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 20 years.
The Heart of Swanage which lies behind Station Road, Institute Road, and King’s Road East, is home to lots of small independent shops and cafes, and while it exudes a quirky, creative, welcoming charm, many are unaware of the area’s existence.
A much more enticing entrance to the Heart of Swanage
The road had begun to resemble a badly stitched patchwork quilt!
Make the area more welcoming
Commercial Road is the narrow street which runs through the Heart of Swanage and is mainly used for deliveries so is not a high priority for road resurfacing.
However over the years, it had been dug up by so many utility companies that the surface resembled a patchwork quilt in places.
With 37 out of the 38 retail units let, shopkeepers and a group of residents were keen to improve the look of the area to encourage more people to visit.
Councillor Chris Tomes who represents Swanage on Dorset Council was approached, and along with local residents Frank Roberts and Thelma Deacon they got together to tidy up the area and persuade Dorset Council highways to resurface Commercial Lane.
Over two evenings from Wednesday 29th April to Friday 1st May 2026, the old surface was removed and a new super smooth surface laid.
Over the years, the road has been patched and repatched
Work by Dorset Council Highways starts to remove the old surface
For a day, things get worse before they get better!
The new surface is laid
“A truly special area”
One of the first to check out the newly finished roadworks were Councillor Chris Tomes and fellow Dorset Council councillor Gary Suttle. Chris said:
“Councillor Suttle and I visited Commercial Lane to see the fantastic work Dorset Highways have carried out resurfacing the road.
“Often referred to as the Heart of Swanage, this part of the town centre has become a truly special area, and we hope these improvements will help make it even more attractive for both residents and visitors.
“A special thank you as well to Frank Robert and Thelma Deacon, who were out weeding the area just a few days before the work took place – your efforts make a real difference to how our town looks and feels.”
Councillor Chris Tomes and fellow Dorset Council councillor Gary Suttle inspect the work
The outside of Lucy’s Farm looking much smarter
“Explore all the hidden gems”
Lucy Tidbury is one of the artists based in the Heart of Swanage. Arriving at her shop Lucy’s Farm, she was delighted to see the resurfacing completed. She said:
“The tidy up of the area and now the newly resurfaced road has made the whole area more inviting. It would be lovely to see more people come and explore all the hidden gems in the Heart of Swanage – there’s lots here and all independent shops.
“I find that once people do know about this area, they prefer to walk through here, enjoying the atmosphere and avoiding the crowded pavements on the main roads.
“Frank and Thelma have done a great job, helping us to take pride in the area and now it’s up to us to keep it looking lovely.”
Frank Roberts led the tidy up before the highways team rolled in to start resurfacing
Thelma Deacon gets weeding around this old derelict building
“Come together as a community”
Artist Andy Knill is the founder of the Heart of Swanage branding and created the artwork which publicises the area. He said:
“I’m really pleased with the outcome. The road resurfacing is another upgrade to the Heart of Swanage and we need to keep building on that.
“The key thing is for the area to come together as a community, as we are stronger together and can achieve more to improve our bit of Swanage.”
Artist Andy Knill was pleased with the result
The view up to the chocolate shop and cafe Chococo is much improved
“It’s a massive start”
Martin Curtis runs the shop Martin’s Purbeck Memories in the Daisy May Arcade, which is another gem within the Heart of Swanage. Martin has taken over much of the promotion of the Heart of Swanage. He said:
“It’s a really good achievement to get the road resurfaced – it must be about 20 years since it was last done. It’s a massive start to further regeneration of the area.
“Our independent shops and cafes rely on the support of the councils to improve the area to help boost visitor numbers and increase trade. I’d like to thank Councillor Chris Tomes who really pushed to get the road resurfacing done.”
Martin Curtis says this is just the beginning!
Perhaps the next task is to tackle the unsightly bins? Has anyone got any good ideas?!
Further information
- Follow the Heart of Swanage on Facebook and on Instagram
