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All 26 Poole Attractions »

Brownsea Island

Poole Harbour, Poole BH13 7EE, England
01202 707744
Ranked #2 of 17 attractions in Poole
4.5 of 5 stars 83 Reviews
Type: Islands, Nature/ Wildlife Areas
Activities: Walking, Picnicking, Viewing wildlife
Owner description: Former private island complete with castle built by Henry VIII is now a wildlife sanctuary containing one of the last red squirrel colonies in...... more » Owner description: Former private island complete with castle built by Henry VIII is now a wildlife sanctuary containing one of the last red squirrel colonies in Britain. « less
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83 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    56
    20
    5
    1
    1
Date Rating
Horsham, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

Lovely boat trip from Poole Harbour. National trust property. Good guide book given showing you all the paths you can walk. We had lovely weather and just slowly walked our way around the island. You pay a little extra to visit the nature reserve. Guided walks are available too. Was nice to see the history of the Island and the... More

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Edmond, OK
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 23, 2012 NEW

I went with a large group to visit the Island. Many of us took a tour from one of the guides - it was fantastic. The guide was familiar with the Island history, and we really enjoyed the Vicor for the church. The peacocks were lovely and the red squirrels came out! More

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London
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

Visited Brownsea Island with my partner who was interested in exploring the Islands scouting history. The boat trip from Poole was pleasant with nice views of the swanky Sandbanks houses. The ferry there and entry did come to a total of £15.70 per adult but we spent a good few hours on the island and found it very well maintained... More

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Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

A lovely place to spend a relaxing day. There is map showing the short trails around the island which offer lovely views and make good picnic spots. Large grassy areas away from the cliffs are safe places for families to play. Lots of peacocks. Good cafe with delicious cake and Purbeck ice cream. There is the cost of the ferry... More

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London, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2012 NEW

This is a must do trip the Island is delightful it is so calm and peaceful it has both woodland and beach walks. we were lucky enough to see the red squirrels and the food in the National Trust restaurant is very good. More

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See 6 more reviews by sue s for Poole
Farnham, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
122 helpful votes 122 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012
2
people found this review helpful

We went with friends to Brownsea Island to see the Red Squirrels which we had heard so much about. The Island is fantastic and has alot of history. The boat ride from Sandbanks only takes a few minutes and when you arrive the old buildings stand out as hyaving a lot of character and charm. The island has numerous walks... More

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Yeovil, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Even if you are a member of the National Trust you will still have to pay to visit the island on a boat - choose from many on Poole Quayside (fares very similar). The island is quaint and lovely for nature lovers. The many peacocks that roam the island are beautiful and the red squirrels (if you see one) are... More

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Poole
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Lovely Island to explore. Great Trails and you might even see a Red Squirrel! More

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See 3 more reviews by HolidayGod for Poole
Exmouth, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 30, 2012

Pleased that we took a day out to visit, The Church was well worth a look at we were lucky enough to talk to a Lady who was so informative she even played the Organ for us. The history of the Island is fasinating, thank goodness the N.Trust owns it or else it could of been lost to us as... More

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See 3 more reviews by CHERYL818 for Poole
Top Contributor
75 reviews 75 reviews
Reviews in 53 cities Reviews in 53 cities
269 helpful votes 269 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

Took the ferry from Poole quay, and took most of the day to explore the whole island. As a national trust member you land for free and there are trails for children to follow. There is the visitor centre about 5 mins from the jetty where the history and fauna is described, with activities for children. Following the trails around... More

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