Purbeck Mining Museum

The Purbeck Mining Museum tells the story of ball clay mining on the Isle of Purbeck and the narrow gauge railways that carried it. It is housed in the last underground mine building worked in Purbeck, and visitors can walk into a reconstructed clay mine tunnel to see what working conditions were like. The collections include mining equipment, photographs and objects covering the social and economic life of the miners and their families. For children there is a clay mine activity trail for older children, a counting game to find the small mining figures hidden around the museum, and a picture trail for younger ones. A woodland clay trail runs through the trees at Norden, and a children's play area sits near the kiosk. Entry is free, with a suggested donation, and the museum is run largely by volunteers.