Rufus Castle
Rufus Castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle, is a ruined castle overlooking Church Ope Cove, the remains of which have been dated to the 15th century. It is Portland's oldest castle and 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 ruins seen today replaced the earlier defensive works. Some sources have speculated that the existing structure is built on the site of an earlier keep, which would have formed part of a larger castle or stronghold.
Built of Portland stone, the pentagonal-shaped castle has a number of late Medieval putlog holes and gunports, which have been erroneously 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.
Some of the castle has been lost to erosion over the years, but 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 a Grade I listed monument since January 1951. In addition to this, the castle 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 although the precise landing spot remains unknown, it has been suggested that the cove was one of the most likely locations. The Saxons built the first defences in the area and taxes were later raised in the late 11th century 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, at the time when 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 carried out under either or both of these licences included the site overlooking Church Ope.
The present ruins of Rufus Castle have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting the castle was rebuilt. It is likely that the rebuilding was funded by Richard, the Duke of York, sometime between 1432-60 as no expenditure on the castle is recorded in the Royal Accounts for Portland. The castle's continued to defend the coast from foreign raiders and was one of a number of fortifications with similar roles, including examples at Fowey, Dartmouth and Portsmouth. It is believed Rufus Castle fell into disuse once the construction of King Henry VIII's Portland Castle was carried out in 1539-41.
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 and as part of his expansive grounds, Penn had the ruins of Rufus Castle and St Andrew's enclosed. The ruin remained inaccessible to Portlanders and visitors while under Penn's ownership, although successive owners of Pennsylvania Castle would usually allow visitors.
During his time of ownership, Penn had a round-arched bridge added to the castle, which spanned over the lane leading from Church Ope Road and connected the castle to the field known as Castle Hays. The Norman style arch providing access into the castle from the bridge is of the same date and was made large enough for Penn's carriage to pass through. Penn also added another arch on the castle's south (seaward facing) side after the original collapsed.
In 1965, the then-owners of Pennsylvania Castle had Rufus Castle's adjoining land developed with the construction of a three-bedroom detached bungalow, Castle Keep. The ruins were enclosed in its garden. The property was sold to Keith Allsop in 1983 and he intended to restore the castle, but the project never came to fruition. In 1997, Mark Watson of Bournemouth bought the castle from the then-owners of Castle Keep for £1 and announced plans for its restoration and opening as a tourist attraction, but this also failed to materialise.
Restoration
In 2010, English Heritage granted £150,000 for urgent restoration and consolidation work on the castle. The castle was added to the "Heritage at Risk" register a number of years beforehand (as early as 2003), but only some emergency repairs had been carried out to stabilise the ruins before 2010. The historic building and church architect Russ Palmer of Honiton drew up the repair scheme and the work was carried out by Carrek Ltd of Bristol between May and November 2010.
Preliminary work included making repairs to the north walls, which involved core drilling and the removal of ivy. The main restoration work included the consolidation and repointing of the ruins. As the addition of the 19th century bridge had caused some structural issues, the wall above it was partially rebuilt and strengthened with cintec anchors.
Following the work, English Heritage and the then-owners of the castle formed an agreement allowing the castle to be opened 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 bought the bungalow and castle in 2016.
Design
Rufus Castle is built of Portland stone and is constructed in the form of a pentagon. It 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, the latter being added in the 19th century along with the bridge.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
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 - Buy the bungalow and the castle comes free - October 2001 - website page
5) Dorset Echo - Historic treasures at risk from neglect - Harry Walton - July 2008 - website page
6) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland (as amended 2017) - PDF document
7) English Castles: A Guide by Counties - Adrian Pettifer - Boydell Press - 2002 - ISBN: 978-0851157825 - pages 66, 67 - book
8) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
9) Google Books - Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club - Volume 37 - 1916 - website page
10) Historic England - Heritage at Risk Register - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road, Easton, Portland - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle - website page
12) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle with Bridge - website page
13) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1955 - page 21 - book
14) Russ Palmer Architecture - Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
15) Pastscape - Rufus Castle - website page
16) Peter Gunning and Partners (PG+P) - Portfolio: Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
17) Tate - Artworks - Bow and Arrow or Rufus Castle, Portland 1811 - Joseph Mallord William Turner - website page
18) The Free Library - Sunday Mirror - Hello darling... I'm king of the pounds 1 castle - Caroline Sutton - August 1997 - website page
19) The Gatehouse Record - Rufus Castle - website page
20) Web Archive: Dorset for You - members.multimania.co.uk - John Penn - Archived from the original in 2011 - website page
21) 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 ruins seen today replaced the earlier defensive works. Some sources have speculated that the existing structure is built on the site of an earlier keep, which would have formed part of a larger castle or stronghold.
