A new webcam with a spectacular view over Swanage Bay has just started streaming 24 hours a day, allowing anyone unable to be here to check the local weather conditions or just admire the scenery.
Launched by the local information and tourist guide website Swanage.co.uk, the intention is to help people plan their trip to the beach, check the tides, and in the summer, get an idea of how busy it is, although there’s plenty of other uses as well.
The view of the bay during the day – watch those waves roll in!
The view at night shows the beach – watch the lights twinkle along the seafront
Swanage.co.uk live 24/7 webcam
The new live 24/7 Swanage webcam is located in south Swanage looking across the sea to Ballard Down.
During the day it shows a wide panoramic view of Swanage Bay and at night as it gets dark, it switches to the beach so viewers can see the lights along the seafront.
Hopefully it should also give a good view in the summer of the Swanage Carnival fireworks and aeroplane flypasts for anyone not able to be here in person.
The webcam can be viewed on the Swanage.co.uk website, Facebook or YouTube channel
There’s also a number of other webcams across Swanage and Purbeck
NCI Swanage webcam
Recently NCI Swanage invested in several new webcams – two of them are not available to be viewed publicly, as they use them to zoom in to assist in search and rescue.
The third positioned on top of the Swanage Coastwatch tower can be viewed by anyone and pans round from Peveril Bay to Swanage Bay.
NCI Swanage station manager Stuart MacMillan Pratt said:
“Webcams are extremely useful for people visiting Swanage to get an idea of the weather conditions. We’ve had visitors at our coastwatch tower at Peveril Point tell us they’ve decided to come down to Swanage that day because they could see from our webcam that it was lovely weather.
“Certainly divers and kayakers find the webcams useful. On some days you can easily see from the webcam that you’d have to be bonkers to go canoeing over Peveril Ledge!
“However if it just prompts people to arrive with the correct footwear and clothing for walking the coast path, then that’s got to be worthwhile too.”
Swanage Lifeboat Station
Swanage is home to two RNLI lifeboats – the all-weather Shannon lifeboat and an inshore lifeboat. They are both frequently deployed to save lives at sea in often perilous conditions.
There is a live feed out to sea from Swanage’s RNLI boathouse, where people can see the conditions of the waves in Swanage Bay. Viewers can also see across to the iconic Old Harry Rocks.
Swanage Railway Station
One of the town’s best known attractions is Swanage Railway. Rail enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, can view the trains come and go through this webcam. The station is home to many historic steam and diesel trains.
Corfe Castle Railway Station
Further up the line, there’s a webcam on Corfe Castle station showing not only the railway but also the National Trust-owned Corfe Castle
Ballard Down
This webcam operatated by Corbens offers another good view of Swanage Bay. Anyone looking for a classic view towards Ballard Down can see it from this webcam.
The feed refreshes every 60 seconds.
Sandbanks Ferry
There are a number of webcams nearby that offer views of Poole Harbour
This webcam is the view from the Haven Hotel at Sandbanks and offers a view of the Sandbanks Ferry and Poole Harbour