Rufus Castle
Rufus Castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle, is a castle overlooking Church Ope Cove, the remains of which have been dated to the 15th century. Portland's oldest castle, it is reputed to have origins dating back to the late 11th century when an earlier defensive structure was built in the area for William II, King of England.
It is believed that the surviving ruins seen today replaced the earlier defensive works, while some sources suggest the existing structure was built on the site of an earlier keep attached to a larger castle or stronghold. Built of Portland stone, the pentagonal-shaped castle has a number of late Medieval gunholes, which are sometimes mistakenly referred to as arrow loops, in turn giving the castle its alternative name, Bow and Arrow Castle. It is believed that the foundations to the north, along with a stepped plinth to the west, are of earlier origin than the rest of the 15th century ruins.
Although some of the castle has been lost to erosion and collapse over the years, surviving features include parts of the outer bailey, sections of wall and a round-arched bridge spanning over Church Ope Road, the latter of which was built in the early 19th century. The castle and its bridge have been Grade I Listed since January 1951. In addition to this, it is a scheduled monument, protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
History
Church Ope Cove was traditionally seen as a vulnerable spot for enemy raiders attempting to land on Portland's coast. The first recorded account of a Viking attack on the British Isles occurred at Portland in 789 AD, and it has been suggested that the cove was one of the most likely locations. The Saxons built the first defences in the area, while later in the 11th century, taxes were raised to construct new defences for the island, including at Church Ope, by William II, who reigned as King of England between 1087 until 1100.
The earliest record of a castle on Portland dates to 1142, during which time the civil war known as the Anarchy (1135-53) was being fought between Stephen, the King of England, and Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I. The Empress invaded England in 1139, with support from her half-brother, Robert, Earl of Gloucester. During 1142, with the siege of Oxford in progress, the Earl successfully captured the island's castle, among other Dorset castles, from the King.
On 12 December 1257, Adomar Winton, the half brother of King Henry III and bishop of Winchester, was granted a licence to "strengthen the island of Portland, with stone and lime and to crenellate it like a castle, as he shall think most expedient". Later on 7 February 1259, a similar licence was received by Richard de Clare, the earl of Gloucester and Hertford. It is believed that any work produced under either licence was carried out on the site of the existing castle ruins.
The present ruins have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting the castle was rebuilt. It is believed that the rebuilding was funded by Richard, Duke of York, sometime between 1432-60 as no expenditure on the castle is recorded in the Royal Accounts for Portland. Continuing to defend the coast from foreign raiders, Rufus Castle was one of a number of castles with similar roles, including examples at Fowey, Dartmouth and Portsmouth. With the construction of Henry VIII's Portland Castle in 1539-41, it is believed that Rufus Castle then fell into disuse.
The politician and writer John Penn became the owner of the castle at the beginning of the 19th century. Between 1797-1800, he had his Gothic Revival mansion Pennsylvania Castle built overlooking Church Ope Cove and as part of his expansive grounds, Penn had Rufus Castle and the abandoned St Andrew's Church enclosed. As a result, the ruin was inaccessible to the public while under Penn's ownership, although succeeding owners would usually allow visitors. During his time of ownership, Penn had a round-arched bridge added to the castle, which was built to span the lane leading from Church Ope Road. As the original arched entrance to the castle collapsed during this period, Penn also had it replaced with a larger arch of Tudor style.
Rufus Castle was sketched by English landscape artist J. M. W. Turner in 1811. Later in 1892, the castle appeared as "Red King's Castle" in Thomas Hardy's novel The Well-Beloved. Over the years, erosion has resulted in parts of the castle falling away, and by the 1970s, the ruins were enclosed in the garden of a newly-built bungalow. In 1997, Mark Watson of Bournemouth, who became the castle's owner that year, announced plans for its restoration and opening as a tourist attraction, however this never materialised.
Restoration
In 2010, English Heritage granted £150,000 for urgent restoration and consolidation work on the castle. Having been on the "Heritage at Risk" register, it was in need of immediate work, and although some emergency repairs had been carried out to stabilise the ruins, the major restoration project did not commence until 2010. The historic building and church architect Russ Palmer of Honiton drew up the repair scheme and the work was then carried out by Carrek Ltd between May and November that year.
Preliminary work saw repairs made to the north walls, which involved core drilling and the removal of ivy. The main restoration project followed and included the consolidation and repointing of the ruins. As the 19th century bridge had caused structural issues, the wall above it was strengthened with cintec anchors and partially rebuilt.