Built of Portland stone, the pentagonal-shaped castle has a number of late Medieval putlog holes and gunports, which have been erroneously 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.
Some of the castle has been lost to erosion over the years, but 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 a Grade I listed monument since January 1951. In addition to this, the castle 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 although the precise landing spot remains unknown, it has been suggested that the cove was one of the most likely locations. The Saxons built the first defences in the area and taxes were later raised in the late 11th century 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, at the time when 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 carried out under either or both of these licences included the site overlooking Church Ope.
The present ruins of Rufus Castle have been dated to the 15th century, suggesting the castle was rebuilt. It is likely that the rebuilding was funded by Richard, the Duke of York, sometime between 1432-60 as no expenditure on the castle is recorded in the Royal Accounts for Portland. The castle's continued to defend the coast from foreign raiders and was one of a number of fortifications with similar roles, including examples at Fowey, Dartmouth and Portsmouth. It is believed Rufus Castle fell into disuse once the construction of King Henry VIII's Portland Castle was carried out in 1539-41.
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 and as part of his expansive grounds, Penn had the ruins of Rufus Castle and St Andrew's enclosed. The ruin remained inaccessible to Portlanders and visitors while under Penn's ownership, although successive owners of Pennsylvania Castle would usually allow visitors.
During his time of ownership, Penn had a round-arched bridge added to the castle, which spanned over the lane leading from Church Ope Road and connected the castle to the field known as Castle Hays. The Norman style arch providing access into the castle from the bridge is of the same date and was made large enough for Penn's carriage to pass through. Penn also added another arch on the castle's south (seaward facing) side after the original collapsed.
In 1965, the then-owners of Pennsylvania Castle had Rufus Castle's adjoining land developed with the construction of a three-bedroom detached bungalow, Castle Keep. The ruins were enclosed in its garden. The property was sold to Keith Allsop in 1983 and he intended to restore the castle, but the project never came to fruition. In 1997, Mark Watson of Bournemouth bought the castle from the then-owners of Castle Keep for £1 and announced plans for its restoration and opening as a tourist attraction, but this also failed to materialise.
Restoration
In 2010, English Heritage granted £150,000 for urgent restoration and consolidation work on the castle. The castle was added to the "Heritage at Risk" register a number of years beforehand (as early as 2003), but only some emergency repairs had been carried out to stabilise the ruins before 2010. The historic building and church architect Russ Palmer of Honiton drew up the repair scheme and the work was carried out by Carrek Ltd of Bristol between May and November 2010.
Preliminary work included making repairs to the north walls, which involved core drilling and the removal of ivy. The main restoration work included the consolidation and repointing of the ruins. As the addition of the 19th century bridge had caused some structural issues, the wall above it was partially rebuilt and strengthened with cintec anchors.
Following the work, English Heritage and the then-owners of the castle formed an agreement allowing the castle to be opened 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 bought the bungalow and castle in 2016.
Design
Rufus Castle is built of Portland stone and is constructed in the form of a pentagon. It 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, the latter being added in the 19th century along with the bridge.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
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 - Buy the bungalow and the castle comes free - October 2001 - website page
5) Dorset Echo - Historic treasures at risk from neglect - Harry Walton - July 2008 - website page
6) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland (as amended 2017) - PDF document
7) English Castles: A Guide by Counties - Adrian Pettifer - Boydell Press - 2002 - ISBN: 978-0851157825 - pages 66, 67 - book
8) Exploring Portland - Church Ope Cove and the Pennsylvania Castle Area - Geoff Kirby - website page
9) Google Books - Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club - Volume 37 - 1916 - website page
10) Historic England - Heritage at Risk Register - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road, Easton, Portland - website page
11) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle - website page
12) Historic England - The National Heritage List for England - Rufus Castle with Bridge - website page
13) Isle of Portland Official Guide - Portland Urban District Council - Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd, Chelternham and London - circa 1955 - page 21 - book
14) Russ Palmer Architecture - Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
15) Pastscape - Rufus Castle - website page
16) Peter Gunning and Partners (PG+P) - Portfolio: Rufus Castle, Portland - website page
17) Tate - Artworks - Bow and Arrow or Rufus Castle, Portland 1811 - Joseph Mallord William Turner - website page
18) The Free Library - Sunday Mirror - Hello darling... I'm king of the pounds 1 castle - Caroline Sutton - August 1997 - website page
19) The Gatehouse Record - Rufus Castle - website page
20) Web Archive: Dorset for You - members.multimania.co.uk - John Penn - Archived from the original in 2011 - website page
21) Web Archive: English Heritage - Grant Aided Properties - Rufus Castle, Church Ope Road - Archived from the original in 2013 - website page
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