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  • An exterior view of a white two storey house with multiple windows and a small gravel area at The Swanage Rail Lookout in Swanage
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The Swanage Rail Lookout

(Ref. 1157056)

Swanage, Dorset Show on map

4.5

Sykes rating

  • 6 Guests

  • 3 Bedrooms

  • 2 Bathrooms

  • Pets: Yes

Features

  • Off road parking
  • Garden / Patio
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Pub/shop < 1 mile
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Seaside
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • no (7)
  • garden (6)
  • property (6)
  • stay (6)
  • well (6)
  • great (5)

8 Customer Reviews

  • "We had a great stay."

    The house is very comfortable and well thought out.It is well equipped,with a lovely kitchen.Seeing the steam train go past was a bonus!!

    Hi Jane, thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback. Lovely to hear that you had a great stay, reflected by your positive comments, and that you enjoyed seeing the stream train go past! We have to admit that we are disappointed with the scoring breakdown that you have provided given the purely positive comments seen. Please do let us know if you therefore have any suggestions for improvements etc that were the reason for the scores provided? Property Owner

    Reviewed by Jane3.8Jul 2025

  • "Lovely house in a brilliant location for a multi generational holiday together."

    The house was very clean, comfortable and spacious and had everything needed for a great holiday. My son loved celebrating his 16th birthday here and as a committed rail enthusiast, was able to spend plenty of time at the railway station which was a short walk away from the house and if he wasn’t there, he was in the garden watching the trains go by. During our stay we visited the Tank Museum, Corfe Castle. Wareham and Swanage and even had a drive down to Weymouth. We found some lovely pubs with good food locally and would recommend the Quays in Wareham, The Ship in Swanage, The Fox in Corfe and the Halfway Inn by Norden. There are also plenty of lovely tea rooms and cake shops along with a fantastic butchers (The Salt Pig) in Wareham and Swanage who did the best sausages and burgers that we had had in ages! Our only suggestions for improvement would be a potato masher for the kitchen and to provide window keys for the front bedroom. We visited during the heatwave and couldn’t open the large windows in the bay as they were locked shut. We overcame the issue by buying a fan in town so it wasn’t a problem! Thank you for a wonderful stay and for the many happy memories made at the house, it was just what we had hoped for.

    Hi Catherine, thanks for taking the time to provide all of this feedback and it's lovely to hear all of these positive comments and that you and the family had a great time. Thank you also for the suggestions for improvement made. We will add a potato masher to the property by the end of next week and, regarding the bedroom windows and reiterating what we replied in a previous review, please refer to the property advert where it states "Please note that the lower windows to the twin and bunkbed rooms have been sealed and although the handles remain, even when unlocked they cannot be opened for safety reasons." To confirm, the upper narrower windows in both of those rooms (and both the upper and lower windows in the king room) can still be opened to let air in, as we're sure you would have done, and, again referring back to a previous review, by the end of next week fans will be put in both the twin and bunkbed rooms that should help, if they are felt to be required. Our apologies for these not being available during your stay. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Catherine5.0Jun 2025

  • "It's a very nice property."

    A few adjustments would make it much better. We have holidayed in Swanage over many years and found that small details matter in a holiday property. For example, there is no key to the windows and therefore some cannot be opened. In hot weather, this can make sleeping uncomfortable. There is no clock. There is cupboard space not available to the holiday maker. The small bedroom and the twin room have little in the way of hanging clothes. Two large cupboards are out of bounds. If you are going to rent, I believe that. you have to let go of thinking about your personal space kept solely for when you stay there, and think of the comfort of your guests. A hotel doesn't lock your cupboard. There are no egg cups or egg spoons. There is insufficient washing liquid. No salt and pepper. As mentioned, just a few minor details. On a positive note, lovely garden, modern interior, great shower, plenty of hot water, 15 minutes walk to town.

