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Swanage

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Athenaeum (talk | contribs) at 18:20, 21 July 2006 (It isn't appropriate to categorize places by possession of a specific minor feature. The list of King George's Fields do the job,). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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Swanage station, the terminus of the Swanage heritage railway.
Swanage (from Ballard Down).

Swanage is a small town in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10km south of Poole and 40km east of Dorchester. The town has a population of 10,124 (2001).

The town was a small port and fishing village until the Victorian era when it became a seaside resort. Today, tourism is the main industry, employing many who live in the town, while some 40% of the workforce commute to Poole. Swanage has several pubs in proximity to the town square. The square itself has three takeaway restaurants, though only one - The Parade - has a seated dining area.

The town has a wooden 19th century pier with two branches; one was refurbished in 1999 and the other is derelict. Sightseeing and angling boats operate from the "new" pier. Scuba diving takes place under the piers and at nearby coastal wrecks. There is a sandy beach, on Swanage Bay, along the edge of the town. Cliffs to the east of the town are used by climbers. The town is a gateway town for the Jurassic Coast, a popular world heritage site.

An old clock tower from one end of the old London Bridge has been set up at the seashore. A facade from one of the old London guild houses is on the front of the Town Hall. These relics and many more were brought to the town in the nineteenth century by John Mowlem and his nephew George Burt, who became successful builders in London. It is said that the items brought from London were used as ballast for the empty vessels which transported Purbeck stone to London.

The Swanage Railway, a volunteer-run heritage railway, connects the town with Corfe Castle and runs both steam and diesel locomotives. It runs on tracks reconstructed on an alignment abandoned by the national railway system in 1972.

Alfred the Great is said to have fought a sea battle in its bay. A monument topped by cannonballs has been set up to celebrate this event and is situated at the southern end of the promenade.

Nearby are Ballard Down, Old Harry Rocks and Studland Bay to the north and Durlston Country Park to the south.

It is one of the few towns in the UK to have a crater on Mars named after it.

Sport and recreation

Swanage has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V

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