Saturday 23 February 2008

Old Coastguard buildings



Around the country in almost every coastal town and village there will be an Old Coastguard housing station.

Almost all to my knowledge are now in private ownership having been sold off by the Governments of years gone past.

The housing station at Peveril was built around 1842 to house the full time Coastguards of this town, a later set of houses were later added just up around the corner, now next to the boat park.

Coastguard houses tend to be quite similar in design up and down the country, thick walls and painted white and always near to the headland of the town or village. Just in this area there are properties at Southbourne, Sandbanks (in fact at one stage those houses were the only ones on the "sandbank"!), Studland (next to Middle beach carpark) Swanage, St Albans Head, Kimmeridge and Lulworth. There were also a set at Hill Bottom or Chapmans Pool, however this have long gone.




The terrace at St Albans head is another fine example of some old properties and even has the original rescue cart building alongside.

This building is a very similar design the our current station building in Swanage, once again with a great arch over the doors.


Just a little reminder that in most cases these properties are now private and on private land.

4 comments:

joan said...

Hi we stayed in a coastguard cottage (made in to 2 houses) in Northumberland, it was lovely, every morning we looked out to the sea torwards Dunstunburugh castle, a great holiday till the last night when my husband went to the loo, didnt turn the landing light on and fell down the stairs head first into the stone wall! he broke his neck luckily missed going in to the cord, but spent a long time recovering, so very happy but very memorable stay!
Best wishes
joan

Swanage Coastguard said...

I think there is a moral to that story?

Always turn the light on!!

Swanage Coastguard said...

This came via an email, however they never supplied their name.
Just to correct your blog with fact: The Coastguard Cottages on Peveril Point were built in the early 1820's and were leased to the Coastguards initially in 1826. The "New" Coastguard houses on Peveril Point were commissioned/built around 1927 when the "Old" ones were declared unfit for human habitation!

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

In the 1960/s we used to spend our holidays in the Swanage cottages at Peveril Point, above the life boat ramp...
Great place - wonderful memories :)