Purbeck’s only waterpark is located just outside Corfe Castle. Set within 18 acres of woodland, the park boasts a 200m outdoor inflatable course across two lakes, and a 2km-long mud trail assault course. Take a look at the park in action: Waterpark Challenge your friends to complete the Total Wipeout-style course. Complete with trampoline, balance beams and slides, the course is suitable for everyone over the age of six. (Children under 12 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.) Sessions are one hour long. What to wear at the waterpark Wetsuit (available for hire for £5) Old trainers or sturdy wet shoes (available for hire  for £2) No jewellery No glasses Important safety information You must be able to swim 10 metres, or 50 metres with a buoyancy aid, to take part Buoyancy aids (provided) must be worn at all times Lifeguards are on duty and are trained to help you get the most out of your experience Mud Trail The Mud Trail obstacle course is suitable for everyone over the age of four, (children under 12 must be supervised). The course is 2km long and includes over 50 obstacles to pull, climb, jump, crawl and swing your way across. […]

Langton Matravers lies just two miles outside Swanage and has several excellent walking trails, as well as a village shop, pub and a small children’s petting farm. There is a lively and active community in Langton, with various clubs for both children and adults both within the village and in nearby villages, including Harman’s Cross, Worth Matravers, Corfe Castle, and of course in Swanage town. Langton Matravers is Swanage’s closest village and is connected via a regular hourly bus service, which runs between Swanage and Poole. The village school – St George’s CE Primary – has close links with the church, both of which are a short walk along the main street from the village shop & post office and village hall. Langton’s most famous connection is writer Ian Fleming – the author of the James Bond books – who was educated at the now closed Durnford School. Langton Matravers Village Hall The village hall is a community hub, with a range of events, clubs and activities throughout the year. The hall is home to a main hall, snooker room and meeting room, all of which are available for both residents and non-residents to hire. For hire charges and to book, […]

Home to the Anvil Point Lighthouse, built in the 1800s, the headland of Anvil Point is just one location for stunning seascapes and excellent walking within Durlston Country Park. Comprising part of the Jurassic Coast and the Isle of Purbeck, Anvil Point makes for an interesting explore and a fantastic spot for a quiet picnic overlooking uninterrupted sea views. The lighthouse The lighthouse at Anvil Point serves as a navigation aid and waypoint for vessels passing along the English Channel and was installed following a number of shipwrecks here. It became fully automated in 1991 and its light, which flashes every ten seconds with its rotating lens, reaches nine nautical miles out to sea. The original light would have been a paraffin burner. The twelve-metre-tall lighthouse was built in 1881 from locally-quarried stone stands 45m above sea level. It used to have a fog signal – a small cannon – that sounded every five minutes in low-visibility weather conditions, however this was discontinued in the 1980s. The lighthouse at Durlston is not accessible to the general public, although you can stay in its cottages, which have been converted into two holiday homes. How to get there You can walk to Anvil Point […]

One of the most iconic landforms on the South Coast – Old Harry Rocks – is just a stone’s throw from Swanage and an important feature of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast history. There are various walking routes to Old Harry Rocks from both Swanage and Studland, each offering breathtaking views of this unique rock formation. The white chalk promontory and ‘stacks’ that make up Old Harry rise from the sea between Swanage Bay and Studland Bay at Handfast Point on the headland of Ballard Down. They were once part of a chalk ridge that connected to The Needles on the Isle of Wight. On a clear day you can stand up on the cliff and see across to The Needles – three chalk stacks, similar to Old Harry Rocks, which rise from the sea off the island twenty miles away. From certain angles, and depending on where you are in Purbeck you can also see the stack known as Old Harry’s Wife, as well as further stack and a stump to the west of Old Harry known as the Pinnacles. There is also a now-inaccessible chalk ‘island’ known as No Man’s Land, which has become isolated by the sea. The gap between this […]

The RSPB nature reserve at Arne is perfect for both a short stroll through the woodland or a full day out walking and exploring. Part of the Isle of Purbeck and the Dorset AONB, the 565 hectare reserve comprises an array of habitats, which are havens for wildlife, including all six of the UK’s native reptiles. As you explore Arne, you’ll discover ancient woodland, stunning expanses of rugged heathland and even small bays of Poole Harbour with views across to the Purbeck Hills and Brownsea Island. There are various viewing points and bird bides dotted around the reserve. You can also hire binoculars or book onto a guided tour at the welcome area but the car park. A shop and café for coffees, cakes and light lunches can be found a short walk from the car park. Nature trails There are seven trails of varying lengths along which to explore Arne. You can pick up a map at the welcome area, or simply follow the colour-coordinated signposts. Shipstal Trails – Follow the red signs from the car park through the woodland to the salt marsh. The full trail is around two miles long and will take just under two hours […]

If your idea of a dream day at the beach involves a wild and secluded bay where you can wile away the hours watching the odd passing boat and reading a good book, Chapman’s Pool is hard to beat. Worth Matravers is the cove’s closest village, where you can warm up at the Square and Compass pub with a pasty and pint by the log fire after a blustery day, or cool off with a cider in the beer garden in the summer after the rewarding walk down to Chapman’s Pool and back. Chapman’s Pool is a bit of a walk to get to and can be fairly challenging in places, so children and some dogs might struggle. A good pair of walking boots is also advisable as the steep path down to Chapman’s Pool can be slippery when wet. (There is an alternative, longer route, which is more gentle, that takes you through the valley.) Chapman’s Pool is a good place to see examples of the Jurassic Coast’s Kimmeridge Clay rock formation – named after nearby Kimmeridge Bay, where the clay with its abundant fossils is most famously displayed. Spend some time rock-pooling and fossil-spotting on the shale ledges […]

This towering hexagonal monument was brought to Swanage from London by George Burt – a local businessman and founding father of much of the town – in 1892. The obelisk stands upon a prehistoric barrow (a mound of earth typically situated over an important grave) on North Hill on the Ballard Down headland and was installed to commemorate the provision of a new water supply to Swanage in 1883. The walk up to the obelisk will reward you with stunning views across Swanage Bay, as well as over Studland Bay, Poole Harbour and toward the Isle of Wight. Ballard Down is part of the Purbeck Hills chalk ridgeway, which is popular with walkers and cyclists and runs through Purbeck past Corfe Castle and nearly all the way to Lulworth. History One of George Burt’s many legacies in Swanage, the granite obelisk was originally in situ in central London, outside the St Mary of the Nativity (also known as St Mary Woolnoth) Church. The church is on the corner of King William Street and Lombard Street, near Bank. In 1892 Burt erected the obelisk on its present site to commemorate the town’s water supply that was installed in 1883. In 1941, […]

The jewel in Swanage’s crown is its beautiful beach that sweeps around the curve of its sheltered bay. Despite being one, long stretch of golden sand, the beach in Swanage has a different feel to it depending on where you are along it – meaning you can have a different day out each time you visit. The busy hubbub nearest to town – with its coffee shops, restaurants and traditional amusement arcade – has that typical British seaside buzz that gets you queueing up for a 99 ice cream and digging out the buckets and spades. You can also hire a deck chair, sun lounger or windbreak for the day – the friendly team located on the beach opposite the Swanage Information Centre will come and collect the fee once you’re settled. Slightly further along is a more active scene, with various watersports on offer. Hire a pedalo for some shallow-water fun, or a sea kayak to get out on the waves. You can also book a diving lesson off Swanage Pier. For a more relaxed, sophisticated seaside experience, sit on the deck with a drink at The Watering Hole or outside the Cellar Bar, or sample some seafood at Gee […]