    Hi Pauline, thanks for taking the time to provide all of this feedback and it's great to hear that you think we have a very nice property in terms of quality and location. We have to admit that we are disappointed with the scoring breakdown that you have provided, given the nature of the points raised and would like to explain why by addressing the suggested adjustments mentioned for yours/others reference. Firstly, bedroom windows, as stated in the property advert "Please note that the lower windows to the twin and bunkbed rooms have been sealed and although the handles remain, even when unlocked they cannot be opened for safety reasons." To confirm, the upper narrower windows in both of those rooms (and both the upper and lower windows in the king room) can still be opened to let air in etc and no keys are needed as those that can be opened are not locked. However, we take your point on board in terms of the temperature felt upstairs and, over the next few weeks, will be providing fans in each of the bedrooms that should help, just in case they are felt to be required. Similarly, in terms of the lack of clock, we will be putting a couple in the property shortly. Thanks for this feedback as this is not something that we thought of when furnishing the property. Regarding cupboard space, yes we have needed to lock off some of the cupboards in order for us to leave clean bedding/towels etc and stock for the cleaners to use as part of changeovers, however we believe that we have left ample cupboard space for holiday makers, certainly more than we have been provided with when we have stayed elsewhere. However, please do note that as a result of upcoming works to the property later this year, being knocking down the sun room and rebuilding to be the property's living room, the existing living room will be a spare room that can be used for storage, freeing up some of the currently locked cupboards. Regarding hanging of clothes, thanks for that feedback and, although we feel what is currently in place is enough to service the property, in order to ensure this when it comes to our longer bookings, we have decided to, over the next few weeks, buy an additional clothes rail. The two large cupboards you refer to as being out of bounds are used as storage for the cleaners as mentioned above, a necessity of course, albeit we still maintain that we believe storage space provided is suitable as it is, albeit will increase as also mentioned above, again reiterating the upcoming changes to the property's layout and increased storage space available to holiday makers as a result. Thanks for the feedback on the lack of egg cups and apologies for those not being available during your stay, however as we mentioned on a previous review that also kindly mentioned this, we were soon to provide some at the property and now have done so. Sorry we are confused by what you mean by egg spoons, we thought teaspoons, of which there are many at the property, would suffice in this regard however please do advise if we are misunderstanding and we will action further. Regarding insufficient washing up liquid, we have double checked what is provided as part of each booking and that is a 50ml bottle, suitable for at least 3-4 instances of washing up and, given the availability of the dishwasher (with 2 x dishwasher tablets provided by us) also, feel this is ample for a self catering holiday let. Finally, salt and pepper, thanks very much for this feedback as we didn't think of including these when furnishing the property, however we have now actioned. Apologies for these not being available during your stay. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Pauline3.8Jun 2025

  • "A very nice holiday property, clean, well located for local amenities, transport and close to town."

    Nice spacious garden with good garden furniture. Unfortunately the cushion storage bins are not fully waterproof and we had to dry out the cushions as best we could. Could do with some pegs for the washing line. Other (very minor points) could do with egg cups and cleaning material. We did really enjoy our stay at The Swanage Rail Lookout and would thoroughly recommend it. Great place.

    Hi Ian, thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback and great to hear that you really enjoyed your stay and would recommend our property. Regarding the cushion storage bins, our apologies for that inconvenience, they should be fully waterproof! We will arrange for them to now be put in the garden shed as this should ensure they stay dry in the future. Good point RE pegs for the washing line and the cleaners will be putting some pegs at the property as part of the next changeover next week, apologies for those not being available during your stay. We will be bringing some egg cups with us as part of our next stay at the property in a few weeks, thanks for commenting on this as again something we didn't think of when furnishing it! Finally, RE cleaning materials and further to the email correspondence that you kindly had with the management company as requested by ourselves, the items mentioned to be missing were shower cleaner (not advised to be left by the management company), bleach (or similar) for the toilets (again not advised to be left by the management company) and finally, kitchen cleaner, of which there should be a bottle of anti-bacterial spray kitchen cleaner located in the cupboard under the sink. Hopefully summarising this will help yourselves/future guests in terms of what is/isn't provided as part of the property cleaning wise. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Ian4.7Jun 2025

  • "This is a well presented modern property, very clean, comfortable, and well equipped."

    The weather on our short break was disappointing so we were unable to make full use of the garden, but it is a good size with plenty of garden furniture, and ideal for train fans as the steam railway runs directly behind. The Station is about a 15/20 min walk from the property. . Were we to visit this area again, we would not hesitate to stay in this property.

