Purbeck Mining Museum

About the museum

Purbeck Mining Museum tells the story of ball clay mining in the Isle of Purbeck, an industry that also relied on narrow gauge railways. The museum is housed in the last underground mine building that worked in Purbeck, at Norden near Corfe Castle, right beside Norden station on the Swanage Railway.

The museum was built up over some twenty years almost entirely by volunteers, with capital funding from Chalk and Cheese, and it was officially opened in 2014 by the Antiques Roadshow presenter Paul Atterbury and the former local MP Richard Drax. It is run by a volunteer committee that reports to the Swanage Railway Trust, a registered charity, and it takes independent advice from the museums adviser for the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole area. It is an Arts Council England accredited museum and receives no government funding.

The collection includes miners' personal equipment, clay pipes, narrow gauge skip wagons, archive material and photographs, with a focus on the social and economic history of the industry and the lives of the miners and their families. The museum also looks after the 1874 locomotive Secundus, although it is not currently on display. An underground tunnel shows visitors what a typical Purbeck clay mine was like, and the museum offers trails for children and a woodland walk on the history of clay at Norden.

Highlights

• Underground tunnel showing a typical Purbeck clay mine
• Miners' equipment, clay pipes and narrow gauge skip wagons
• Story of the Purbeck ball clay industry and its railways
• Activity trails for children and a woodland clay trail
• Next to Norden station on the Swanage Railway

Permanent exhibitions

• Purbeck ball clay mining – Equipment, photographs and objects on the social and economic history of the clay industry, including its narrow gauge railways and the miners' working lives.
• Underground tunnel – A tunnel that shows what a typical Purbeck clay mine was like.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Swanage Railway Trust (registered charity 1087318)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. A donation of at least 3 pounds per adult is suggested, payable in cash or by contactless card. Gift Aid is requested.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Some parts of the site are not accessible to wheelchair users or to pushchairs and buggies. The museum says it will try to find solutions so that this does not spoil the visit. Dogs on a lead are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

There is a clue-following activity trail for ages 9 to 13, a picture trail called The Norden Nippers Go To Sea for ages 5 to 8, and a hidden-figures search for all ages. A woodland trail with a leaflet explains the history of clay at Norden. A children's play area with a kiosk is nearby, and the car park toilets have baby changing facilities.

Getting there & parking

What3words location: ///yelled.correct.evening. Timetables for the buses are on the More Bus website.

Amenities & dining

Refreshments are sold from the kiosk by the children's play area and on the platform at Norden station. Toilets, including baby changing facilities, are in the car park.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit