Celebrating 30 Years of Virtual Swanage
Celebrating 30 Years of Virtual Swanage: A Look Back at the Early Web
In 2026, Virtual Swanage turns 30 years old, which feels somewhat unbelievable when you consider how different the internet looked back in 1996 and how many websites and businesses have appeared and vanished online in the past 30 years. What started as a simple five-page online guide for our home town has grown into one of the longest-running tourism websites in the UK, helping visitors explore Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck, long before smartphones or social media existed.
1996: When the Web Was Young
When Virtual Swanage launched, the internet was a very different place. Most people got online using dial-up modems that screeched and whirred as they connected. Web pages were basic, built with simple HTML and tiny images so they would load before your connection timed out. Search engines were in their infancy. Google and Facebook didn’t even exist yet. The BBC launched their first website the same year.
Against that backdrop, the first version of Virtual Swanage launched, one of the earliest dedicated tourism websites in the country. It offered maps, local information, cycle routes, small photos, and a glimpse of Swanage and Purbeck for anyone to explore. The website was first hosted with our ISP at the time called Demon Internet before later moving to a dedicated hosting service under www.virtual-swanage.co.uk
Virtual Swanage featured the town's first webcam and this was hosted in the window of Rutherford Photographic in the High Street and uploaded a new image every minute for several years until the shop moved to the Purbeck Press premises in Station Road. The webcam page is still one of the most visited and searched for pages at Virtual Swanage.
The website also hosted a popular community forum for many years until social media websites like Facebook got more popular and the traffic to our forum gradually declined as people moved to other services.
The 2000s: Broadband and Bigger Ideas
As broadband became available, Virtual Swanage grew in tandem with it. Faster connections meant more photographs, more pages, and a more detailed guide to the town. Local businesses began using the web to promote their services, and the site expanded to include accommodation listings, events, and photographs showcasing the coastline, cliffs, beaches, and countryside.
From Static Pages to Interactive Experiences
By the 2010s, the internet had transformed again. Mobile devices became the norm, and people expected websites to be responsive, fast, and full of useful features. Virtual Swanage evolved too, adding mobile friendly pages, interactive maps, bigger photo galleries, additional interactive walking and cycling route guides, and constantly updated listings.
The website continued to act as both a local resource and attracting visitors from across the UK and around the world to explore the area.
2026: Looking Ahead After Three Decades Online
Reaching 30 years online is a rare milestone for any website. In that time, the web has gone from dial-up modems to full-fibre broadband, from desktop PCs to smartphones, and from tiny GIFs to high-resolution photography and video.
Virtual Swanage has managed to remain relevant by adapting to each new era of the internet while keeping its focus on the core idea that inspired it in the first place: sharing the beauty, character, and charm of Swanage and Isle of Purbeck with the world.
As the site enters its fourth decade, the goal remains the same, continuing to support local businesses, helping visitors discover new things to see and do, and showcasing everything that makes Swanage special.
Here’s to the next 30 years!