Brownsea Island
This is a National Trust property situated in the middle of Poole Harbour in Dorset, a few miles north of Swanage where I have based most of my Dorset holidays. There has been a settlement on the island since 500BC, and after becoming the property of the Crown in 1530s, a fortress was built on the island to defend Poole Harbour. The mid-1800s saw the island become part of a pottery and clay industry, although the clay turned out not to be as good quality as initially thought; the industry ceased in 1887, the island reverting to agricultural use. This was abandoned in 1927, and the National Trust took control of the island in 1961.
I have made two visits to the island. As of 2026, it seems that access to the island is now only available from Poole Quay; the Sandbanks ferry no longer operates.
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