    Hi Robert, thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback, lovely to hear your positive comments and that you would stay at the property again albeit it is a shame to hear about the weather during your stay. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the around half a mile stroll to the station also. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Robert5.0May 2025

  • "Minor gripes; It would have been better if the garden furniture had been cleaned of the cobwebs and bird droppings."

    We cleaned two chairs with the spray found in the kitchen after we had bought kitchen roll. Advice to park on the road would be appreciated as trying to reverse off the drive with the drop on the right hand side, very difficult in a larger car. Positives; An extremely well presented holiday property, very comfortable sofas and bed. A lovely secure garden in a great location. Easy walk to the town to the friendly pubs. Lots of places to visit locally, a steam train trip to Corfe Castle highly recommended. Would certainly recommend to family and friends.

    Hi Gerard, thanks for taking the time to provide all of this feedback and it's great to hear that you would recommend our property to family and friends. We have to admit that we are disappointed with the scoring breakdown that you have provided, given the nature of the points raised and would like to explain why by addressing the gripes mentioned for yours/others reference. Firstly, garden furniture. I can only apologise for there being cobwebs , this is surprising given the use of the furniture across previous bookings, however I have fed this back to the cleaners who will ensure that they take a look for this as part of changeovers. Also, apologies for the bird droppings, however this is difficult to address as there is always some time between cleaners attending the property and the next guests arriving, during which birds may well do their business unfortunately! Secondly, again we we can only apologise for the couple of kitchen chairs that you needed to clean. We checked with the cleaners and they are very surprised by this finding and will ensure that this is not required again in the future. Regarding kitchen roll, in line with advice from our management company, it is unusual for these to be provided and instead would be guests responsibility to provide their own. Finally, regarding parking, our management company will now include some advice around reversing into the drive rather than driving in front ways, as part of the travel directions section when booking, as we appreciate that, when the road is busy, reversing out of the drive could be more challenging. Please note that we would still advise guests to utilise the off-road parking, as we ourselves do when staying at the property, albeit there is of course the option to park on the road, for free, if preferred/more convenient. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Gerard4.1May 2025

  • "Very well prepared and presented property with large garden and provided everything we required."

    Well positioned re beach and costcutter and coop shops nearby really handy. Just one negative, says parking for 2 cars, assumed on the drive unless you have a small hatch ok, but suv and above, no chance. Oh and neighbours and visitors had parked across the frontage and drive most days after our day out, so we had to park in front of other local's properties...

    Hi Christopher, thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback and great to hear that the property provided everything you required. Regarding parking, appreciate your comments, however we have a large SUV sized car and a van and we are able to park them directly behind each other down the drive, albeit we do note that those sitting in the passenger side of the vehicles are needing to get in/out at the top of the drive as the width does not allow both doors to open when parked at the bottom of the drive, only the drivers side. I can only apologise for neighbours and their visitors parking across the frontage and drive, this shouldn't happen as everyone is aware to not block the drive (we will put a sign up to reiterate this) and they also usually leave us a space directly outside the house on the road, albeit as these are public spaces this cannot be guaranteed. As a result of these being public spaces, in the instance of no parking space available directly outside the property then there should be ample other spaces along the road to utilise. Just to clarify for yours/others future reference, from November this year we will be creating a further off-road parking space directly in front of the house, thereby allowing for 3 vehicles being parked off-road as well as , if preferred, utilising the on-road spaces available, of which there are usually many in a very close proximity to the property. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Christopher4.7May 2025

  • "Excellent property and superbly situated, we felt a chopping board and an iron were the only things missing of note."

    We also found a couple of unwashed plates on our first nights stay, but other than that everything was well presented.

