With 2010
marking the 125th Anniversary of the railway
reaching Swanage, we wanted to celebrate
this in a way that is fun and educational.
Prior to the arrival of the railway, Swanage
was a small coastal settlement with a trade
in Purbeck stone travelling by boat to
London. The arrival of the railway
transformed the town and the region.
Since Roman
times, Purbeck Ball clay had been mined from
the heathland north of Corfe Castle. It had
been taken by horse and cart and latterly
tramway to be loaded into boats in Poole
Harbour. After the arrival of the railway it
could be sent out by rail. Indeed, Norden
Park & Ride is one place where ball clay was
transferred to the main line wagons.
At the same
time, the railways opened up the country for
millions of people. All of a sudden town
dwellers could take the train and experience
the fresh air of the coast. This marked the
beginning of the British
seaside holiday.
Through trains from
London and the Midlands led to the development of
Swanage as a popular family resort with its safe
sandy beaches and easy access to stunning
countryside and quaint ancient villages.
The building of a new pier in 1895 allowed paddle
steamers to bring more people into the town and
provided another attraction for holidaymakers by
affording seatrips along the coast and to the Isle
of Wight. The town and the region were subsequently transformed
into what you see today. Swanage has maintained much
of its Victorian heritage.
In 2009, a number of organisations across the region
decided to celebrate this heritage with a series of
events that would be fun but also allow today’s
visitors to learn about the heritage of the area.
Victorian Swanage was born.
Facts About Victorian Britain:
Victoria
became Queen in 1837 at the age of just 18.
She ruled until her death in 1901 and
remains (to date) the longest reigning
British monarch. Her reign saw
some very significant events in the history
of our islands, for example: the first
flushing public toilet (1860), the
foundation of the Football Association
(1863), the first Sainsburys store (1869)
and the invention of the gramophone (1887).
Look out
for other interesting facts throughout this
website!
