Purbeck Mining Museum

Purbeck Mining Museum in Swanage is a volunteer-run heritage attraction celebrating the Isle of Purbeck's clay and ball clay mining history. Dogs on a lead are welcome on the museum site, so you can explore the outdoor exhibits and mining machinery together. The museum includes an underground tunnel, heritage displays and narrow-gauge railway elements linked to nearby Norden Station on the Swanage Railway, making it a proper Purbeck day out without leaving anyone behind in the car.

Entry is free, with donations welcome. Parking is available in Dorset Council's pay-and-display car park at Purbeck Park, right next to the museum site.

The location is ideal if you're planning a visit to Corfe Castle or a trip on the Swanage Railway – all three sit within easy reach of each other. It's a small, volunteer-led museum with genuine mining heritage and a quietly fascinating story and the fact they welcome dogs means you can take your time without the usual splitting-up logistics.