First visit was to Corfe Castle - which today is little more than a ruin. It did bring back memories, however, as we visited over 30 years ago on previous holidays to Swanage. The Castle looms high over the surrounding countryside and must have been very imposing in its day. Its day was actually the time of William the Conqueror and it dates back to the 11th century. It was one of the first castles in Britain to be made from stone. It underwent major structural changes in the 12th and 13th centuries.
In 1572 the castle left royal ownership when it was sold by Elizabeth I. The new owner subsequently sold it to Sir John Bankes in 1635 and that's where there is an intriguing link to our second visit of the day, to Kingston Lacy.
The castle became a political football and after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 the Bankes family regained properties which include Corfe Castle which had been partially demolished by an act of parliament. Rather than rebuild or replace the ruined castle the Bankes family decided to build a new house at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne Minster.
It was during the 1980s that Ralph Bankes bequethed the entire family estate to the National Trust. This included both Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy. Kingston Lacy was in the hands of the Bankes Family from the 17th to the late 20th century.
Today it is a wonderfully important property set in hundreds of acres of parkland and cultivated gardens. The house itself is a treasure trove of classical paintings with works by Titian, Bruegel, Tintoretto and Velazquez to name but four. I found the drawing room to be of particular interest. Here was an entire house in one room. It had a fireplace to warm yourself by, a writing desk for work, a games table for leisure, a tea table for refreshments, a piano and many other things aimed at fun and relaxation.
Both properties are well worth a visit for very different reasons.