East Lulworth One-Place Study

Lulworth Castle, intended to be used primarily as a hunting lodge and not for defensive purposes was built between 1606 and 1610. It welcomed King James I in 1615 for a hunting expedition, King Charles II in 1665 to escape the Great Plague in London and King George III on at least four occasions. Sadly in 1929 a fire started which raged for three days leaving the castle as a shell with no roof. In 1983 English Heritage finally began restoration work to return the Castle exterior to its original state. The enlargement of Lulworth Castle Park in 1773 led to the demolition of many villagers’ homes, leaving the Anglican church isolated from the rest of the village. Today most properties are owned by the Weld family, landowners for over 380 years. The study has been helped tremendously thanks to Henry Rolls, a shoemaker, who kept a journal of events from the 1820s onwards.