Our verdict
Good if you want a quieter angle on Corfe Castle away from the main street and the crowds queuing for the ruin itself — the castle draws serious numbers on summer weekends and the village car park fills early, so this is best walked from the edges. Dogs on leads are welcome across the estate.
National Trust access land forming part of the castle's estate, the fields and slopes immediately around Corfe Castle village that give walkers a way to loop around the ruin and its famous silhouette without joining the main tourist path through the village.