Youngest ever Swanage mayor elected to town council Councillor Chris Tomes who is 40 years old, has been voted in as the new Swanage town mayor, taking over from Councillor Mike Bonfield who served a total of five ...
New Class 99 loco whips up excitement at Swanage Railway gala Usually showcasing the locos of yesteryear, Swanage Railway in Dorset, turned the tables by featuring the UK’s most advanced hybrid freight locomotive at its Diesel Gala and Beer Festival - ... 
Inflation station arrives at Studland to get paddle boarders afloat Knoll Beach in Studland is the first beach in Dorset and the first National Trust property anywhere in the UK to install an automatic paddle board pump offering visitors a ... 
Wareham’s level crossing to close again for £50,000 repairs A vital pedestrian railway crossing which connects two halves of Wareham is to shut for the next 11 days - the second closure in a year, this time to replace ... 
Flower power duo to demonstrate floral design in Swanage RHS Gold medal winning flower arrangers Coral Gardiner and Lucy Ellis are to appear on stage at The Mowlem in Swanage, Dorset, at the invitation of the Purbeck Flower Club 
Walker and pony complete epic journey of Dorset hillforts A Dorset land agent has completed a 200 mile trek around 30 of the county’s Iron Age hillforts including ones in Purbeck, with his pack pony, Scarlet - despite getting ... 
Two women rescued from cliff near St Alban’s Head A coastguard search and rescue helicopter was called in to help rescuers locate two women who had become dangerously stuck on a cliff near St Alban’s Head in Dorset 
Get hosed down by Swanage firefighters at charity car wash Swanage Fire Station in Dorset is to attempt to wash as many cars as possible in just one day, all in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity 
Fisherman rescued from upturned sinking boat near Swanage A Mayday call from a passing yacht prompted a swift emergency response involving the Swanage lifeboat crew, coastguard, and nearby vessels, saving the life of a fisherman whose boat had ... 
Three heath fires near Wareham ‘believed to be suspicious’ Fire crews from across Dorset were sent to tackle a series of heath fires, which started within a short time of each other in the Sandford area near Wareham, causing ... 
Walker rescued after getting stuck on cliff at Chapman’s Pool Coastguard teams from Kimmeridge, St Albans Head and Swanage in Dorset, had to winch a walker to safety after they got cut off by the flooding tide, headed up the ... Youngest ever Swanage mayor elected to town council Councillor Chris Tomes who is 40 years old, has been voted in as the new Swanage town mayor, taking over from Councillor Mike Bonfield who served a total of five ...
Decision made to back £6.9m Swanage seafront option Swanage Town Council has revealed its preferred scheme to stop ground slippage along a section of the town’s seafront in Dorset, is the more expensive £6.9 million option, but to ... 
Legal change proposed to let Swanage stabilisation work go ahead It’s being proposed that two sections of land on Swanage’s seafront in Dorset, should lose their charitable status to allow Swanage Town Council to spend millions saving the area from ... 
Second home owners boost Swanage Town Council budget Latest financial figures indicate that most of Swanage’s second home owners are paying double council tax, rather than selling up or letting out their property to avoid the additional cost 
Technical reports into Swanage seafront stabilisation published In response to public demand, engineering reports monitoring the ground movement of a subsiding section of Swanage’s seafront have been released, along with a document detailing the best method to ... 
Bid by Dorset Council to elect Wessex Mayor in 2027 With the chance to get millions of pounds in extra funding, Dorset Council is pushing ahead to create a new Wessex authority along with neighbouring councils, to be headed up ... 
Langton House gets go ahead for holiday cottages and shepherd huts Despite objections from local residents and Langton Matravers parish council in Dorset, the historic Langton House has been granted planning permission to build two new holiday homes and locate two ... 
New research rewrites Studland’s famous wartime story A long standing wartime anecdote linking some of the most famous Allied leaders to the famous Fort Henry observation post in Studland, Dorset, has been challenged by fresh evidence. It ... 
Swanage community champions receive top town awards The winners of the Swanage Town Council community awards 2025 were revealed during a ceremony at the annual parish assembly in Swanage, Dorset 
Tribute paid to teenage son who died in car crash near Wareham The family of an 18 year old who sadly died when he was in a car that crashed near Wareham in Dorset, say he was dearly loved and will be ... 
