Swanage is a small coastal townin the south east of Dorset. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck , approximately 18 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The town, originally a small port and fishing village flourished in the Victorian era, when it first became a significant quarrying port and later a seaside resort for the rich of the day. Today the town remains a popular tourist resort