Following the work, English Heritage and the then-owners of the castle formed an agreement allowing the castle to be briefly accessible to visitors at certain times during the peak season of 2013. To date, the castle remains in need of further repair and as such it remains on the "Heritage at Risk" register. Historic England are in discussion with the castle's new owners, who took over the bungalow and the castle in 2016.
Design
Built of Portland stone, the castle, constructed in the form of a pentagon, has seven feet thick walls, pierced by numerous circular gunports. The surviving ruins have no roof. The north and west walls remain at their original full height, and they also retain a number of shaped corbels along their tops. The south-west side has a gateway as does the north side, which was added in the 19th century along with the bridge.
Underneath the cliff, and close to St Andrew's, is a centuries-old underground cistern. Although its origin is unknown, it is believed that it was constructed to supply water to Rufus Castle.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Churches, Buildings and Views - St Andrews Church - Paul Benyon - website page
2) Britain Express - Rufus Castle - website page
3) Discover Dorset: Castles and Forts - Colin Pomeroy - Dovecote Press - 1998 - ISBN: 978-1874336532 - pages 35, 36 - book
4) Dorset Echo - Historic treasures at risk from neglect - Harry Walton - July 2008 - website page
5) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland (as amended 2017) - PDF document
6) English Castles: A Guide by Counties - Adrian Pettifer - Boydell Press - 2002 - ISBN: 978-0851157825 - pages 66, 67 - book
7) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
8) Google Books - Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club - Volume 37 - 1916 - website page
9) Historic England - Heritage at Risk Register - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road, Easton, Portland - website page
10) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle with Bridge - website page
12) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1955 - page 21 - book
13) Russ Palmer Architecture - Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
14) Pastscape - Rufus Castle - website page
15) Peter Gunning and Partners (PG+P) - Portfolio: Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
16) Tate - Artworks - Bow and Arrow or Rufus Castle, Portland 1811 - Joseph Mallord William Turner - website page
17) The Free Library - Sunday Mirror - Hello darling... I'm king of the pounds 1 castle - Caroline Sutton - August 1997 - website page
18) The Gatehouse Record - Rufus Castle - website page
19) Web Archive: Dorset for You - members.multimania.co.uk - John Penn - Archived from the original in 2011 - website page
20) Web Archive: English Heritage - Grant Aided Properties - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road - Archived from the original in 2013 - website page
It is believed that the surviving ruins seen today replaced the earlier defensive works, while some sources suggest the existing structure was built on the site of an earlier keep attached to a larger castle or stronghold. Built of Portland stone, the pentagonal-shaped castle has a number of late Medieval gunholes, which are sometimes mistakenly referred to as arrow loops, in turn giving the castle its alternative name, Bow and Arrow Castle. It is believed that the foundations to the north, along with a stepped plinth to the west, are of earlier origin than the rest of the 15th century ruins.
Although some of the castle has been lost to erosion and collapse over the years, surviving features include parts of the outer bailey, sections of wall and a round-arched bridge spanning over Church Ope Road, the latter of which was built in the early 19th century. The castle and its bridge have been Grade I Listed since January 1951. In addition to this, it is a scheduled monument, protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
History
Church Ope Cove was traditionally seen as a vulnerable spot for enemy raiders attempting to land on Portland's coast. The first recorded account of a Viking attack on the British Isles occurred at Portland in 789 AD, and it has been suggested that the cove was one of the most likely locations. The Saxons built the first defences in the area, while later in the 11th century, taxes were raised to construct new defences for the island, including at Church Ope, by William II, who reigned as King of England between 1087 until 1100.
The earliest record of a castle on Portland dates to 1142, during which time the civil war known as the Anarchy (1135-53) was being fought between Stephen, the King of England, and Empress Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I. The Empress invaded England in 1139, with support from her half-brother, Robert, Earl of Gloucester. During 1142, with the siege of Oxford in progress, the Earl successfully captured the island's castle, among other Dorset castles, from the King.
On 12 December 1257, Adomar Winton, the half brother of King Henry III and bishop of Winchester, was granted a licence to "strengthen the island of Portland, with stone and lime and to crenellate it like a castle, as he shall think most expedient". Later on 7 February 1259, a similar licence was received by Richard de Clare, the earl of Gloucester and Hertford. It is believed that any work produced under either licence was carried out on the site of the existing castle ruins.