Swanage woman publishes powerful life story of tragedy and hope In an extraordinary memoir Dani Elm, who lives in Swanage, Dorset, has laid bare her life before and after a devastating car accident in Wales, in which her four year ... 
Swanage skipper delivers hope and help to Gambia orphans Swanage sea skipper Doug Hamlen along with his wife Rose, are helping to change lives in The Gambia, on their annual trip to take medical aid to one of the ... 
Woman gets police caution after dog attacks Church Knowle sheep A rare breed of Shetland sheep received serious injuries after it was attacked by a dog in Church Knowle near Corfe Castle in Dorset
Police in riot gear shut down illegal rave in East Lulworth Dorset Police said its officers faced "a violent and hostile reception" as they moved in to close down an illegal music rave attended by more than 2,000 people in a ... 
Burglars target Wool petrol station just minutes from Dorset Police HQ Police are searching for two masked men after they stole tobacco products from a petrol station in Wool, just down the road from the new multi million Dorset Police headquarters ... 
Transit van seized in Wareham by waste enforcement officers As part of an investigation into the illegal dumping of waste in Dorset, a white Ford transit van has been seized from an industrial estate in Wareham 
Driver makes knife threats outside Swanage restaurant A vehicle was seen to collide with pedestrians and the driver was reported to have produced a knife and made threats outside a seafront restaurant in Swanage, Dorset 
Two boys and van driver incident in Wool investigated by police There’s an appeal by police for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward, following a suspicious incident in Wool, in Dorset. It was reported to Dorset Police that at ... 
Police increase patrols after burglary spree in Swanage Three properties in Swanage, Dorset, have been broken into within a period of four days and Dorset Police says it has increased its police presence in light of these burglaries Wareham’s level crossing to close again for £50,000 repairs A vital pedestrian railway crossing which connects two halves of Wareham is to shut for the next 11 days - the second closure in a year, this time to replace ... 
Swanage school trials road closure to help keep pupils safe A road in Swanage, Dorset, is to be closed twice a day to make it safer for students walking to and from The Swanage School 
Sandbanks Ferry Company to increase tolls and go cashless A new fare structure for the Sandbanks Ferry, which operates between Studland and Sandbanks in Dorset, is to be fully implemented, with the toll for vehicles going up 16 percent, ... 
Potholes in Corfe Castle and Norden car parks to be repaired After recent wet weather, 10 of Dorset Council’s car parks that are most in need of repair, including the ones at Corfe Castle and Norden in Dorset, are to be ... 
Compromise proposed by Dorset Council for Swanage’s Shore Road In an effort to appease as many as possible, a decision has been made to keep the traffic two way along Swanage’s seafront while also partially widening the pavements, however ... 
Walker and pony complete epic journey of Dorset hillforts A Dorset land agent has completed a 200 mile trek around 30 of the county’s Iron Age hillforts including ones in Purbeck, with his pack pony, Scarlet - despite getting ...
Plan for 25 affordable homes at Harman’s Cross In an effort to address the housing crisis in Purbeck, particularly for young people, there’s a community-led proposal to build up to 25 affordable rental homes on a hay meadow ... 
New plan to reduce storm sewage in Swanage Bay proposed The water company Wessex Water is considering building a huge underground water storage tank in Swanage, Dorset, to prevent the treatment works being overwhelmed when it rains heavily 
Rare bird dazzling Wareham may stay for summer Setting hearts aflutter near Wareham in Dorset is a brightly coloured bird on a rare visit to the UK - and it looks likely to stay until it heads back ... Decision made to back £6.9m Swanage seafront option Swanage Town Council has revealed its preferred scheme to stop ground slippage along a section of the town’s seafront in Dorset, is the more expensive £6.9 million option, but to ... 
Discover the wilder side of Wareham at Nature and Wildlife Fair The environment group Sustainable Wareham is bringing its Nature and Wildlife Fair back to Wareham Town Hall in Dorset for a fourth year, showcasing Purbeck’s natural environment - one of ... 
