Interesting history

Built in the reign of William the Conqueror, the royal history of Corfe Castle spans for centuries, where it was primarily used as a base of defence. The 22-metre castle would finally surrender its structure in 1638, under Lady Bankes’ ownership. After bravely defending the castle for three years, Parliamentary troops finally overtook the castle and heavily slighted it – producing the unique structure we know it as today.

The castles’ dramatic remains proudly show a lifetime of battle scars, atop the 55 metre High Hill that overlooks the surrounding village.

School Trips near Corfe Castle

Cumulus Outdoors provide adventure residential school trips in Dorset. What sets us apart from other providers is we host many of our outdoor activities at iconic natural beauty spots on the Jurassic Coast. Our base in Swanage allows us to visit many famed local destinations, such as Corfe Castle, Studland Bay, Swanage Bay and Durdle Door.

We offer completely bespoke school trips – allowing you to select the adventure activities that are best suited to your groups’ needs, before we take care of the logistics! We’ll put together a one-of-a-kind activity programme and itinerary for your adventure school trip near Corfe Castle.

Whether your students are exploring hidden sea caves on a Coasteering experience, Climbing to new heights at Dancing Ledge or casting for their supper on a mackerel fishing trip, the fun-filled activities at Cumulus Outdoors will always promote healthy living and life skills such as working as a team and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Residential Trips on the Jurassic Coast

As well as offering outdoor activities at famed natural beauty spots, we have two accommodation options for groups enjoying a residential trip at Cumulus Outdoors.

Our Residential Centre is perfect for winter school trips in Dorset. It sleeps 139 people and boasts 7-acres of grounds for students to enjoy!

Our Tented Villages are a popular option in the summer. They offer students the chance to get closer to nature and enjoy superb views overlooking Poole Harbour. Your group will love playing games in the central Nordic Tipi Tent.

Visiting Corfe Castle

We love visiting famous locations on the Jurassic Coast, and are proud to offer educational trips to places of interest for our groups. We will be happy to incorporate visits to Corfe Castle and many other local attractions into your itinerary whilst on a residential school trip at Cumulus Outdoors.

Our educational visits can take on geographical, historical or environmental slant depending on the learning objectives required.

Cumulus has a fantastic relationship with trusts, museums, reserves and more – and as such, can provide visit to many of the areas’ attractions, such as Swanage Steam Railway, Jurassic Coast Trust, Brownsea Island, and The Etches Collection.

Outdoor Activities near Corfe Castle

Dorset Water Park

Dorset Water Park is situated in the foothills of Corfe Castle! The ‘total wipeout’ style activity features two inflatable obstacle courses on water. Students and teachers alike will enjoy the thrill of climbing, splashing and jumping through the courses. Dorset Water Park is sure to provide many laughs and is the highlight of the trip for many students!

Sessions at Dorset Water Park begin with a period of free play, before students have the chance to take on both of the obstacle courses – spending approximately 45 minutes on each. Safety is paramount – expert lifeguards are present throughout the whole session and students are required to wear wetsuits and buoyancy aids (which are provided).

Dorset Mud Trail

Dorset Mud Trail is perfect for lively students who aren’t afraid to get dirty! Also located in the foothills of Corfe Castle, the muddy setting features 50 obstacles along the 2km woodland route. Groups will get 90-minutes to overcome the obstacles and complete the course – though they can take it on multiple times if they finish early!

The obstacles include balance beams, monkey bars, cargo nets, rope swings, and of course – mud slides! Students are accompanied by a Mud Trail Leader who will keep a close eye on the activity. The session ends with warm showers and clean clothes!

Learning Outcomes

With both activities we implement our ‘challenge by choice’ ethos – students can go around obstacles if they would prefer not to do something! We’re believers that teaching shouldn’t be confined to four walls and love seeing children spend time in the great outdoors.

At Dorset Water Park and the Mud Trail, we promote the development of social and interpersonal skills like working together, effective communication, coordination, balance and physical education. Students will put their fitness to the test on these sessions, and exercise different muscle groups such as the upper body, core and legs.

Field Studies on the Jurassic Coast

We are extremely lucky to be able to offer field studies trips just a few miles from Corfe Castle on the Jurassic Coast – where the famous geology has unlocked 150 million years of secrets about our history. Our local beauty spots have been the sites of key discoveries that have given the world more information about the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous periods – including dinosaur era! Your group will love learning more about the fascinating history of the world before we knew it on a field studies trip on the Jurassic Coast.

We offer trips for students of all ages. Whether you’d like to spark intrigue and passion about geology in your KS1 group or support GCSE or A-Level studies for secondary school students, our field studies are sure to inspire future geologists.