Purbeck Mining Museum

Lovely location located next to park and ride and swanage steam railway. Free of charge although donations appreciated

Well worth a look if you're nearby. Free admission (donation of ~£1 is what they ask for and it's worth supporting) to this little museum. Warm welcome and introduction by volunteers then a short self guided walk to the top of the building with information boards along the way.When you get inside there is lots of information and you can see the workings of the clay mine. Nice and hands on with lots to learn about the local area. The walk down in to the 'mine' is the final part.Takes 30-45 minutes to do entirely so is worth stopping at it you're on the railway or using the car park.

Great experience learning about the local clay industry. Before or after using the railway or visiting Corfe castle make sure you give this your time (if open). Totally free entry though they accept cash donations (recommend to donate), as it's upkeep is by 8 volunteers only. Spoke to the volunteers who are very friendly and have lots of information to tell you about the industry.

Fascinating place to visit, small bit of history amazingly preserved! The volunteers running it are very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do.

An excellent museum. Great preservation of local clay mining history. A big thank you to Mike and Derek for their extensive knowledge. Our group learned a lot about the area, clay and the history of its uses.A must see!Amazing work by all involved.

Not bad free entry not much to see plenty of parking

Finally visited today, well worth it, a very interesting museum with friendly helpful volunteers in a beautiful setting.

Excellent museum. Full of interesting facts. Free to get it. £2 Donation per adult. Parking near by at the park car park

Lovely little museum and it's free to visit!Not a lot to see but there is a lot of history in a small space. I recommend a visit! You can also donate money at the entrance to help them maintain and grow the museum.

If you're into industrial heritage, this is a little gem. In the middle of a tourist area is a fascinating local industry that continues to this day, and this museum gives an insight into the development of clay mining in the Purbeck area. I was fortunate to arrive as the museum was being unlocked for the day, and had the opportunity to chat with the very knowledgeable gentleman who was manning the museum for the day. It adjoins the Norden Station on the Swanage Railway, which also acts as park and ride for Swanage.Next visit I shall take my walking boots and an OS maps to get some info on where to walk to find the old railway lines that served the industry.Entry is free, but there i a suggested donation of just £2 per visit. To those who appreciate our industrial heritage, it's worth so much more.