SWX710 - Excavations at Corfe Castle 1996. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 118

In January 1996 an excavation took place to improve visitor access from the west bailey to the inner ward through the inner ward gateway. The ground surface was lowered to create a path and steps. The path was laid on top of the demolition rubble in this area. A fourth phase of building was revealed within the inner gateway. As part of a programme of consolidation work, vegetation was stripped from the curtain wall in the outer bailey on the north side of the 2nd tower, revealing two different types of martar and suggesting two phases of wall. In october 1996 an excavation took place inside the keep. The ground surface against the east wall of the keep was lowered by 1m revealing details of the two cross walls that divide the south half of the keep. The north cross wall is contemporary with the original construction of the keep c. 1105 and formed the central division of the building. The south cross wall was a later addition and abuts the west wall of the keep.