    Hi Stephen, Thank you very much for your positive comments and we hope that you enjoyed your stay. Regarding the missing items, we have two chopping boards at the property, appearing to have been left in the bottom drawer underneath the oven during your stay. Regardless, we will move them to be in the bottom drawer underneath the hob(s) as makes sense for them to be in with the weighing scales etc. We have today bought an iron and ironing board for the property, thank you for feeding that back and apologies for these not being available during your stay. Finally, we can only apologise for the couple of unwashed plates that you found. We checked with the cleaners and they are very surprised by this finding and will ensure that this does not happen again in the future. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Stephen5.0Mar 2025

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Summary

  • Three bedrooms: 1 x king with large fitted wardrobe, 1 x twin (beds able to be pushed together to make a super king) with 7 piece drawer set along with 2 x stand alone clothes racks, 1 x bunk with stand alone clothes/drawers rack
  • Ground-floor shower room with walk-in shower, vanity unit, 2 x toothbrush/shaver charging sockets, basin, heated towel rail and WC
  • Bathroom with bath, walk-in shower, vanity unit with 2 x electric toothbrush/shaver charging sockets, basin, heated towel rail and WC
  • Kitchen/ diner
  • Sitting room with electric fire
  • Sunroom
  • Garage, with lighting, and garden shed, both for storage use, as required
  • Digital self-use thermostat controlled gas central heating with constant hot water available throughout the day
  • Electric oven and induction hob (with extractor Fan built into worktop), microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine (manual airers provided for drying and/or external clothes line able to be used - N.B clothes pegs also provided), iron and ironing board
  • Tea, coffee, milk, salt, pepper and washing up liquid
  • TV, WiFi
  • Fuel and power inc. in rent
  • Bed linen (2 x pillows per person) and towels inc. in rent, towels per person including a bath sheet, bath towel and face towel in addition to hand towels and bath/shower mats provided in both the downstairs shower room and upstairs bathroom
  • Retractable Child/Pet safety gates provided at either end of the stairs along with the living room for use, as appropriate
  • Highchair (in the kitchen) and travel cot (in the bottom of king room wardrobe) available
  • Off-street driveway parking for 2 cars along with regularly available free on-street parking within a matter of seconds walking distance to the property, if also required
  • Enclosed rear garden with lawn, patio and furniture (easily moveable to the 3 separate seating locations available), all serviced by beautiful lighting along with motion sensing external light - note outdoor cushions kept in their storage bins in the garden shed
  • External sockets available for use along with the second fridge in the separate room to the rear of the garage able to be used to store food/drinks for added ease, as required
  • Pets welcome
  • Sorry, no smoking
  • Shop and pub 0.3 miles, beach 0.8 miles
  • Hallway includes 2 x coat racks (1 lower for children) and built in retractable shoe/wellies drawer located under the stairs
  • Vacuum/mop and bucket/brush and dustpan and brush provided under the stairs next to the shoes drawer and/or in the corner of the kitchen, if required to maintain cleanliness during your stay
  • Electric remote controlled blinds for the downstairs of the property, 1 control for the living room blinds and a separate kitchen based control for the kitchen and sunroom

Your home away from home

The Swanage Rail Lookout is a picturesque home in Swanage, Dorset perfect for those looking for a seaside holiday and/or train enthusiasts.

Ideal for families (including dogs) this home sleeps up to six guests in three bedrooms and boasts, in addition to the gas central heating throughout the property, an electric fire, child-friendly facilities and is located within 15-20 minutes' walk of the numerous beaches at Swanage beachfront and 10- 15 minutes' walk of Swanage Railway station.

Pull into the driveway of this bright and airy detached home.

Step inside to the hallway, the sitting room is light and contemporary with a mounted TV (including a large number of built-in Freeview channels along with access to various apps, including Netflix, these requiring guest login as appropriate of course) above the flickering electric fire, there is tasteful artwork adding charm to this space, and there is enough seating for the whole family to relax and enjoy a film, consisting of a 3-seater sofa, 2-seater sofa and reclining chair.

The sitting room also includes a coffee table holding a number of board games for all of the family to enjoy.

The open-plan kitchen/diner is homely with a warm oak floor and spotlights lighting up the dining area.

The kitchen is stylish with white fittings and an integrated oven along with a dishwasher to help relieve the washing up after your meals and a washing machine is also available to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

A set of weighing scales are provided for your use as appropriate to make sure your recipes are spot on and/or your furry friend(s) are fed the correct amount!!!

