Swanage

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Swanage
Swanage (Dorset)
Swanage

Swanage shown within Dorset
Population 10,124 (2001)
OS grid reference SZ0278
District Purbeck
Shire county Dorset
Region South West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SWANAGE
Postcode district BH19
Dialling code 01929
Police Dorset
Fire Dorset
Ambulance South Western
European Parliament South West England
UK Parliament South Dorset
List of places: UK • England • Dorset

Coordinates: 50°37′N 1°58′W / 50.61, -1.96

Swanage is a small coastaltown in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The town has a population of 10,124 (2001). Nearby are Ballard Down, Old Harry Rocks and Studland Bay to the north and Durlston Country Park to the south.

The town was a small port and fishing village until the Victorian era when it became a seaside resort. It also has a long history in quarrying along the cliffs to the south at Durlston, and was one of the largest producers of Purbeck stone and marble. Today, tourism is the main industry, employing many who live in the town, while some 40% of the workforce commute to Poole[citation needed]. Swanage has several pubs in proximity to the town square. The square itself has three takeaway restaurants, though only one 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. Indeed Swanage is considered by many to be the home of British Scuba diving[citation needed] as not only is it one of the most popular sea water training sites for dive schools and clubs to take trainee divers due to the sheltered conditions within the bay, but the dive shop still situated on the pier was the first dive shop ever to open in Great Britain.[citation needed] There is a sandy beach, on Swanage Bay, along the edge of the town. The beach was improved in 2005/6 by construction of new greenheart timber groynes and the placement of 90,000m³ of sand as beach nourishment [1]. In the summer jet skis and pedal boats can be hired from the beach. Cliffs to the south-east of the town are used by climbers. The town is a gateway town for the Jurassic Coast, a popular world heritage site, and because of this it is a popular destination for educational field trips and romantic meals. Swanage is one of the few towns in the UK to have a crater on Mars named after it. Swanage hosts a carnival at the beginning of August each year.

Swanage (from Ballard Down).
Swanage (from Ballard Down).


Contents

[edit] History

The town gets it's first mention in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 877, as being the scene of a great naval victory by King Alfred over the Danes: "This year came the Danish army into Exeter from Wareham; whilst the navy sailed west about, until they met with a great mist at sea, and there perished one hundred and twenty ships at Swanwich." A hundred of their ships which had survived the battle were driven by a storm onto Peveril Point. A monument topped (historically incorrectly) by cannon balls was set up in 1882 by John Mowlem to celebrate this event and is situated at the southern end of the promenade (Ward Lock’s).

During its history the bay was listed variously as Swanic, Swanwich and then finally on maps.

The town's prominence came during the Victorian period when Purbeck stone was transported from local quarries and then by sea from Swanage.

Globe at Durlston Country Park
Globe at Durlston Country Park

Many relics and monuments were brought from London in the nineteenth century by John Mowlem and his nephew George Burt, who became successful builders in the capital. It is said that the items brought from London were used as ballast for the empty vessels which transported Purbeck stone to London.

These include an old clock tower from one end of the old London Bridge has been set up at the seashore and a facade from one of the old London guild houses on the front of the Town Hall.

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. It hosts several special events throughout the year and runs many excellent days out events for children during school holidays.

James Blunt's video Carry You Home was filmed in Swanage.

[edit] Sport and recreation

Swanage has a King Georges Field in memorial to King George V, which recently became home to a new skate park (which continues to expand though fund raising by locals) and a new hi-tech play area, funded in a similar way to the skate park. Planning applications have been submitted for a sports pavilion. Additionally, the sea cliffs and quarries to the west of Swanage provide excellent venues for rock climbing. Swimming facilities are provided at the Municipal campsite - generally from 8 a.m (adult swimming) and 9 a.m for public swimming until either 6 p.m or 8 p.m. The staff are friendly and the pool- although small- is fine both for families to play around and at off peak times to get some lengths in. Another pool at Ulwell caravan park is also open to the public as well as running children's swimming lessons and aqua aerobic sessions. But the major activity to be enjoyed in Swanage is walking - whether it be walks along the Nine Barrow Downs from Swanage to Corfe - and back by bus- along the coast from - for example Worth Matravers to Swanage or Swanage to Studland -even though logistically the need for two cars or a friendly lift becomes a reality on occasions.

[edit] Literature

Swanage is called Knollsea in Thomas Hardy’s novels. In “The Hand of Ethelberta” it is described as “…a seaside village lying snug within two headlands as between a finger and thumb”.

In E.M. Forster's Howards End, Margaret and Mr. Wilcox first kiss there at the end of an evening's stroll.

“The Lady Margaret”, one of the linked short stories in Keith Roberts', Pavane has Swanage as the place where Jesse Strange meets an old school friend and fails to establish a relationship with his childhood sweetheart Margaret.

Swanage station, the terminus of the Swanage heritage railway.
Swanage station, the terminus of the Swanage heritage railway.

[edit] Tourism

Since the turn of the century tourism has been a very popular holiday destination for the working class/middle class. Nowadays it attracts all sorts of people around Europe. Many GCSE and other school students come to Swanage for coursework or other pieces of school work.

[edit] Language School

A large English Language school, Harrow House, is located in the centre of the town, and provides year round educational courses for students from more than 60 different countries.

[edit] Twinned with

[edit] Cultural references

Swanage is stated as the hometown of John Cleese's character Basil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers.

[edit] See also

Local villages:

[edit] References

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
  1. ^ Swanage Beach Replenishment 2005/2006

[edit] Bibliography

  • Cooper, Ilay. (2004). Purbeck Revealed. Bath: James Pembroke Publishing.
  • Ward Lock’s (no date). Swanage and South Dorset: Illustrated Guide Books. (Twelfth edition). London: Ward, Locke and Co. Ltd.

[edit] External links

Travel information: