Sandwich Tern islands on Brownsea Island by Paul Williams

Avocet © Andy Fale

Brownsea Island

BROWNSEA ISLAND IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON. IT WILL BE OPENING AGAIN SOON. PLEASE REFER BACK TO THIS PAGE FOR UPDATES.

Brownsea Island is an internationally important nature reserve featuring rare wildlife, including red squirrels and wading birds. Located at the heart of Poole Harbour, it is managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the National Trust and part of the Purbeck national Nature Reserve and a legacy of the Great Heath Living Landscape.

Scroll down to see our Brownsea Island webcam.

Location

Brownsea Island

Poole

BH13 7EE

OS Map Reference

SZ0317787743

Know before you go

Size

101 hectares

Entry fee

Small donation on entry to the reserve. Please note that groups larger than 15 need to book directly for entry to the nature reserve. Email: brownsea@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or phone 01202 709445 to make a booking.

Parking information

Parking at Sandbanks- There is metered road parking available on the peninsular leading up to the ferry and Sandbanks car park is 10 mins walk from the Sandbanks jetty. Parking at Poole- There are signposted car parks at Poole Quay, where boats go from.

Bicycle parking

N/A

Grazing animals

Walking trails

Good viewing from hides and a system of paths and boardwalks give access to most of the habitats.

Please click here for more information and guidance about dogs on DWT nature reserves.

Access

The main track, Villa Wildlife Centre and two hides for lagoon views can be easily accessed. Please note that guide dogs are allowed on the island.

Dogs

No dogs permitted

See above for more information about dogs on nature reserves.

Facilities

Visitor centre

Bird hides

Toilets

Picnic area

Accessible toilet

When to visit

Opening times

Brownsea Island is currently closed for the winter season. It will be reopening soon, so please keep an eye on this page for updates.

Best time to visit

Early in the year for winter bird visitors, summer for breeding terns and autumn for red squirrel watching.

About the reserve

Brownsea Island is currently closed. It will be reopening soon and pre-booking will be necessary. Please refer to the National Trust's Brownsea Island page and this page for updates.

Brownsea Island is a very special place. It is one of the few places left in the UK where you can catch a glimpse of a red squirrel. 250 of these iconic creatures live on the island and are often seen scampering up and down the trees gathering and devouring nuts. If you have adopted one of these beautiful and playful creatures from DWT, you can get the chance to see them – a wonderfully comical sight in autumn when they busily start caching food for the winter ahead, searching out just the right spot to hide them in- a process that can take some time! Read more about our exciting #WildBrownsea project here - we have big plans to make the island better for wildlife and people.

And it’s not just the red squirrels that the nature detectives in the family will be able to spot – the lagoon plays a vital role in providing a safe haven for overwintering birds including avocets, black-tailed godwits and large numbers of wildfowl. In winter it’s also possible see huge groups of spoonbills. These tall white birds can be seen swishing their spoon-shaped bills through the water as they feed.

In the summer, the lagoon’s hides are a great place to watch common terns, sandwich terns and gulls from. The reedbeds and alder carr are home to water voles, sika deer, kingfishers and water rails.

We are very fortunate to have such a fascinating reserve on this beautiful island – which we share with the National Trust, the Scouts and John Lewis Partnership. Brownsea Island was saved for wildlife and people to enjoy in 1962 when the National Trust took ownership and leased the northern part to Dorset Wildlife Trust. Since then we have worked to protect the habitats of rare and threatened wildlife, which find sanctuary in its woods, reedbeds and lagoon. (Take a walk through the woods following the footpaths to see glorious views across Poole Harbour.)

Our Villa is situated in the middle of the reserve. Why not bring a picnic and sit on the benches in the sun, watching birds and squirrels nibbling seeds from the nearby feeders?

You can read more about Brownsea Island's place in the new Purbeck National Nature Reserve here.

Scroll down to watch our wildlife webcam from Brownsea featuring the Sandwich Terns.