Isle of Purbeck

Historic sites in the Isle of Purbeck

Historic Sites & Ancient Ruins

Explore the diverse historical landscape of the Isle of Purbeck, spanning from the Jurassic era to the mid-20th century. This collection features the 140-million-year-old Keates Quarry dinosaur footprints and Neolithic sites like the Rempstone Stone Circle and Nine Barrow Down longbarrows. Discover industrial heritage at the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum and the Victorian Great Globe. The list also includes the poignant ruins of Tyneham, a village evacuated during WWII and preserved as a living museum of 1940s rural life.

Historic Sites & Ancient Ruins — Map

Huligan0 / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Great Globe

The Great Globe at Swanage is one of the largest stone spheres in the world and stands at Durlston Castle within Durlston Country Park, a…

B

National Trust - Keates Quarry Dinosaur Footprints

A former limestone quarry containing over 100 fossilized tracks made by brachiosaurs approximately 140 million years ago.

C

Rempstone Stone Circle

A prehistoric megalithic site consisting of eight sandstone blocks arranged in a small circle, likely dating to the Bronze Age.

D

Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum

Located at Norden, this museum documents the history of Purbeck ball clay mining with an underground gallery and narrow-gauge railway displays.

E

Tyneham Post Office

A restored building within the abandoned village of Tyneham that serves as a museum, depicting local life before the 1943 evacuation.

F

Tyneham School

A preserved 19th-century schoolhouse featuring original desks and student work from the 1940s, located within the Tyneham ghost village.

G

Museum, Fossils & Local Finds

A small museum in Worth Matravers focusing on local fossils, maritime history, and the development of radar at nearby Worth Matravers.

H

Grange Arch

An 18th-century stone folly built in the Gothic style as an ornamental archway on the Purbeck ridge.

I

Nine Barrow Down Longbarrow

A series of Neolithic and Bronze Age burial mounds situated on a prominent chalk ridge overlooking the surrounding valley.

J

King Barrow

A significant Bronze Age burial mound located on the hills near Swanage, representing the area's early ceremonial landscape.

K

Prince Albert Memorial

A stone monument in Swanage erected in 1862 to commemorate Prince Albert, featuring architectural details typical of the Victorian era.

Other Lists

Isle of Purbeck Essentials Coastal Cliffs and Viewpoints Historic Churches of Purbeck Outdoor Recreation & Nature