Swanage has a diverse range of attractions that make it an excellent centre for a visit to the Isle of Purbeck. The town boasts an excellent sandy beach with its own pier and an excellent sheltered harbour for day boats.
Swanage Pier, originally built in 1859, is at the south end of the beach. The original pier served as a dock for the paddle steamers that mainly exported the Purbeck Stone to Poole and London, but also carried day trippers. Eventually the use overwhelmed the old pier and in 1896 the new pier was constructed.
The old pier fell in to disrepair and can today only be seen as a set of wooden piles protruding from the sea just to the south of the modern pier.
Piers around England have never had an easy life. Too often they have been set fire too or have been crashed into by ships. Swanage Pier is no exception. In 1940 the western end of the pier was blown up by…..the Army. The pier had been marked as likely invasion point and had to be disabled.
Between 1948 and 1966 the pier was back in business, providing a landing point for the Paddle Steamer Embassy. But after the Embassy left, the pier deteriated for 30 years until the Swanage Pier Trust took control in 1994. Lottery money and donations from English Heritage was successful obtained and the pier was reopened for use.
The pier is home to the UK’s oldest diving club Divers Down and can be used for diving, fishing and accessing boat charters.
Just to the south of the pier is a thriving dingy club, whose members can be watched form the beach as they race through the open sea.
Swanage is also home to the Swanage Railway which runs on 6 miles of line between Swanage and Norden. Since 1972 the line has been run by volunteers and operates at weekends between mid February and the end of the year, and 7 days a week April to October. If you have always wanted to drive your own steam train then this is the place you can full fill that dream, so give Swanage Railway a call. | 
