Live 24/7 Webcams

Check the weather, sea state and how busy the beach is before heading down for your daily stroll, or visit virtually from afar.

Swanage Webcam

Live 24/7 Stream Of Swanage Bay

We know you miss Swanage when you’re away – but with our webcam you’ll always be close to the sea.

This stream is provided directly from Swanage.co.uk and provides a live 24/7 view of Swanage Bay.

In view

If you’ve not been to Swanage before, our webcam gives a little taster of what you’ll find on your seaside holiday in Swanage, which is much more than just a beautiful bay. Look more closely and you’ll see just some of the Dorset town’s famous features and attractions.

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Weather-watch

Keep an eye on the weather and sea conditions with the webcam’s 24-hour feed.

If the water’s still, you know it’s perfect for a spot of paddle boarding or taking the kids for a swim, and if there’s a bit more of a swell, it’s time to get the bodyboard out.

You can also use the cam as a handy safety-check too during stormy weather – if the tide is in and the waves are high, it’s best to stay indoors and watch the dramatic scenes from home – as with all seaside towns, the coast can be dangerous in bad weather.

Parts of the Isle of Purbeck can have their own microclimate, so it’s worth checking what the weather is like over the hill or by the coast, so you can be prepared for sun, wind, rain or – very rarely! – snow.

And if you’re a keen photographer or artist, the headland at Ballard Down is a great setting for stunning sunset skies. Some weather systems bring low-lying cloud, which gives an atmospheric mood, and on a bright summer’s day or clear, crisp autumn morning or evening watch the colours on the headland itself, and of course on the water, as they change throughout the day. Use our webcam to plan the best time of day for your shots – you can get a variety of great viewpoints across the bay from The Downs, Peveril Point and Swanage Pier, and of course from Ballard Down itself.

Plan your next beach trip

Before heading down to the beach, you can now easily check how far in the tide is and how big the waves are by viewing the Swanage Webcam feed.

See where the parasols and sun-loungers are located, or plan to position yourself right by one of the ice-cream huts. In summer, the lifeguarded safe-swimming area (just to the left of Banjo Pier) should be easily seen too.

In high season, there are various points along the beach and bay from which to hire a kayak or pedalo – (from the section of beach between The Mowlem and Banjo Pier, as well as at Ocean Bay further up the beach). You can also hire a self-drive motor boat from the stone quay near Swanage Pier to explore the bay at your leisure.

If you’re meeting friends and don’t know the area too well, our webcam’s also a great way of organising a rendez-vous point.

Events

Swanage & Purbeck pride themselves on celebrating this special spot on the Jurassic Coast – from its natural beauty to the many fantastic local businesses, groups and organisations in the area, so it’s likely you’ll catch something fun going on throughout the year.

Here’s some of the main events you’ll be able to see from our webcam if you can’t make it down to enjoy them in person:

• Swanage Carnival – The annual extravaganza of fireworks, aerial flypasts, and performances takes place every summer – watch the parade – and the much-loved wheelbarrow race – as they go along Shore Road

• Festivals – Many of our festivals famously take over the whole town – watch the Blues, Jazz and Folk Festivals spill from the pubs and community venues into Sandpit Field and Shore Road with processions and live music

• Sandpit Field – As well as supporting annual festivals, Sandpit Field hosts events like craft fairs, inflatable theme parks and live music year-round

• Bandstand performances – Typically held in the warmer months and special events like Christmas, the Swanage Town Band takes to the bandstand to delight its audience

• Sailing & Rowing Regattas – Watch the local teams race each other in the bay

Regular activities

In addition to the bigger events, there’s a range of weekly and monthly activities going on in this busy town that you might catch glimpses of – such as Saturday morning sailing club lessons in the bay and sea rowing club practice.

Ballard Down is a popular start/end point for walkers and cyclists exploring the Purbeck Hills, but you can also hack out along the ridgeway with Studland Stables, and it’s also a popular hang gliding location, so you might see people out enjoying the views in a variety of ways.

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Other local webcams

Browse a selection of other local webcams in Swanage & Purbeck which all broadcast live throughout the day.

Swanage Lifeboat Station

This live stream covers Swanage Bay across to Old Harry Rocks.

It’s a useful cam to check in with before heading out on the water with your kayak or paddle board as it will give you a good visual of the sea state and weather conditions in real time.

You might also get the chance to see the Swanage RNLI Lifeboat being launched as it happens.

Check out the Swanage Lifeboat Station webcam here: www.swanagelifeboat.org.uk/webcam

Corbens Estate Agents

Located on the southern side of Swanage, this webcam provides a view over to Ballard Down across Swanage Bay and is a quick way to check the weather and cloud cover in Swanage.

This cam refreshes every 60 seconds and can be viewed here: www.corbens.co.uk/webcam/index.htm

Swanage Railway Station

Views from this camera show Swanage Railway station’s track, as well as the platform from the signal box – perfect for watching your favourite steam train arrive into town when you’re away.

It’s also a great way to catch a glimpse of special steam locomotives as they visit Swanage.

You can view the live Railway webcam here: maybach.railcam.co.uk/Swanage_43965/embed.html

Corfe Castle Station

This live webcam provides views of the station platform, with Corfe Castle itself in the background.

You can watch from afar as the signalman crosses the tracks to wave trains through from Swanage and Norden, as well as station staff welcoming passengers onto the platform.

See what’s happening now: maybach.railcam.co.uk/Corfe_14435/embed.html

Snackbar

See how busy it is in town with a view from the Snackbar on the High Street – a small, but perfectly-formed cocktail bar with a lively atmosphere along a popular stretch of restaurants, shops and pubs.

High Street leads to various seafront eateries, as well as Swanage Pier, Peveril Point, Prince Albert Gardens and the Downs.

Check out Snackbar’s webcam: www.snackbarswanage.co.uk/webcam/page.aspx

Wildlife Webcam at RSPB Arne

Swanage and Purbeck are home to an array of flora and fauna.

One of the best places to do a bit of wildlife-spotting is at the RSPB Arne Nature Reserve, which is a short drive from Swanage (25-30 minutes).

See what’s happening at Arne now via the RSPB’s live bird-feeder webcam: youtu.be/z2YXRazll4Y