Anybody interested in what the world of the castle in England or Europe might have been like certainly has more than enough opportunity to see castle ruins spread throughout both regions. England (or the United Kingdom itself) certainly has hundreds and even thousands of such ruins, some in much better shape than others, though all are fascinating and can help to put one in mind of what the ancient wizards, for example, of that world once stood upon, as they paced the battlements looking out and around at the countryside.

A castle is a fortified structure, and it was usually the private residence of a lord or nobleman. Of course, the Queen of England, Elizabeth II (who also holds the crown in many other Commonwealth nations, including Australia and Canada as well as those countries within the United Kingdom) has a private residence of her own that is actually a true castle, in Windsor.

It is the single largest inhabited castle in the world, by the way, and it is in a pristine state, meaning that it has not fallen into ruin as have so many other castles within the country, mostly because of their extreme age or because they were once the victims of artillery fire and war or strife throughout the ages. It is usually the case that the castles that most often are found in ruins are the ones that were constructed in the 9th and 10th centuries, usually because they were originally built of earth and timber.

A fine example of a castle that lies in ruins but is still recognizable as the imposing structure that once was can be found near Studland, Dorset, England. Called “Corfe Castle,” it is at least 1000 years old, sitting in ancient splendor among the rolling Purbeck Hills. The oldest surviving part of the castle dates to the 11th century, though some scholars believe that there are structures lying among the ruins that were built before the Normans conquered England in 1066.

At the time it was at its most hardy, Corfe Castle was probably an impressive fortification that commanded a strategic gap in the surrounding hills along an equally strategic route between Wareham and Swanage, two important towns during those times. It is easy to see, when standing among the ruins, the strategic value of the castle, because one can see road traffic even to this day, traveling to and from Swanage.

Exploring castle ruins, whether in the United Kingdom (where they are especially abundant) or in Europe at large, is a great way to experience the world that the wizard most likely lived in during those times. It is easy to stand among these ruins, close one's eyes and imagine the grand sweep that these structures once presented to those down below them, looking up in awe.