England · 12th century
Rufus Castle ranks #4,373 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #284 of the 360 mapped in England. Founded c. 1150, it is older than 80% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 763 atlas entries founded in the 12th century. 4 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Southampton, 83 km away. See how England compares in the castle statistics.
Rufus Castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle, is a partially ruined Blockhouse overlooking Church Ope Cove on Portland, England. The names "Rufus Castle" and "Bow and Arrow Castle" have been widely used since the late 18th Century. It was originally speculated that Rufus referred to King William II, known as William Rufus, however more recent assessments also identify Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester (the Red Earl) as a possible origin for the name.
The existing structure dates largely from the late 15th century, making it Portland's oldest surviving defensive structure. Built on a pinnacle of rock, some of the original structure has been lost to erosion and collapse over the years.
The remaining castle appears to have been the keep of a stronghold, the foundation of which was much above the top of the church tower of St Andrews which lay in the valley below. The pentagonal tower of the castle has late Medieval gun holes but rests on an earlier foundation to the north and stepped plinth to the west which may have been a 12th-century keep. Remains include parts of the keep, sections of wall with gun ports and a 19th-century round-arched bridge across Church Ope Road.
The structure, including its bridge, has been a Grade I listed building since January 1951. It is one of three buildings on Portland to be Grade I listed. In addition to this, it has become a scheduled monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
Rufus Castle looks out over the Shambles sandbank, approximately 3 miles (5 km) out to sea, one of the most feared navigational hazards in the area. It was here in 1805 that the East Indianman, the Earl of Abergavenny, foundered and eventually sank, killing 263. Among the dead was the captain of the ship, John Wordsworth, brother of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth.
Text adapted from “Rufus Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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