Butterflies have field day in Purbeck but UK figures decline Britain’s butterflies are struggling to survive with a changing climate and ecosystem, a survey carried out over the last 50 years has shown - but Purbeck in Dorset is bucking ... New Class 99 loco whips up excitement at Swanage Railway gala Usually showcasing the locos of yesteryear, Swanage Railway in Dorset, turned the tables by featuring the UK’s most advanced hybrid freight locomotive at its Diesel Gala and Beer Festival - ... 
Diesel and beer back on Swanage Railway timetable for gala weekend Seven heritage diesel locomotives are to travel down to Swanage Railway in Dorset, to join the home fleet for the annual Diesel Gala and Beer Festival, plus there’s a guest ... 
Author of books featuring Thomas The Tank Engine to visit Swanage Railway Christopher Awdry, who has continued his father's legacy by writing more stories for the world famous railway series featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, will be signing his books during the ... 
21st Century steam loco to appear at Swanage Spring Gala The UK’s newest steam locomotive is to visit Swanage Railway for the first time as part of the Spring Steam Gala - and she’ll likely be younger than almost all ... 
Flying Scotsman locomotive to return to Swanage Railway An extra special treat is being lined up for Swanage Railway’s 50th anniversary - the world famous Flying Scotsman steam locomotive will visit the heritage line in Dorset for ten ... 
Swanage’s classic car show celebrates 30th anniversary The paintwork gleamed and the chrome sparkled as more than a hundred classic cars converged in Swanage, Dorset, for a bumper day out
Swanage Museum opens for summer as guided walks kick off Glorious sunshine over the Easter holidays in Swanage, Dorset, trumpeted the start of the new summer season with visitors flocking to Swanage Museum and joining a guided walk detailing the ... 
Guided walks to honour Lawrence of Arabia to be held at Bovington A chance to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia is being offered this spring by the National Trust in Purbeck. 
Rescued Swanage Jazz Festival attracts top quality acts for 2026 Swanage’s much loved Jazz Festival has unveiled its programme for summer 2026 after supporters helped rescue the event from the brink of disaster. 
What’s on in Swanage: Festivals lineup 2026 Planning is well underway for festivals and major events in and around Swanage in Dorset for 2026, with food, music, heritage, and community celebrations expected to attract thousands of visitors ... 
Little orphan Sammie finds new home at Monkey World A tiny orphaned orangutan with a remarkable story has recently arrived at Monkey World near Wool in Dorset, where staff are providing round the clock care. 
Yee-haw! Swanage Carnival gets ‘wild’ about its 2026 theme Volunteers posing on the platform at Swanage station in Dorset, needed little encouragement to get dressed up in double denim and ride inflatable horses at the official launch of Swanage ... Flower power duo to demonstrate floral design in Swanage RHS Gold medal winning flower arrangers Coral Gardiner and Lucy Ellis are to appear on stage at The Mowlem in Swanage, Dorset, at the invitation of the Purbeck Flower Club 
New season of musical concerts from Swanage to Wareham A number of musical treats are being lined up across Purbeck in Dorset for spring and summer 2026, from Swanage Bandstand’s biggest programme of concerts in recent times, to classical ... 
Secret life of Swanage SAS hero to be told in new book The dramatic story of a SAS hero from Swanage in Dorset, is to be published in a new book, the result of a decade of research and a daughter’s determination ... 
Cowboys saddle up as Swanage Carnival highlights released Swanage Carnival cowboys have revealed some of the 2026 programme highlights for the eight day festival with a Wild West theme, as they enjoyed some time out at the children’s ... 
Dance Yourself Dizzy with Swanage’s queen of disco A series of joyful, inclusive disco dancing sessions are being held at The Mowlem in Swanage, Dorset, which the organiser says is a chance to let go, have fun, learn ... 
Swanage therapists take on hilly 25km hike to fund new defib Seven friends and colleagues from Swanage Therapy Centre in Dorset, are to tackle a very hilly 25 kilometre walk to raise £2,000 for a defibrillator for their community
Plea to help get Allsort’d cafe in Swanage all sorted! A new cafe at The Focus Centre in Swanage, Dorset, run by the youth group Allsort’d, is all set to open at the end of May 2026 but funds are ... 
