We are moving from the coast today and saying goodbye to the Jurassic Coast. We’ve loved our visit to Devon and Dorset and there’s still loads to discover so I’m sure we’ll be back.

We are moving inland to a site very close to Corfe Castle. We leave Durdle Door at 10:30 am and are at the new campsite Woodyhyde, just after 11am.

Slightly scary entrance to the campsite under a very narrow railway bridge for the Steam railway that runs from Corfe to Swanage. We had less than 6ins either side and a bit more above so had to pull in our wing mirrors. No signs about height and width restrictions were displayed. It wasn’t at all obvious how tight it was on the campsite details either in fact it was buried in the FAQ section! Luckily we made it through without incident other than on our nerves!

As we are pitching up a train passes us, literally behind our pitch. It’s supposed to be a steam train but today it’s an old diesel pulling old fashioned carriages. Sadly not quick enough to get a picture. After putting on our walking pants and shoes we walk to Corfe Castle. It’s a wonderful route mainly across fields and Corfe Common with only a very short section on the road.

Corfe Common, the largest in England, is wonderful. The Common has changed little over 1000 years. Lots of gorse and heathers and trees with fabulous views of Isle of Purbeck peninsula and the castle. There are loads of horses grazing on the land ignoring the humans of which there aren’t many, just the occasional dog walker.

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The footpath takes us right into the village of Corfe Castle and we visit the castle itself first. It’s NT so we get in free… sort of.

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Manage to wander around it in just under an hour. It’s really impressive and the history is interesting. It was built by William The Conqurer in 1086 and destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1645.

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Lunch is next, in the garden of The Fox pub. Food is really really good. Rain is threatening but it just holds off until we finish eating. We run to a second pub, The Greyhound, for another drink waiting for the rain to pass.

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Soon enough the skies are blue again and we return to the campsite the same way we came. This time a train passes us again and we get a photo. We also discover via Google that the Common was planted up during WWII for the ‘Dig for Victory ‘ campaign.

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A dinner of stuff we need to eat from the fridge with egg and chips made in the oven watching a Reese Witherspoon movie. A lovely day, the highlight of which was our walk across the Common.