Stained glass at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Swanage in Dorset is one of my ancestral places – my mother’s forebears with surnames Read, Saunders, Barter and Edmonds lived here in the 18th and early 19th centuries before their descendants moved to Poole.
The earliest ancestor I can trace to Swanage is my 8-great-grandfather John Barter, who was buried here in 1733.
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin in Swanage, Dorset, is on Church Hill and was entirely rebuilt in 1859/60 in Early English style, apart from the tower.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
The tower itself may date back to Saxon times. The massive walls rise in four stages to a height of 80 feet – the three lower stages are of the 14th century and the top stage was built about 1620.
The church has some lovely stained glass of various ages (see images below). And here is a guide to the church’s history and architecture.
Since Roman times Swanage has been the centre of the local stone industry. It became a quarry town and harbour from which Purbeck Marble was shipped for use in many cathedrals in Europe.
The sea off Swanage was the site of one of a great sea battle when King Alfred destroyed a Danish fleet of more than 100 vessels in 878.
In 1820 William Morton Pitt bought the estate and tried to make Swanage a seaside resort but with limited success until the railway arrived in 1885. For this reason the town is full of late 19th and early 20th century buildings.
A view from Swanage Pier
The railway to Swanage closed in 1972 but has been re-opened by the Swanage Railway Company who now run steam trains. See my page on the Corfe Castle stretch of this line.
You can also get to Swanage by pleasure boat from Poole, going around Old Harry Rocks – I’ve a blog page for that, too.
Swanage Pier
One of Swanage’s most famous sons was John Mowlem, (1788-1868), a poor boy who went to London and eventually founded the great building company of Mowlem.
The road to St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage. That's the old rectory, with the town's Methodist Church in High Street visible to the left.
St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Above the entrance to St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
The entrance to St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass rose window at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass rose window at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
A banner at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Stained glass at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
Inside St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
British Legion window at St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage
The church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, list of rectors (a little blurred)
Picture on the wall: The church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, the church prior to 1859, north east view
Picture on the wall: The church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, inside the newly built church in 1860
Picture on the wall: The church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, inside the old church, looking west, 1825
Picture on the wall: The church of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage, south east view prior to 1859
The church entrance of St Mary the Virgin, Swanage
Pretty houses viewed from the church entrance
A house opposite St Mary the Virgin Church, Swanage, is the old rectory
You’ll find a few more of “my” East Dorset churches here
The Squirrelbasket 
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