Forget me not club launches in Swanage A new group has started in Swanage, Dorset, offering support for those living with dementia and their carers 
More cooking inspiration being dished up for free in Swanage The Friendly Food Club is offering more community cooking classes for adults, plus there’s a new course to support parents moving their babies from milk to meals, in Swanage, Dorset 
Purbeck’s family hubs to get funding boost Dorset is to get £2.3 million in government funding to grow and enhance its network of family hubs which provide support for children, parents and carers - and the Swanage ... 
Swanage cooking course serves up new skills and friendship A new community cooking course in Swanage in Dorset, has got off to a strong start, with a dozen residents attending the first Friendly Food Club session 
Foleys Garage leads drive for new Harman’s Cross defibrillator Plans to install a second life saving defibrillator in Harman's Cross near Swanage in Dorset, have taken a big step forward thanks to a fundraising campaign led by staff at ... New research rewrites Studland’s famous wartime story A long standing wartime anecdote linking some of the most famous Allied leaders to the famous Fort Henry observation post in Studland, Dorset, has been challenged by fresh evidence. It ... 
Historical finds start to unravel mystery of Purbeck’s lost village An archaeological dig near Corfe Castle in Dorset has started to uncover secrets of the medieval village of Afflington, which disappeared centuries ago, and the finds are to go on ... Swanage school trials road closure to help keep pupils safe A road in Swanage, Dorset, is to be closed twice a day to make it safer for students walking to and from The Swanage School 
High tech drones scour Bovington Camp for the Mother of all tanks A high tech hunt is being carried out on the British Army base at Bovington Camp in Dorset to find a unique piece of military history - the buried remains ... 
Swanage school hosts Christmas tea party for local community Excited students welcomed guests for a Christmas tea party at The Swanage School in Dorset, reviving a tradition that had been abruptly halted by the Covid pandemic in 2020 
Inflation station arrives at Studland to get paddle boarders afloat Knoll Beach in Studland is the first beach in Dorset and the first National Trust property anywhere in the UK to install an automatic paddle board pump offering visitors a ...
Boost for shops as Heart of Swanage gets resurfaced A much loved but often overlooked part of Swanage’s town centre in Dorset, has been improved after Commercial Road was completely resurfaced - for the first time in an estimated ... 
Swanage ice cream artisans win top award in centenary year A family run ice cream business in Swanage, Dorset, has just scooped up a national award for its chocolate gelato, as it prepares to celebrate 100 years in business 
New general store and coffee shop opens in North Swanage A brand new convenience store and coffee shop have opened their doors at Ulwell Holiday Park, as part of an investment in facilities for visitors and local residents. 
New bakery takeaway to add flavour to Swanage High Street A new independent food venture is set to bring fresh life to Swanage High Street in Dorset, as a much loved local catering business expands with a dedicated takeaway shop. 
Tilly Whims shop moves next door in time for summer Popular clothing shop Tilly Whims in Swanage, Dorset, has freshened up its look and moved into new premises, replacing the homeware shop Country Corner which has closed down 
Historic Wareham hotel to mark 50 years with summer garden party An award winning Dorset hotel steeped in centuries of history is marking a major milestone this year as it celebrates 50 years as a family run business 
Isle of Purbeck golfers to get a shot at Masters glory A state of the art indoor golf simulator is set to open at the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club near Swanage in Dorset, offering players the chance to practise and ... 
Major investment at Swanage’s Beach Gardens as courts get refurb Two more tennis courts at Swanage Tennis Club in Dorset, have been resurfaced with astro turf after the club raised £39,000 which includes a £15,000 contribution from Swanage Town Council 
Welcome return for Purbeck Marathon after five year absence The Purbeck Marathon is set to make a long awaited return to Dorset in 2026, five years after it last took place, bringing runners back to one of the UK’s ... 
Runner completes Everest challenge on Swanage hill An endurance runner has completed a remarkable 'Everest' challenge on Ballard Down, running up and down the Swanage hill 89 times in 18 hours for charity. 
Plans for 3G football pitch in Swanage moving forward An all-weather full size football pitch in Swanage, Dorset, may become a reality after the Football Foundation has backed plans to install a 3G playing surface at Days Park Most read
Swanage News – Independent local breaking news
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