Swanage Museum

29/05/2026

Don't forget tonight's talk a Tale of Two Piers.

26/05/2026

What a fantastic morning at Bournemouth University.
It was a real privilege to see Danny, Kashifa and Samay present their assignment on setting up TikTok and Instagram for us, and to watch the brilliant videos they created.

Swanage Museum wishes all of this year’s Bournemouth University students every success in the future.👏

A big part of the changes happening at the Swanage Museum is our aim to engage people of all ages.
Working with Bournemouth University helps widen our reach, connect with other museums and volunteer groups, and gives us fresh ideas to build on.

Yes, we are short of volunteers, and with the small team we have, I hope you can see that we are making changes and moving forward. We’d really appreciate your help if you have some time to spare. Be a part of this.

I’d strongly encourage all our local museums to take the chance to work with Bournemouth University students. It’s genuinely worth it, and you get to meet enthusiastic people who care about making history accessible to everyone.

Bournemouth University

Museum of East Dorset

24/05/2026

𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗧!
𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 open after 1pm.

𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 & 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲

Many people don’t realise that Swanage Museum and the History Centre are run entirely by volunteers. We have a very small team, and every hour we open is thanks to their time and commitment.

Because our team is so small, we’re currently on reduced opening hours — including being closed on Wednesdays. Each time the Museum has to close, it directly affects our ability to keep the History Centre open as well. With just a few more volunteers, we could keep both sites open more reliably and continue sharing Swanage’s history with the community.

If you can spare a little time and would like to support your local heritage, we’d be delighted to welcome you.

Please pop into the museum and see our volunteers to join our team.

19/05/2026

When you have a vision and get Bournemouth University students involved to launch a museum TikTok, you hope for the best—but we have been absolutely blown away by how successful it’s been after just 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆.

Over 1,000 views already? That is exceptional!
This proves something that younger people are interested in history. We just need to meet them where they are and engage with them.

It feels like we’ve hit gold in connecting the next generation with our past.

But this is just the beginning. Help us keep this incredible momentum going! Be a part of the exciting changes happening right now at the Museum and History Centre help us tell the stories.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

A massive thanks to these students 👏

Have a look yourself here is the link.


https://www.tiktok.com/.museum?_r=1&_t=ZN-96V11MVglmQ

18/05/2026

Things are certainly changing at the Swanage Museum! A big thank you to the Bournemouth University students for helping us set up our TikTok account.
It is all about getting the younger generation involved with history. To help us achieve this goal, please spread the word, share our content, and follow along!

Check out Swanage Museum’s video.

18/05/2026

BBC South Today Feature: Major Peter Weaver
Tuesday 19th May at 6:30 PM (Also available on BBC iPlayer)
Watch the fascinating WWII history of Major Peter Weaver, exploring his journey from a secret intelligence officer in the Dorset Auxiliary Units to the first-ever SAS.
Pre-order the upcoming book SAS Rogue (out 29 May) via Pen and Sword Books to read the full story. Thank you for sharing and supporting this local history.

13/05/2026

Discover the fascinating history of the Swanage Piers with local historian and diver Nick Reed.

Friday 29th May at 7:00 for a 7:30 start in the St.Edwards church hall, Rempstone road

05/05/2026

Tune in to Purbeck Sounds to hear local historian and author Jason Tomes discuss the fascinating history of New Swanage. As the author Jason brings a wealth of knowledge about our town's past. Catch the broadcast this Wednesday at 1:00 PM, Sunday at 12:00 PM, or Monday at 8:00 PM at purbecksounds.com. It is a great way to support local history from home!

05/05/2026

It has been an incredibly productive week for us! Last Wednesday, we were pleased to host 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹. Encouraging local schools to visit is a big part of our mission to keep the museum active and engaged with the town.
The momentum continued today with students from 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. They are collaborating with us on a project to launch the museum’s TikTok channel, helping us share our collections with a wider audience.
These collaborations are at the heart of the new Swanage Museum ethos—staying relevant, staying busy, and opening our doors to new ideas.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺
If you like the direction we’re heading in and want to be a part of it, we’d love to have you. Whether you have a few hours to spare or a specific skill to share, why not volunteer and help us grow?

28/04/2026

On Purbeck Sounds this Wednesday on H'our Local history is Jessica Sutcliffe, an architect and daughter of pioneering photographer Helen Muspratt, has spent years meticulously preserving her mother’s artistic legacy from their family home, Cliff Cottage. Using the house as a base for her research, Jessica authored the biography Face: Shape and Angle and curated major exhibitions to highlight Helen’s innovative work, including her mastery of solarization and her portraits of 20th-century figures like Dorothy Hodgkin and Guy Burgess. The cottage itself, a converted 19th-century fisherman’s store in Swanage, remains central to this history. It was the site of Helen’s first professional studio in 1929 and served as a lifelong creative retreat, linking the family’s work to the vibrant artistic community of Purbeck across several generations.