Capstone Holiday Rental
Swanage
The Beach
The beach is one of the main attractions of Swanage. The waters are clean, and the beach has won many European Blue Flag Awards. Swanage beach has a well-earned reputation for being a good place to soak up the sun and play in the sand and sea. Deck chairs are available for hire, as are pedaloes, kayaks and sun beds. Swanage beach runs the length of the town and is backed by a promenade lined with amusements and attractions. Safe bathing area for children located to the left when you reach the mid sea front (straight down Victoria Avenue from Capstone).
Punch & Judy shows
Swanage Beach (central) – near the clock tower. Summer only, regular shows throughout the day. Information posted on timings at the show site.
The Pier
Walk along Swanage Pier and you'll be walking in the footsteps of generations. Whether you're diving, sailing, fishing or simply strolling, Swanage Pier offers something for everyone. On a summer's evening, one of the finest views in Swanage is the sunset over the Purbeck Hills so the pier is open later in the evenings, to allow people to stroll down and enjoy the amazing sunsets.
Swanage Pier Trust owns the pier and entrance is 80p for adults and free for children. Fishing and diving incurs further charges.
Boat trips
Many boat trips can be enjoyed from Swanage. Local boats go out regularly from near the pier – timings are displayed on boards near the stone jetty.
Ferry trips can also take you to Poole, Bournemouth and Brownsea Island.
Paddle steamer, The Waverley, also makes an appearance once a year, this year in September.
Sailing
Swanage Sailing Club can be found just past the pier. The Clubs aims to encourage the art of sailing for pleasure and competition. Yacht races occur all year from March to November with the peak during the summer months.www.swanagesailingclub.org.uk
Swanage Lifeboat Station
This is a working station, open daily unless any emergencies arise
Situated towards Peveril Point on the right hand side of Swanage Bay – walk past the pier up the hill and head down through the boat yard to reach the station. Also accessible along the seafront. www.swanagelifeboat.org.uk
Walks
Swanage is situated on the South West Coast path.
Some excellent walks are available all over the Isle of Purbeck including walking over the cliffs to Studalnd via "Old Harry" rocks. For more details visit Swanage Tourist Information Centre on the seafront.
An annual Swanage & Purbeck Walking Festival is held each year in September www.walkswanage.com
For the wildlife lover why not consider a walk with local wildlife photographer, Julian Sawyer www.purbeckfootprints.co.uk
Swanage Town Trails
Two short, circular walks around Swanage taking in the town and its stone heritage. Both routes start at the Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre. They are 1 mile in length and will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Swanage Steam Railway
The Swanage Railway is a heritage railway running through six miles of beautiful Purbeck countryside from Norden Park & Ride to Corfe Castle and Swanage with the station only a stone's throw from Capstone (listen to the sounds of the steam engines from the conservatory!). So travel back in time and enjoy the age of the steam train.
There is a railway buffet (in a railway carriage) overlooking the station and the railway operates dining trains during the summer on Friday and Saturday nights (please check for dates). www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Recreation Areas
King Georges Field is opposite the house across the main car park – good for a knock around with a ball.
The Recreation Ground is situated above the main beach and includes a children's play area, and crazy golf.
Beach Gardens – to be found on the right up the hill in Northbrook Road (the other side to Capstone) with an 18 hole putting course, tennis courts and a bowling green
Prince Albert Gardens – this area above the pier was developed as part of the Swanage Improvement Scheme in 1996. Including an open-air amphitheatre (used for open air productions in summer) the gardens are a wonderful place to watch the activities of the pleasure boats that come and go and the goings on in the bay.
The Downs – immediately behind Prince Albert Gardens, this large area of grassland is the start of the walk to Durlston Country Park, or you can walk round to the coastguard lookout at Peveril Point.
Fishing
The far end of Swanage Pier is a popular spot to relax and have a days angling, with glorious views of the Isle of Wight.
Swanage anglers are leading the way by using special 'Fishing line bins', which have been installed on the Pier for anglers to discard their unwanted line. The Seaclean bins help a variety of sea life that was being affected by lost fishing line. These ranged from entangled crabs and sea fan corals [soft corals], to injured seabirds and seals. The SeaClean project, run by Dorset Wildlife Trust, aims to reduce the amount of line entering the marine environment, where it could last for more than 600 years. SeaClean bins are monitored and emptied by volunteers and can be found at various locations in Dorset. Boat fishing charters are also available: www.swanageseafishing.co.uk
Diving
Divers Down - diving operation on Swanage Pier
They supply air & nitrox for divers, plus organize boat charters out to dive locations around the coast. Divers Down has an ideal location, with the underwater world of wonder lying directly beneath it, attracted by the confines of the wooden pier framework. There are a variety of other dives including many wrecks, which lie in deeper water outside the bay. These include, Kyarra, Betsy Anna, Valentine Tanks, Aeolian Sky, Carantan, Firth Fisher, Venezuela, Hazlewood, Aparema, Avanti, Everleigh, Simla, Smyrna and many more.
For more information www.diversdownswanage.co.uk
