History The Grade II*-listed Mortons House was constructed around 1590, in the footprint of an 'E' in homage to Queen Elizabeth I. One of the oldest in Corfe, the house was originally known as 'Dacombs', named after its owner, William Dacombs. Living in the shadow of the castle, the manor was extended in the 17th century, using stone from the crumbling historic landmark, and even setting up a series of tunnels connecting the two together. Today Mortons House is run as a hotel by the Clayton family, who have restored the fabric of the building to its former glory. The village of Corfe Castle is of course home to the legendary and eponymous medieval fortifications. Built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, the structure was one of the first to be built with stone, rather than the traditional earth and timber.
Facilities The Oak-Panelled Drawing Room Licensed to host civil ceremonies, this unusual space features historic friezes sculpted by Indonesian sailors, and a fireplace. Receptions Mortons House is able to accommodate up to 100 guests for informal buffets or 60 for a formally seated wedding breakfast. Formal Reception Capacity - 60 Guests Buffet Reception Capacity - 100 Guests Prices Venue hire charges range from £300 in off-peak periods up to £1600 during the busy season. If you're hoping to invite a large number of guests to your big day at the venue, this guarantees you exclusivity of the entire manor - very cost-effective indeed!
Catering Cuisine is provided by the hotel's in-house catering team, led by their well-established resident Head Chef, Ed Firth. This is informal, rustic food at its very finest. Expect such delights as a terrine of chicken, wild mushroom and prune to start, a pork fillet with braised cheek, white bean and rosemary cassoulet, celeriac fondant and baby spinach for main course, and then maybe warm chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream to finish. There is also an innovative selection of canapés on offer, such as quail's egg, cauliflower purée and caviar; prosciutto ham, fig and mascarpone; or spicy vegetable samosa, mint yoghurt dip. Accommodation The hotel has 21 individual bedrooms and suites at its disposal. All bar four of them are in the main house itself (these four are located in the pretty walled gardens), ranging from their most luxurious four-postered rooms to suites and double/twin rooms. Find out more info, using the contact details listed below. Address Mortons House Hotel 45 East Street Corfe Castle Wareham Dorset BH2 0EE
Reviews Clare and Dan To Bev and all her wonderful team at Mortons that helped to make our wedding day on 7th May as wonderful as it was. Nothing was too much for anyone ( even when we said we had 16 young children attending !!!) From start to finish we realised we had found the perfect venue and a fantastic team of people to look after us on the day and leading up to the day. The food was fab, the hotel a pleasure to stay in and Dan and I can't wait to come back for cream tea in the summer and for our first anniversary.
