The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-08-12 00:00:00

AT SWANAGL

The following notice appeared in the girth* Noss
this week. It is from the peu of the Editor, who it
staying in Swanage :
England it not exhautted yet. Tourists will, it it
to be hoped, turn their attention this year snore
generally to the treasure at their own door. As the
result, we imagine, many will arrive at the conviction
that "to stay at home it

--The riTulit, in ordinary years its
spocial attractions, and 04C vi,it to Switzerland every.
body should make who can; but haiing made that
visit we advise the fuller explorations of, may we
not ‘ay, the almost unknown beauties and attractions
of home scenery? Of course Brizhtsin and Rauvurate,
and 31argate and Dover, and even Eastbourne are
so familiar to most of its that the charm of novelty
!oust be sought in other localities than these; but
such localities, more or less lovely, abound all round
..ur coast. .

Just now w o are writing with a very strong tempta-
tion to Lay down the pen, and gaze, and ga.., and
gaze, with eye entranced upon a scene 4 beauty
spread out before us, which we honestly think could
be at any rate exceeded In its attractiveness
anywhere. Our view is from Grosvenor-terrace on the
Park.road, Swanage. Below lies the quaint old town
and the lovely horse.shoe bay, which Ballard Down
closes in on the north, the towering chalk pinnacle
rocks, called Old Harry and Ins Wife, flanking its
extremity. Away towards the north-east is Bourneinouth. In the direct east are the grey cliffs of the
Isle of Wight, and the Needle.; whilst to the west
and north-west are the ranges of the Purbeck hills.
Southvrard the broad blue sea and the deep waters
of the English Channel meet the gaze and complete
our survey.
Not to multiply words in attempting to describe
the really magnificent prospect, we can truly say we
know of none upon the south coast more varied or
beautiful.

_________
A few hundred steps will bring us to the
_pier, the
coastguard station, and ['event Point. From the
latter we look down upon the grand, bold cliffs of
dark stone—huge boulders lying at their base; and
running into the sea we see the fatal ledge or reef on
which a hundred Danish vessels 1000 yiears ago met
their terrible shipwreck. This side of Swanage is an
entire contrast to the bay with its smooth greasy
slopes down to the very edge of the fine shingly shore,
with its gently sloping sands for safe bathing.
But Ssranage as a town has other attractions beside
the surrounding scenery, and we gladly pay a visitor's
tribute to its pecillikr merits as a seaside resort. It
is a quaint town for the antiquarian, who will
find plenty to explore and investigate, and it Is the
I place par exceiteere for the wearied, literary, pro.
fessional, or fiublic man who is really seeking rest for
, the brain and relaxation for the bisly. No 'fashioii.
able" crowd recalls London with it. noise, worry, and
excitement but the visitor finds country quietude,
I pure air and pure water, endless walks over breezy
downs, and, as we have hinted, delicious bathing on
perfect sand—no stones, no shingle for the feet, and
no overwhelming Mayes to deal too unceremoniously
with our dignity or our comfort.• And then the boat-
ing, the yachting, and the steaming are all perfect
also. Bournemouth and Poole, and Lulworth and
Weymouth. and above all Alum Bay, Inc Needles,
Cowes, Hyde, and the unrivalled charms of the Isle
of Wight, are al within easy reach. And last, but
not least, of course, Code Castle is an almost endless
source of interest. We shall not over forget the
striking appearance of the venerable pile or ruined
towers as we first saw it in the glowing eventide, and
the more the historic associations are studied, the
more will they add to the tourist's interest.
The parish church of Swanage, St. Mary's, was
built in 1860. upon the site of the ancient edifice.
The rector is the Rev. R. D. Travers, and during the
season every effort is made to meet the requirements
of visitors attending the services. The tower of the
former structure is one if the most remarkable in the
Isle of Purbeck. It. walls are of great thickness, and
it rises to the height if about 80 feet. Then, is no
trace of ornamentation, and no sign or vestige of
buttresses. It was probably used as a watch tower or
place of defence, as were the (animus round towers of
Ireland. The interior of the church is well arranged,
and there are several good coloured windows.
The benefactors of a plai, always deserves men-
tion, and Swanage has a story to tell of Mr.
John Mowlem, the founder of the Nlowlein Insti-
tute—a capital public library and lecture room. This
good Ulan, OW of several WWI of poor parents, at a
very early age, in the beginning of this century, left
wawa, a Journeyman stonemason, with nothing in
the world but his mason's tisils, and started f
don, where he found employment in the works going
on at Somerset House. After struggled and cheeks,
.ulficient to have worn out or driven to despair many
another man, he fought his way by his industry, his
integrity, and his shrewd common sense—ever making
and retaining kind, firm, and able friends—to the
very forefront of the Lundon merchants, and
. established at Paddington an extensive businesss as a
, paving
.contractor, which for the last thirty years has
Wen lain more extensively varied forward by the firm
lof Mowlem, Freeman, and Burt—the last of whom,
George Burt, Eel., is the
Mr. Mowlem's nephew,
owner of the I)urleston Park estate. In his dechn-
, ing years. Mr. Mowlem spent much of his time in his
native town, and he labiured hard in every way to
benefit it. He died in Dial, at the age of eighty, a
landed proprietor suds county magistrate, Mae sery
parish whom, he had gone forth so many years before
to fight the battle of life, after having nobly proved
himself a hero in it. Always genial, kindly, and
cinirteoue, he had won love, esteem. and respect from
every quarter.

• Kingsley wrote: " A pleasauter spot for summer
sea-bathing is not to be found eastward of the Devon
coast thaa Swanage. " We are nut sure we should
exempt the Devon wad.

We have by 110 1111:411, eithansten our Swatiage note+,
but we can no longer re.i.it the temptation b. lay
'aide our pen, and get into the "outing. We :sued
only first mention the obelkk to the memory of
".tlbert the th.al," Purbeck Home. the Victoria
Hotel f,, called to commemorate a Royal vi.it in
liC35), the lifeboat how.,"' the lighthou‘e, ' Tilly
Whim," Dancing Ledge. and St. Alban'. Read.
We advine the mailer to make a note of Swanage,
and a. KOOll a. pownble put our der.cription to the te.t.
We anticipate with all confidence hi, or her verdict
that we have barely done ju•tice to thi, charming
locality.
Intending vimiton will do well to apply to Mr.
'Lannon', Awanaige for an admirable ..i.p.nny guide,
by the Rev. E. D. Burrowes. LL.D. We are
indebted to it for inforuiation.
Tite. F:ivtrou.
Gro.cenor.terrace, Angird. Zith,
WITNOUTIt.
_

iioePITAL SUNDAY —rile following anbioriptions
have been received .is our pbbli•h& l list :
Emmanuel Church (pet Mar. T. Ei. Ste ..). 4.11; t.
John's Church, Portland, el 51. (pr 11ev. Mr.
°Way); iheliple Church, £4 14.. 3d. ; St. Peter'..
Courch, Portland. £2 10..
/Spam nuderscands tha. Mr. Whitehouse willahortly
reliuquish the appoiotmant of S.retary to the
Admiral Superiotendent of Naval Itatervas, which ke
b. hold for many yea.!_p..t. in het alnce that whct.
we. co.tatuted. Mr. W. Perry, et preefinat MC (*Lary
t, Sir A. Roast. to the Hercules, ta named se sec-
oemor of Mr. NYattehouee.