East View
🏖️ 2.65 miles from Swanage Central (Excellent water quality)
Swanage, South West England
Sleeps 4
£477 per break
Check availabilityMuseums & Galleries · Swanage
Museum, Fossils & Local Finds
📍 BH19 3LY
Photo: Nigel Chadwick (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Marine reptile fossils including Ichthyosaur and Pliosaur specimens
- Mesolithic and Neolithic flint tools and Roman metalwork on display
- 18th century shipwreck items from the Halswell wreck
- Historic clay pipes once sold at the pub
- Outdoor agricultural machinery including turnip crunchers
This small museum at the Square and Compass pub showcases over 60 years of fossil and archaeological collecting from the Purbeck area. You'll see marine reptile fossils such as Ichthyosaur and Pliosaur, flint tools from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, Roman coins and metalwork, shipwreck remains from the Halswell, historic clay pipes, and farming bygones including agricultural machinery outside. It suits anyone curious about Dorset's natural history, archaeology or local heritage. The museum is located in Worth Matravers, Dorset, with Wareham station around 7.4 miles away and Swanage Central beach roughly 3.7 miles away, and there are 41 bookable places to stay within 5 miles if you're planning a visit.
Practical details
- Best for
- Visitors interested in fossils, archaeology and local history
From the attraction's own website on 21 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
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Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near Museum, Fossils & Local Finds
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
1 mi
1.1 mi
Mulberry Cottage
🏖️ 2.65 miles from Swanage Central (Excellent water quality)
Swanage, South West England
Sleeps 2
£297 per break
Check availability
1.2 mi
Downshay Caravan and Camping
✓ Working farm setting with views of Corfe Castle and Purbeck Hills
Swanage
1.2 mi
Acton Field Campsite
✓ Breathtaking coastal views over Swanage Bay and the Purbeck Hills
🏖️ 2.53 miles from Swanage Central (Excellent water quality)
Langton Matravers
1.4 mi
Tom's Field
✓ Traditional rural camping close to a lovely village
🏖️ 2.29 miles from Swanage Central (Excellent water quality)
Langton Matravers
1.4 mi
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Museum, Fossils & Local Finds into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
🚆 Or come by train
- Wareham 7.4 miles
- Holton Heath 8 miles
- Poole 8.7 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page