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The Swanage area has always been famous for it's Purbeck Limestone, and during the 19th Century the quarrying of this stone formed the basis of the local economy. Originally the quarried stone would be taken to the shore and loaded onto small, shallow draft vessels. Once laden, the small craft would sail offshore to where the larger ocean-going ships lay at anchor. The stone would then have to be transferred again, before being shipped around the coast to various parts of the country. In 1859 Parliament passed the 'Swanage Pier Act' which authorised the construction of a wooden pier to a length of 750ft (227.2m), thus making it long enough to allow the stone to be loaded directly onto the large ships.

Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England. It is one of many kinds of Purbeck Limestone, deposited in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous periods. Purbeck Marble is not a metamorphic rock like a true marble, but like true marble it can take a fine polish. Its characteristic appearance comes from densely-packed shells of the freshwater snail Viviparus, which are also seen in Sussex Marble (also known as Petworth Marble or Winklestone) with generally larger Winkles of the same species.

Having now made the operation much more efficient and cheaper by utilising the pier, it was unfortunate that stone quarrying, as with many other industries, went into recession. As a consequence, the original pier fell into a state of disrepair. Looking for new ways of bringing prosperity to the town, the local authorities agreed to build a new 'pleasure pier'. Consruction of the new pier began on 30th November 1895, and it stretched for some 642ft (194.5m).

On 1st May 1896 the first paddler to call at Swanage Pier was the PS Lord Elgin. Wishing to emulate nearby Bournemouth as a popular Victorian seaside resort, Swanage played host to up to ten paddle steamers daily in it's heyday. This brought much welcome tourist revenue to the little town, as well as giving the old wooden pier a new lease of life as a coaling station for the paddlers.

During the 1920's the timber piles were showing signs of decay, and were subsequently lined with concrete. As was the general rule with piers during the Second World War, Swanage Pier was sectioned for fear of a German invasion, and was not re-opened until 1948. At this time the old wooden pier was being used only by local clubs as a diving platform, and soon closed. The remains of it's timber piles can still be seen to the east of the surviving pleasure pier. Steamer traffic ceased in the 1960's, with the PS Embassy making a final call on 24th September 1966. For the next 20 years Swanage Pier was allowed to fall into a state of dilapidation. In 1986 the pier was purchased by Durrant Developments Ltd who intended to restore the structure, but bankruptcy forced the pier into the hands of receivers.

In 1993 Swanage Pier came into the ownership of the Swanage Pier Trust who immediately set about raising the £1,000,000 required to save and restore the structure. Their efforts paid off, and substantial works were completed between 1996-1998. These works included the replacement of nearly one-third of the supporting piles, a new timber deck, restoration of the ironwork and the construction of several wind shelters. Looking as glorious today as it might have over 100 years ago, Swanage Pier again plays host to visiting pleasure cruisers, including the famous PS Waverley and MV Balmoral. These historic craft as well as more modern vessels spend much of the summer months bringing visitors back to this scenic area along the gentle south coast.