Also included as part of your stay are 1 food and 1 water bowl for your furry friend, if they are joining you, along with their own cushion, although more than 1 are allowed of course!

Upstairs you will find a welcoming king room, a bright twin room with the ability to easily adjust into a super-king, if appropriate and a bunk perfect for various ages.

Please note that the lower windows to the twin and bunkbed rooms have been sealed and although the handles remain, even when unlocked they cannot be opened for safety reasons.As a result, although these rooms both have upper windows that are able to be opened, in case of you feeling too warm, each room has been supplied with a pedestal fan.

This home benefits from two spaces to get ready before your day of adventures; a ground-floor shower room, or the upstairs bathroom, with separate walk-in shower and bath, if you fancy a soak in the evening.

If you fancy some quiet time, then put your feet up in the sunroom and read a book as you look out at the green garden and stunning hill views.

Outside, you'll find a well-maintained garden, perfect for relaxation.

The garden furniture can be moved to your convenience, allowing seating/table areas in three separate locations, be it the decking area at the end of the garden, raised patio area to the front of the garden or seating area located to the back of the sunroom, all allowing a view of the famous steam trains that travel behind the secure rear fence of the property, passing by between 10am and 6pm at peak times.

All this surrounded by trees that create a sense of privacy and tranquillity.

Being located in Dorset's National Landscape means there are plenty of beautiful vistas and a lot of activities to do, including beautiful dog walks within walking distance of the property.

Alternatively, slap on your sunscreen and head to Swanage Beachfront; including a large number of sandy beaches stretching around the coastline; have some ice cream as you take a stroll along the pier, visit the arcades, and enjoy some classic fish and chips.

Visit the Dancing Ledge, a stunning coastal walk with rock climbers in action and a fantastic spot for swimming and snorkeling.

Ride the scenic steam train and discover Corfe Castle, indulge in some traditional cream tea and cake, take in the breathtaking views and explore the ruins from the English Civil War.

Throughout the year the beautifully restored trains running to and from Swanage also offer a number of special experiences, including a variety of Christmas themed events during November and December, such as The Polar Express that took place last year.

Monkey World is a wonderful family destination where you can get up close to cheeky apes swinging around, learn fascinating facts about primates and even adopt one.

Indulge in Swanage’s local delights and nearby famous and renowned locations at The Swanage Rail Lookout.

Where you’ll be staying

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SWANAGE

  • Wareham 9.7 miles
  • Poole 20 miles

The small, family-friendly seaside resort of Swanage is situated at the eastern end of Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast, on the celebrated Isle of Purbeck and is probably best known for its wonderful, gently shelving golden sands. The little town offers visitors plenty of shops, good pubs and restaurants, some of which specialise in locally caught seafood, and is also well known for its annual jazz festival, which takes place each July. The attractive, Victorian wooden pier offers a great place for a stroll or try fishing, and often used a departure point for divers, it’s a wonderful place to watch the world pass by. The historic Swanage Railway has its terminus in the town and regular nostalgic steam engine trips take tourists for a picturesque 6-mile journey, chugging through lovely countryside to stop just beyond the romantic ruin of Corfe Castle. Nearby Durlston Country Park offers a lovely day out with spectacular coastal walks, dolphin spotting and wildlife watching, together with comfortable viewing points and a well-stocked cafe for a treat after all the fresh air. Take the short drive to Studland, which has one of the finest beaches in the country, surrounded by heathland, together with the regular chain ferry, which crosses the mouth of Poole Harbour to Sandbanks. This truly is a delightful holiday destination at any time of the year.

View more holiday cottages in Swanage

From November 2025, 1) the existing sun room area, located at the rear of the property overlooking the garden, will be replaced/extended in size allowing for a larger sized living area that will create an open plan space to include a larger, more private, living room location, also allowing the addition of a breakfast bar to complement the existing kitchen. N.B. the existing living room will then not be accessible as it will be used for storage, however creating even more cupboard space for guests and 2) an additional off road parking space will be created directly in front of the bay windows to the existing living room, resulting in 3 off road parking spaces (in addition to the regularly available free on road parking, if required) becoming available.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute
  • Christmas