Jane's Midlife Journey

Look west across the bay from Bournemouth and in the distance, just past the Purbecks, you can glimpse Swanage. Only 12 miles away, on the other side of Poole Harbour, lies this pleasant town nestled in a bay lined by a long, sandy beach. With its beautiful beach, quaint quay, amazing fish & chips and nostalgic steam railway, Swanage is a great place for a day trip. And taking the open top Breezer Bus, which follows the coast for much of the journey, is all part of the fun.

How to get to Swanage

By road, there are two ways to reach Swanage from Bournemouth. The first is to drive round Poole Harbour. This route is around 25 miles and should take about an hour to drive. The shorter option is to drive to Sandbanks, then take the ferry across the mouth of Poole Harbour and continue though Studland to Swanage. This is much shorter, only 12 miles, but also takes around an hour, depending on how long you have to wait for the ferry.

Sandbanks Ferry

The Sandbanks Ferry is a chainlink ferry which operates daily between 7 am and 11 pm, running every 20 minutes. It’s a very quick trip, it only takes a few minutes, but it’s quite fun crossing the harbour amidst all the yachts and pleasure boats. A crossing costs £5.40 each way for a car and £1 for a cyclist or pedestrian (only charged in one direction).

Breezer Bus

By far the most fun way to reach Swanage from Bournemouth is on the Purbeck Breezer 50. This open top bus departs from Bournemouth approximately every 30-60 minutes, depending on the season, for the scenic drive to along the coast and across the Purbecks to Swanage. A single trip costs £3. A one day Dayrider Ticket costs £11.30 and can be used on any bus on the Morebus network.

The bus takes just over an hour to reach Swanage, where you can alight either at Banjo Pier just before the pedestrian section of Shore Road, which runs along the seafront, or continue into town and the terminus at Swanage Bus Station.

Parking

If you decide to drive, there is Pay & Display parking at North Beach Car Park on the way into town (£1.70 per hour) and also at Main Beach Car Park (£2.10 per hour). Parking charges are seasonal, running from April until October. Further details can be found here. There is also some free roadside parking if you head a few streets inland from the beach.

Swanage Beach

The Blue Flag Swanage Beach is sandy and sheltered, so an ideal spot for a swim or just to relax. It is lined by a row of beach huts, amusement arcades, souvenir shops and cafés.

The Stone Quay

If you walk along the beach towards the town, you reach the Stone Quay; a quaint 19th Century quay built of Purbeck Stone. It was originally constructed to facilitate the export of the local stone. The remains of the tramway that was used to transport the stone to waiting ships can still be seen.

Swanage Museum & Heritage Centre

The miniscule Swanage Museum & Heritage Centre tells the town’s history from Jurassic coast to the burgeoning stone trade to the holiday resort of today.

The museum is open daily except Wednesdays from April until the end of October. Opening times are from 10 am to 4 pm (11 am to 3 pm on Sundays).
Entry is free.

Swanage Pier

At end of the quay, you will find the Victorian Swanage Pier. The current pier was built in 1895, constructed of 170 timber piles. The wooden section of the pier is 196 metres long. It is one of only 14 wooden piers in the UK.

Prince Albert Gardens

The beautifully landscaped Prince Albert Gardens, complete with open air amphitheatre, sit overlooking the bay.

In the corner of the gardens, you will find the recently opened Cancare Sanctuary Garden, built to mark the 35th anniversary of the Swanage based cancer support charity, Cancare.

The pier is open daily, with opening times varying according to the season. You can stroll along the pier for £2.20.

Wellington Clock Tower

Just past the pier, you can find the Wellington Clock Tower. Built of local Purbeck stone, the tower was initially erected at the end of London Bridge in 1854. Vibrations from passing traffic made the clock unreliable. And it was soon overshadowed by other buildings. It was declared an obstruction to traffic and disassembled in 1867. The tower was saved by Swanage based contractor George Burt and shipped back to his hometown, minus the clock mechanism. He gifted it to a fellow contractor, who erected it in his garden at Peveril Point.

Peveril Point

Swanage Bay ends at Peveril Point. From this rocky outcrop, you can see north across the bay to the headland of Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks. To the south, you can look across Durlston Bay to Durlston Country Park.

Durlston Country Park

A mile further along the coat from Swanage is Durlston Country Park; a castle set in grounds overlooking Durlston Bay with trails providing some stunning views. To read about my visit to Durlston Country Park, click here.

Swanage Town Hall

Heading back into town, you will find Swanage Town Hall. Constructed in 1882, this is another construction instigated by the aforementioned George Burt. Burt shipped Purbeck stone to London by barge. These barges required ballast to stabilise them for the return journey. So Burt used material salvaged from buildings demolished in the capital, re-erecting many of them in his hometown. The Town Hall façade was originally part of Christopher Wren’s 17th Century Mercers’ Hall.

To the rear is an interesting little building; a 19th Century drunk tank ‘erected for the prevention of vice and immorality’.

Purbeck House Hotel

Across the road is Purbeck House. Now a hotel, this building was formerly the home of the illustrious George Burt. Built in 1875, the structure incorporates statues from the royal exchange, a tiled floor originally laid in the Houses of Parliament, an arch that once stood in Hyde Park, a balustrade and columns from Billingsgate Market, granite left over from the Albert Memorial, a carving from the medieval Parliament Buildings and a gargoyle from Westminster Hall.

Swanage Station

Swanage Station was originally the terminus of a branch line from Wareham, which was closed by British Rail in 1972. A decade later, it reopened as part of a heritage railway between Swanage and Corfe Castle. The station dates back to 1882 and is made of Purbeck stone.

Swanage Railway

Swanage Railway runs from Swanage to Norden (sometimes on to Wareham) stopping at Corfe Castle. The schedule is seasonal, but steam trains run most days. Check out the current timetable here. A full line return ticket costs £20 (£10 for children).

In addition to the regular service, there are also themed events, such as the Purbeck Piddler (a beer excursion) or a murder mystery train ride.

Fish & Chips

The area around the quayside is lined with cafés and bars, but being the seaside, we decided it had to be Fish & Chips for lunch. We went to The Fish Plaice, where the fish is so fresh that the name of the boat which caught it is written on the menu. I actually opted for a pea fritter, which was really good – as were the chips. There is plenty of seating outside the Fish Plaice, so you can have a great lunch with an equally great view across the bay (keep an eye out for seagulls).

Swanage for Children

Swanage is an excellent destination for children, as the sheltered bay means the water is usually calm. Apart from the beach, the seafront has plenty of things to entertain children, such as amusement arcades, Santa Fe Fun Park and Playground. There’s even a beachside Punch & Judy Show.

Crabbing on the quayside is a popular activity. And then, of course, there’s the steam train. From meeting your favourite TV characters to a Halloween Ghost Train or a magical trip on the Yuletide Express.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable day out in Swanage and I would recommend taking the open top bus trip just for the sake of it. Then spend the day in Swanage or combine it with other activities, such as the steam train, Corfe Castle or a visit to Durlston Country Park. Oh, and did I mention the fish & chips?

• Updated: September 2025

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.