Can you help tell Swanage’s coastal story for new project which hopes to understand how the coastline is evolving
Historic photos and personal stories could play an important role in understanding how Swanage’s coastline is evolving.
Residents are being invited to share treasured photographs and memories as a new partnership explores how Swanage’s coastline has changed over the years – and what that could mean for the future.
Dig out your old photos!
The story of Swanage’s coastline is being brought to life through a new partnership between Future Coast North Swanage and the Coasts in Mind project, with local people at the heart of the initiative.
The collaboration is inviting residents to dig out old photographs, share family memories and tell stories that reveal how the coastline has changed over the decades. Together, these contributions will help build a fascinating community archive while supporting a better understanding of how the coast may continue to evolve in the years ahead.
By reflecting on the past, the project hopes to help local communities prepare for the future, building awareness and resilience as Swanage adapts to the challenges and opportunities of a changing coastline.
Project is about helping our community adapt for the future
Elaine Snow, Engagement Lead for Future Coast North Swanage, said:
“We’re really excited to partner with the Coasts in Mind team to gather memories of how Swanage’s coastline has changed within living memory. Future Coast North Swanage is all about helping our community adapt for the future, and looking back can help us understand where we are today. Alongside our wider work in the community, we hope people will come forward to share their photographs, memories and stories of the coast.”
Charting 100 years of coastal change from Poole Harbour to Swanage
Oliver Hutchinson, Project Officer for Coasts in Mind, added:
“Coasts in Mind is charting 100 years of coastal change around Poole Harbour through the photographs, videos and memories of people from communities stretching from Sandbanks to Swanage.
Preserving and sharing these stories is a powerful way to help communities build resilience for the future. We’re delighted to be working alongside Future Coast North Swanage to tell the fascinating story of North Swanage’s changing coastline.
We’re inviting everyone to become part of that story by donating photographs from across the decades. Every image will be added to the Coasts in Mind Archive, creating a lasting record that future generations can learn from.”
Find out more on Tuesday 21 July at The Mowlem
To launch the partnership, a community event will be held at The Mowlem Theatre Showbar on Tuesday 21 July. Visitors are encouraged to bring along photographs of Swanage’s coastline, which can be scanned and added to the growing Coasts in Mind Archive alongside images from across the wider Poole Harbour area.
The event will also include a short presentation explaining how people can continue contributing photographs, memories and stories over the coming months.
Future Coast North Swanage
Future Coast North Swanage is part of the Environment Agency’s Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme (CTAP). Delivered by Dorset Council in partnership with Dorset Coast Forum, the project works closely with local communities to help plan for and adapt to a changing coastline.
For more information about Future Coast North Swanage, visit the project’s webpage.
You can also find out more about the Coasts in Mind project and explore the growing Poole Harbour archive online.
You can see an exhibition of Coasts in Mind at Poole Museum. Read more here.
