mock castle soup

...woo-hoo, the sun came out this afternoon!

The land on Durlston Head was farmland until George Burt, nephew of the construction magnate John Mowlem, purchased a significant chunk of it in 1863. George bought the land as part of his plan to turn Swanage into a fashionable seaside resort and spa from the village that it was at that time. It was not until he retired, in 1886, that he started channeling his energies into converting those ideas to reality. He employed a local builder, William Masters Hardy, to construct his Victorian castle, which, despite its traditional appearance, is supported by an iron frame.

Following an eight year restoration project, with funding from, amongst other charities, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the castle is now the centre of activities at Durlston Country Park. Inside the building, there is a cafe, museum, gallery and exhibition space. The theme for both castle and its environs, is one of time - geological and evolutionary - with dozens of interesting displays carved into tablets and monoliths of local stone.

In addition to the castle, the country park contains the Great Globe, Tilly Whim Caves, stone mines, Anvil Point Lighthouse, Measured Mile Pylons, some of the best wildflower meadows in the UK, butterflies, birds, dolphins, whales, deer...