EDO5315 - Corfe Castle; excavations on the west side of the Gloriette, 1997

In April 1997 excavations took place on the west side of the Gloriette to uncover the plan of the length of wall linking the west end of the Long Chamber to the Gloriette stair passage to the north. It was hoped that an original doorway could be found through this wall through which visitors could be guided, mitigating against erosion. A continuous line of walling was exposed, except at the northern end, adjacent to the Gloriette stair passage. This wall was recorded and covered over again. This wall does not appear of the Tresweel map and is though to date from between 1586 and 1646 when the castle was sleighted. The remains of two arches were also found at the west end of the Long chamber. The splay of a window sill was also uncovered at the SW corner of the Gloriette with the fixing for a glazing bar cut into the sill. Other consolidation works were undertaken during 1997 at the NW corner of the keep, west of the leaning west wall and the interior face of the west wall.