In the late 18th and early-mid 19th centuries, Swanage made its fortune through the quarrying and export (from Purbeck) of Purbeck stone. Most of the stone was shipped direct to London, and the returning empty ships needed ballast in their holds to keep them stable. The ships would often load up with bits of London infrastructure - at that time London was expanding, running into transport problems, redesigning its road system, knocking down old buildings. As if that sort of thing would happen today. Anyway there was not just rubble, but potentially useful stuff to be had at very low cost. These included hundreds of iron bollards (of varying designs) as well as entire monuments and building facades. (The old clock tower near the Lifeboat station originally stood at the end of London Bridge, where it caused traffic jams and gridlock; the entire front of Swanage's Town Hall was originally the Mercer's Hall in London). So much stuff in Swanage was composed of London's demolition debris, in fact, that it became known as Little London. Today you can still find many examples of the iron bollards; those here behind the Town Hall, many around Durlston, and various others throughout the town. Somebody should really undertake a proper survey and catalogue of them...