Photo source: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Brownsea Island is a historic building in Dorset, cared for by the National Trust. Read about its history, plus how to visit and what's nearby.
About Brownsea Island
In August 1907, Robert Baden-Powell brought twenty boys to Brownsea Island for an experimental camp that led directly to the founding of the Scout movement.
The island sits in Poole Harbour, Dorset, and is the largest of the harbour's islands, reachable only by boat.
It is now known for its red squirrels, heathland, woodland and views across to the Isle of Purbeck.
The National Trust owns the island, with its northern half managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, and a public ferry runs from Poole Quay.
Read more on WikipediaHistory of Brownsea Island
The island's name is thought to come from the Old English Brūnoces īeg, meaning 'Brūnoc's island'. Baden-Powell's 1907 camp formed the basis for Scouting for Boys and The Scout magazine, both published in 1908, which carried the Scout movement around the world. By 2017 the island was drawing over 130,000 visitors a year, pulled in equally by its wildlife and its place in Scouting history.
Worth knowing
Brownsea Island is one of the few places in southern England where native red squirrels still survive, having escaped the disease that wiped out populations on much of the mainland. Its 1907 camp is marked as the starting point of the worldwide Scout and Guide movements.
Facilities
Plan your visit to Brownsea Island
Nearest station: Poole Rail Station (2 miles)
Part of the Dorset National Landscape: see all the National Trust places there, with a map and day-trip routes.
Open March to October; check official website for current dates and times.
Places to visit near Brownsea Island
Scaplen's Court museum
View Scaplen's Court museum on heritage mapScaplen's Court
View Scaplen's Court on heritage mapCorfe Castle Museum
View Corfe Castle Museum on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Brownsea Island there are 2 historic properties, including 2 historic buildings.
Within 10 miles of Brownsea Island there are 9 historic properties, including 3 historic buildings, 2 archaeological sites and 2 historic houses, across English Heritage, National Trust and Historic Houses sites.
Within 20 miles of Brownsea Island there are 24 historic properties, including 11 historic buildings, 7 historic houses and 3 archaeological sites, across National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Houses sites.
Facts
The island where Baden-Powell's camping trip became a global movement, now a refuge for England's red squirrels.
- Type
- historic building
- Location
- Dorset, England
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