Brownsea Island

Go to Poole Harbour in Dorset, take a small 30 minute ferry ride to Brownsea Island and you have a memorable day out for all the family at your feet. This small island holds a very different diversity of life than anywhere on mainland England. It isn't all that well known, so it is always pretty quiet and secluded even at the height of the season. From the minute you set foot on the island, you realise there is something different about it. The air is different. Much of the island is covered in coniferous woodland which is home to red deer, and the endangered species, the red squirrel. The smaller grey squirrel on the mainland, chased out the red squirrel ...

Brownsea Island is situated in Poole Harbour, A wonderfully atmospheric island of heath and woodland, privately owned until 1962, when the National Trust bought it. It is now a haven for a rich variety of wildlife, including a colony of red squirrels and many species of birds. Part of the island is leased as a nature reserve to the Dorset Wildlife Trust. There are many lovely walks on the island including a walk through the first scout camp that Baden Powell took his troops of scouts too. A very interesting island, there is a castle on the island, but it is not open to the public. Access is by boat from Poole Quay. A lovely day out and the ...