Swanage and its steam railway
27th April 2022
Swanage is a beautiful small seaside resort on the south cost of England. It is located on the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast with the iconic chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks jutting out at the far end of the cliffs (slightly out of view here on the left hand side of the cliffs). And faintly visible on this sunny day we spotted the white cliffs of the Isle of White on the horizon. Our brief trip started with lovely blue skies, so we headed off to the Sandbanks for a long walk on the beach and a leisurely late lunch (see Studland and Sandbacks). The next day we took an iconic steam train ride to Corfe Castle (see Corfe Castle) but sadly the sun rarely appeared that day. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable outing and we saw many places worthy of a return visit. So, let's take a look at the impressive and evocative Swanage Railway.
The 10-mile branch line of the Swanage Railway, from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage, opened in 1885 and today is run as a heritage railway by a team of enthusiasts. Closure of the line was resisted for many years, but in 1972 nearly seven miles of track were lifted and all seemed lost. But one should never underestimate railway enthusiasts! Much of the railway has been rebuilt and the Swanage Railway Trust has a national membership of 4,000 people with 450 regularly volunteering their services. Steam engines and carriages are being restored and the regular trips now bring in thousands of tourists to experience the leisurely travel that these trains provide. We travelled from Swanage to Corfe Castle with wonderful views of the countryside accompanied by the train's whistle as it approached each stop on the way. And the icing on the cake was the uniforms worn by the station masters and personnel, and the old fashioned waiting rooms and posters. This trip just wasn't long enough!
Not all the volunteers are elderly men!
The images below show a train coming into and departing from Corfe Castle station. Sadly the billowing smoke does not show up well against the clouds.
The railway station at Corfe Castle is just a few minutes walk from the town centre, and is a charming building housing the waiting room shown earlier.
Swanage is a grey stone town, with buildings made from the local Purbeck stone. As we returned from the train ride, we stopped at St. Mary's church and took a look inside. I love looking inside churches and reading the history on their walls, but many are currently closed to visitors and look like staying that way.
