| Brownsea Island | |
|---|---|
 The castle and piers on Brownsea Island | |
  Brownsea Island Location within Dorset | |
| OS grid reference | SZ019879 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | POOLE |
| Postcode district | BH13 |
| Dialling code | 01202 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust with the northern half managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck.
The island was the location of an experimental camp in 1907 that led to the formation of the Scout movement the following year. Access is by public ferry or private boat; in 2017 the island received 133,340 visitors.[1] The island's name probably comes from Old English Brūnoces īeg = "Brūnoc's island".[2]
- ^ "ALVA – Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". alva.org.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Brownsea Island Key to English Place-names". The University of Nottingham. Retrieved 6 December 2020.