Enid Blyton Explore This leaflet aims to show you how you can discover Purbeck Country in the footsteps of Enid Blyton. Use the map and travel A circular route by public transport. information to go on a self- Catch the 40 bus from Poole bus guided trail of this beautiful station or Wareham railway station, area and uncover fascinating which goes to via Corfe stories and incredible sights Castle. If you are driving then please along the way. use Norden Car Park where for most days throughout the year, you can Enid Blyton was one of the catch the steam train from Corfe most successful British authors Castle to Swanage. From Swanage of the twentieth century. She you can catch the 50 bus to had an extensive love affair via Studland. You could with , which provided include the spectacular walk along the the inspiration for many of her South West Coast Path via Old Harry. books and characters. www.travelinesw.com , tel 01929 425800. The Famous Five, Secret Seven and are just a few of Take a boat trip from Poole Quay around the household names created the harbour and see all the islands. You by the author, but less well won't be able to land in winter - but Brownsea was out of bounds in Enid's known is the fact that she day too. The boats have a covered based some of her characters saloon and serve hot & cold drinks. Look and locations on people and out for the excellent bird watching and places in Dorset. Jurassic Coast trips. Enid Blyton wrote more than 700 books in 40 years, but she still found time for three For further holidays a year in Purbeck for information over twenty years. Discover Purbeck Information Centre, © & TM Enid Blyton Limited (a group Wareham. Tel: 01929 552740. company). All rights reserved. Reproduction of the photograph of ENID Swanage Information Centre, BLYTON by Dorothy Wilding is given by kind Swanage. Tel: 01929 422885. "Below them spread the Dorset permission of Enid Blyton Limited (a Chorion www.visit-dorset.com countryside, shimmering in the company). heat of the day, the distance almost lost in a blue haze." Enid Blyton Purbeck provided inspiration for many of the characters and locations in Enid’s books. Among the places associated with the author are:

swanage Brownsea Swanage has one pier less Island 1 than it did in the Blyton ‘Whispering Island’ is based heyday, when she and 4 on Brownsea Island, now Kenneth, her husband, used to owned by the National Trust. swim round both before supper. In In Enid Blyton's day it was owned recent years, the Grosvenor Hotel by the very reclusive Mrs Bonham- has made way for what must be Christie, who would not tolerate Britain's most elegantly designed visitors and allowed the island to sewage pumping station. The return to nature. In ‘Five Have a bookshop where she would sign Mystery to Solve’, Enid described copies of her works is now Martins it as ‘Keep Away Island’. the newsagent. However, the great authoress would recognise two other familiar Stoborough Swanage landmarks - The Heath Wellington Clock Tower and The "Mystery Moor" is reputedly Grand Hotel, the hotel that she 5 based on the heath between favoured in the 1950's. Blue Pool and Ridge. Although always a visitor, rather Heathland birds and all six native than a resident, Enid Blyton species of reptile and the vivid became an integral part of marsh gentian can be found here. Purbeck life and was also elected president of the annual Swanage Carnival and Regatta. Studland "Little Noddy Goes to 6 Toyland" was published in Isle of Purbeck 1949, with worldwide sales Golf Club quickly soaring sky-high. Many In 1950 Kenneth purchased more books were to follow, who 2 The Isle of Purbeck Golf hasn't heard of Noddy now? Club from Harry Palmer. Reputedly, Mr Plod is founded on This magnificent heathland course the Studland policeman of those is consistently ranked among the days, PC Christopher Rone, who top 100 courses in the British Isles must surely now rank as the world's by Golf World. It dates back to most famous policeman! In the 1892 and the original 18 holes early 1960's Enid stayed at the were extended to 27 under Enid Knoll House Hotel, until her Corfe Castle was the inspiration for Kirrin Castle in Enid Blyton's Famous Five books. The author visited the ruin in Blyton's ownership. Park in the dementia made holidays too 3 1941, arriving by steam train from Swanage - you may like to imagine yourself as one of the Famous Five layby and admire the view. difficult. disembarking at Corfe Station. When the station is open, you can even photograph yourself alongside a painting of the Five, with the castle in the background. Thanks go to the following for You can walk around the base of the castle or go inside and climb up for views over the village and surrounding countryside. assisting in the production of this leaflet: Ginger Pop Shop, National Trust Corfe Castle, Corfe Castle Chamber of Trade, Swanage Railway, Dorset AONB team, Purbeck Tourism © 2006. Updated 2017 Group. Produced by Purbeck District Council.