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Gordon Knowles 75 months ago
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, about 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 (2001). Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks, with Studland Bay and Poole Harbour to the north. Within the parish are Durlston Bay and Durlston Country Park to the south of the town. The parish also includes the areas of Herston, just to the west of the town, and Durlston, just to the south. During the peak summer season, many people are drawn by the town's beautiful setting, the beach and other attractions. The town has many hotels and guest rooms though the number ( particularly of hotels ) has reduced slightly in recent years. Besides the beach, there are other local attractions including the restored Swanage steam railway and the Victorian pier. The town may also be used a base from which to visit other nearby areas of interest, such as Corfe Castle. Swanage's Victorian pier is over 100 years old and is one of two built, although it is the only one that survives complete today. The pier extends into the southern end of Swanage Bay near Swanage. The original Swanage Pier was built between 1859 and 1861 for use primarily by the local stone quarrying industry and included a tramway which ran the length of the pier and some way along the seafront. The old tracks can be seen to this day, inset into the seafront walkways.
Pevril Point right at the end of Swanage bay is a perfect viewing point for viewing across the bay and to Old Harry Rocks. Start your walk from the Pier and carry along the Peveril Point road to the very end. The view is amazing.The town, originally a small port and fishing village flourished in the Victorian era when it first became a significant quarrying port and later a seaside resort for the rich of the day. Today the town remains a popular tourist resort, this being the town's primary industry, with many thousands of visitors coming to the town during the peak summer season, drawn by the bay's sandy beaches and other attractions. During its history, the bay was listed variously as Swanawic, Swanwich, Sandwich, and only in more recent history as Swanage. The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site ~ this wonderful coastline which stretches from Orcombe Point in East Devon to The Old Harry Rocks near Swanage is a beautiful part of this area. Swanage Tourist Information Centre (T.I.C.) is an excellent point of reference for all visitors to the area and our friendly staff will be delighted to help you plan your holiday and find out more about the area.
The main bus services are provided by Wilts & Dorset. Numbers 40 and 44 which run between Swanage and Poole, and the number 50 which runs between Swanage and Bournemouth via the chain ferry between Studland and Sandbanks. Double-deck open top buses are used on the Poole/Bournemouth to Swanage routes in the summer months. The buses on these routes are branded as Purbeck Breezers. Swanage has a heritage restored steam railway which operates for most of the year, though at the moment this only goes as far as Norden. Recent developments on the railway have seen the physical connection between the Swanage Railway and the mainline restored. The first passenger service in more than 40 years from London Victoria and returning to London Waterloo took place on 1 April 2009. It is hoped that regular passenger services connecting to the mainline will begin in the future. Limited ferry services also run between Poole Quay and Swanage Pier. These are used by Swanage residents for shopping trips to Poole's large shopping centre, and also by tourists in Poole for day trips into Swanage. The nearest mainline railway station to Swanage is Wareham, where connections can be made for South West Trains services westward to Dorchester South and Weymouth. Services also travel eastwards towards Poole, Bournemouth, Southampton Central and London Waterloo. Services to and from Weymouth and London Waterloo can be either fast or stopping services.