Corfe Castle — Parliament's Cannons
Uncover the hidden codes in the ruins where Parliament's cannons shattered a royal fortress in 1646. Solve the Bankes family's secret betrayal to reveal the lost royal cipher before it's gone forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1646, as the English Civil War raged, Corfe Castle stood as one of the last Royalist bastions in southern England
Corfe Castle — Parliament's Cannons
You are a Royalist scout, dispatched by King Charles I in March 1646, with a mission to break the parliamentary blockade strangling Corfe Castle.
From Corfe Castle
Delve into 1646 Dorset, at the heart of the First English Civil War, and relive the epic siege of Corfe Castle, a relic of legendary resistance.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The story that haunts this land
Your journey begins at Corfe Castle Railway Station, the terminus of the Swanage Railway. This heritage line, restored and opened on June 1, 1982, immediately immerses you in the atmosphere of a journey through time. Located just 0.5 km southwest of Corfe Castle village, it serves as the gateway for the more than 100,000 annual passengers transported by the Swanage Railway Trust. It is here that you receive your first instructions for a mission that will lead you to the heart of the events of March 1646, as the Civil War raged in Dorset.
As you ascend West Street, this 500-meter paved medieval lane connecting the station to the castle, you walk in the footsteps of the parliamentary forces. Lined with 16th and 17th-century houses, this Conservation Area, listed since 1973 with 20 Grade II buildings, was the scene of the 1646 battles. It was here that parliamentary artillery, under the command of Sir Walter Erle, was positioned to bombard the castle. The ghosts of soldiers still seem to walk these grounds, seeking to breach the defenses of the Norman fortress.
The majestic Corfe Castle stands before you. Founded around 1086 by William the Conqueror and remodelled in the 13th century by the Bankes family, this Norman castle is a silent witness to the First English Civil War. Its ruins, covering 2 hectares with an 18-meter high keep, have been owned by the National Trust since 1982. It was here that Lady Mary Bankes, whose betrayal is a local legend, resisted Royalist attackers for three years, before the castle was partially destroyed on March 6, 1646, by parliamentary forces. Your mission takes on its full meaning at the foot of these ancient walls.
St Edward's Church, a 14th-century parish church rebuilt after the 1646 fire that devastated Corfe Castle village, offers a unique perspective. Its 20-meter high bell tower, dating from 1361, has been Grade I listed since 1956. Inside, you discover the funerary monuments of the Bankes, lords of the castle until the 17th century, whose family was at the heart of the conflicts. Nearby, Corfe Castle Village Square, lined with 17th-century cottages rebuilt after the 1646 destruction, was the historical gathering point for the 1,000 parliamentary soldiers who assaulted the castle in March 1646.
Your quest concludes at Corfe Castle Museum, opened in 1982 in an 18th-century former shop on West Street. This museum, managed by the Corfe Castle Museum Trust, exhibits artifacts from the 1646 siege, including parliamentary cannonballs found on site. With an exhibition area of 150 m², free admission, and over 5,000 annual visitors, this place offers you the final pieces of the puzzle. You leave Corfe Castle with a renewed understanding of its heritage, the events of the First English Civil War, and figures like Sir John Bankes and Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, who shaped the history of Dorset.
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Demolition techniques
Discover 17th-century military engineering methods
Parliamentary archives
Explore official documents from Cromwell's Republic
Industrial archaeology
Analyze the material traces of methodical destruction
Stone by stone
The engineering of political destruction
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
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Your turn to play
Delve into 1646 Dorset, at the heart of the First English Civil War, and relive the epic siege of Corfe Castle, a relic of legendary resistance.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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