Castle Class Rail View At Corfe Castle In Dorset
I am no expert on steam trains. However, I do know is that The Swanage Railway must have the most iconic of views on its 11 mile route…Corfe Castle!
The scenic remains of the castle a medieval fortress that the train skirts around on its heritage line. Running from the pretty seaside town Swanage on its way to Norden some 6 miles away.
But Surely, the highlight really has to be the views of the stately castle as you approach the village of Corfe Castle. Indeed from either the southern or northern directions of the line the view is wonderful.
Swanage Railway Dorset UK.
Sitting high on a mound, the castle that was blown up by the Roundheads during the English Civil war. That was after they had managed to gain access to the castle by a clever deception.
The return adult fare of £12.50 is a pretty fair outlay for the chance to see one of the best views of the castle in the country. Plus with all the experience that steam train ride brings to the occasion. Noting that even visitors to the castle themselves cannot resist a chance to snap the trains as they pass by too.
People watch the trains from Corfe Castle too !
Unlike many other heritage lines to be this one in fact fell outside Dr Beeching’s axe back in the early 1960’s. But by later in 1972 it was shut by British Rail and then some remarkable people conceived the idea of bringing the line back into use. And today they have even connected it to the main Weymouth to London Waterloo line.
Corfe Castle Is the Highlight For Many
This allows the branch line to run a total of 11 miles to Wareham. This extension certainly opens many new possibilities for the operators of the Swanage line.
Swanage Railway Dorset UK.
Back in the mid 1970’s who would have thought the end result would be such an achievement? One indeed of some scale and all carried out by volunteers. The thousands, if not millions of hours of work has made it all happen. Joining the mainline is a pinnacle, but the icing has to be the castle.
The steam trains sweep almost majestically around it giving trains spotters an unparalleled view for their scrapbooks or video collections. The castle providing the most stunning of backdrops to any image. And even for me, as I am certainly no train buff but appreciate the magical vista it provides.
Corfe Castle station and castle towers over the route of the Swanage Railway in Dorset.
Visiting like I have on lovely summers or winter’s day it’s an image that is hard to beat.
