21st December 2025 to give visitors a chance to follow in the footsteps of England’s medieval monarchs and watch the sunrise over East Hill.
Despite forecasts for a rainy start to the day, the solstice began with only partial cloud cover and the 400 visitors to Corfe Castle were treated to good views of the dawn and reflected on the start of a new astrological year with glasses of prosecco or mulled wine.
Many among the crowds, who arrived at the National Trust property from all over Dorset, said they felt a spiritual feeling of renewal and rebirth in the grounds of the castle, which has a history stretching back almost a thousand years.
Although one visitor to King Henry’s Tower collapsed on the uppermost viewing platform, needing an emergency call to ambulance staff to help her down and make sure she was alright, the morning was declared a success.
An atmospheric start to the day at Corfe Castle
An ambulance had to be called to Corfe Castle to help a woman down from the tower after she briefly collapsed
“A one-off opportunity”
Eoin McDowell, experience and visitor programming manager, said:
“We opened the King’s View experience as a special arrangement for the winter solstice 2025, where we were able to offer stunning views of the sunrise like never before in recent history, from the top of Corfe Castle’s keep.
“It was a one-off opportunity to see the solstice dawn break over the Purbeck hills, and we were lucky enough to get a dry sunrise with some fairly clear skies.
“It’s a nice thing to do in the middle of getting ready for Christmas, and it was wonderful to see people turning up so early in the morning to enjoy a reflective hour in a wonderful setting.
“It’s as much about an experience and sharing the moment as it is about seeing the sunrise and everyone seemed to be in a wonderful mood.”
The King’s Tower provided perfect early morning views of the dawn
A couple chose evergreen headwear to welcome in the solstice sunrise
“A balcony where the king could appear”
Eoin added:
“Although it was William the Conqueror who ordered Corfe Castle to be built, the keep was built for his son Henry in 1107 from Purbeck stone and at 23 metres tall, on top of a 55 metre hill, it could be seen for miles around.
“Henry put in the garderobe annexe, his ensuite, with the Royal living quarters behind, and the keep included an appearance door, where he could appear on his balcony and be seen by his subjects in the Outer Bailey, and also by the villagers from outside the castle walls.
“The appearance window was a feature of castles in Normandy and was a sign of the importance of the castle in medieval England, and would have been incredibly ornate when it was built.
“But this is the first time there has been visitor access to it for the solstice dawn since the castle was destroyed by Cromwell’s troops over 350 years ago.”
Around 400 visitors arrived at Corfe Castle from 7 am on midwinter’s day to experience the solstice
Many brought their own seats to wait in comfort for sunrise
Twelve full days of feasting
Corfe Castle was seen as an important fortification by King Henry I, who imprisoned his older brother Robert of Normandy there in 1106 after defeating him in battle and taking his kingdom.
Although it is not known how often Henry I stayed at Corfe Castle, his successors over the next century or so treated it as a vital stronghold and a place to keep political prisoners.
The castle was substantially enlarged by King John after he took the throne in 1199, so that he could stay there in comfort.
Corfe Castle could well have hosted a Christmas celebration for the monarch at this time, which saw 12 full days of feasts after 40 days of fasting leading up to Christmas Day in which eating meat was prohibited.
Wishing trees would have been very familiar to the medieval inhabitants of Corfe Castle
Walking in the footsteps of medieval kings at Corfe Castle
Decorated with wishing trees
As a nod to this era, Corfe Castle has been decorated with holly and evergreen plants, along with wishing trees, a tradition familiar to medieval families where ribbons were tied around the branches as prayers were made to the tree spirits or in memory of loved ones.
For 21st century December visitors to the castle, hot chocolate, coffee and marshmallows for toasting over open fires were on offer to help them combat the chilly midwinter’s day weather.
The King’s View experience can be booked on any day the castle is open, weather permitting, but is expected to end once the latest conservation works are completed at Corfe Castle around March 2026.
Warm coffee and toasted marshmallows kept the winter’s chill at bay
The dawn express from Swanage caused a lot of excitement as well!
Further information
- For festive opening dates and times at Corfe Castle
