Lulworth castle, built in the early 17th Century as a hunting lodge, became a country house at the heart of a large estate. Thomas Howard, 3rd Lord Bindon, built the Castle in order to entertain hunting parties for the King and Court. The Howards owned it until 1641 when it was purchased by Humphrey Weld, the direct ancestor of the present owners.
The exterior of the Castle changed little over the years but the interior evolved in line with changing fashions until it was gutted by a disastrous fire in 1929. Restoration work began on the ruin by the Department of the Environment and was followed through to completion in 1998 by English Heritage.The fascinating thing is, the fire started in the basement kitchens and spread upwards. The decision was taken to simply replace the roof and windows, but leave the shell gutted. Hence you can see at ground level how the castle was constructed, upwards through various layers to the top floor with its 1920s decor.
The Catholic Church of St. Mary, built in 1786 as a family chapel. According to Weld family legend, they were only allowed to build the church if it did not look like a church! So they built a domed neo-classical structure that looks much like the allegorical temples much in vogue during the late 18th century.
The Roman Catholic chapel in the castle grounds
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