Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum

The Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum Group was formed to consider establishing a permanent mining museum at Norden to exhibit artifacts primarily connected to the mining of ball clay in Dorset and other significant minerals extracted in Purbeck, which were intimately connected with the growth and history of the Swanage Railway. The aim of the museum is to enhance the visitor experience when visiting the Swanage Railway.

The museum is under construction and will open in 2013. It is predominantly an outdoor educational facility (although there is much to see undercover). It is built on redundant clay workings adjacent to the park and ride and Station. The desire is to re create a working environment typical of the clay mining industry, including a short operational narrow gauge demonstration line around the Norden site part built on the old trackways. This will provide moving interest using a Ruston 48DL industrial diesel loco and a set of skip wagons. There is a display of waggons used in Purbeck from the late 1800's until the lTE 1960'S. The Foremans Office has been rebuilt and will be the entrance building.

There is a 20-30 minute free trailway around the outside of the site with boards describing the Ball Clay extraction activities that happened from 1800's until 1970's and pointing out the location of nearby Roman Kilns.

A typical Ball clay drift mine has been built and Norden No.7 mine Transhipment building (donated by Imerys) has been re-erected at the Park & Ride site. It is the centre focus for the Mineral Museum.

Vistors are able to experience conditions underground in the simulated mine and walk the working face which has been completed with real Ball Clay - the world's finest and much in demand today!

Additional info

Tours around the site including a clay pit are available. Please visit the website www.pmmmg.org/tours for further information.