The present ruins have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting the castle was rebuilt. It is believed that the rebuilding was funded by Richard, Duke of York, sometime between 1432-60 as no expenditure on the castle is recorded in the Royal Accounts for Portland. Continuing to defend the coast from foreign raiders, Rufus Castle was one of a number of castles with similar roles, including examples at Fowey, Dartmouth and Portsmouth. With the construction of Henry VIII's Portland Castle in 1539-41, it is believed that Rufus Castle then fell into disuse.
The politician and writer John Penn became the owner of the castle at the beginning of the 19th century. Between 1797-1800, he had his Gothic Revival mansion Pennsylvania Castle built overlooking Church Ope Cove and as part of his expansive grounds, Penn had Rufus Castle and the abandoned St Andrew's Church enclosed. As a result, the ruin was inaccessible to the public while under Penn's ownership, although succeeding owners would usually allow visitors. During his time of ownership, Penn had a round-arched bridge added to the castle, which was built to span the lane leading from Church Ope Road. As the original arched entrance to the castle collapsed during this period, Penn also had it replaced with a larger arch of Tudor style.
Rufus Castle was sketched by English landscape artist J. M. W. Turner in 1811. Later in 1892, the castle appeared as "Red King's Castle" in Thomas Hardy's novel The Well-Beloved. Over the years, erosion has resulted in parts of the castle falling away, and by the 1970s, the ruins were enclosed in the garden of a newly-built bungalow. In 1997, Mark Watson of Bournemouth, who became the castle's owner that year, announced plans for its restoration and opening as a tourist attraction, however this never materialised.
Restoration
In 2010, English Heritage granted £150,000 for urgent restoration and consolidation work on the castle. Having been on the "Heritage at Risk" register, it was in need of immediate work, and although some emergency repairs had been carried out to stabilise the ruins, the major restoration project did not commence until 2010. The historic building and church architect Russ Palmer of Honiton drew up the repair scheme and the work was then carried out by Carrek Ltd between May and November that year.
Preliminary work saw repairs made to the north walls, which involved core drilling and the removal of ivy. The main restoration project followed and included the consolidation and repointing of the ruins. As the 19th century bridge had caused structural issues, the wall above it was strengthened with cintec anchors and partially rebuilt.
Following the work, English Heritage and the then-owners of the castle formed an agreement allowing the castle to be briefly accessible to visitors at certain times during the peak season of 2013. To date, the castle remains in need of further repair and as such it remains on the "Heritage at Risk" register. Historic England are in discussion with the castle's new owners, who took over the bungalow and the castle in 2016.
Design
Built of Portland stone, the castle, constructed in the form of a pentagon, has seven feet thick walls, pierced by numerous circular gunports. The surviving ruins have no roof. The north and west walls remain at their original full height, and they also retain a number of shaped corbels along their tops. The south-west side has a gateway as does the north side, which was added in the 19th century along with the bridge.
Underneath the cliff, and close to St Andrew's, is a centuries-old underground cistern. Although its origin is unknown, it is believed that it was constructed to supply water to Rufus Castle.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page. The primary sources are in italics.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Churches, Buildings and Views - St Andrews Church - Paul Benyon - website page
2) Britain Express - Rufus Castle - website page
3) Discover Dorset: Castles and Forts - Colin Pomeroy - Dovecote Press - 1998 - ISBN: 978-1874336532 - pages 35, 36 - book
4) Dorset Echo - Historic treasures at risk from neglect - Harry Walton - July 2008 - website page
5) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland (as amended 2017) - PDF document
6) English Castles: A Guide by Counties - Adrian Pettifer - Boydell Press - 2002 - ISBN: 978-0851157825 - pages 66, 67 - book
7) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
8) Google Books - Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club - Volume 37 - 1916 - website page
9) Historic England - Heritage at Risk Register - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road, Easton, Portland - website page
10) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle with Bridge - website page
12) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1955 - page 21 - book
13) Russ Palmer Architecture - Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
14) Pastscape - Rufus Castle - website page
15) Peter Gunning and Partners (PG+P) - Portfolio: Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
16) Tate - Artworks - Bow and Arrow or Rufus Castle, Portland 1811 - Joseph Mallord William Turner - website page
17) The Free Library - Sunday Mirror - Hello darling... I'm king of the pounds 1 castle - Caroline Sutton - August 1997 - website page
18) The Gatehouse Record - Rufus Castle - website page
19) Web Archive: Dorset for You - members.multimania.co.uk - John Penn - Archived from the original in 2011 - website page
20) Web Archive: English Heritage - Grant Aided Properties - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road - Archived from the original in 2013 - website page
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