Brownsea Island from Poole Quay: how to visit

Brownsea Island is the wooded island in the middle of Poole Harbour, owned by the National Trust and open to visitors from spring to the start of November. You reach it by passenger ferry from Poole Quay in about 20 minutes, and a day there means red squirrels in the pines, wading birds on the lagoon and the site of the first Scout camp in 1907.

The 2026 season opened on 14 March and runs until Sunday 1 November, daily from 10am to 5pm, according to the National Trust. That makes October the last full month to go this year, and one of the best: the squirrels are busy, the summer crowds have gone and the woods are turning.

How do you get to Brownsea Island from Poole Quay?

Ferries leave Poole Quay roughly every hour from 10am, with the last outbound boat in the afternoon, and the crossing takes about 20 minutes. They are run by Brownsea Island Ferries from a kiosk on the Quay, and the National Trust says they operate on a first come, first served basis, with no pre-booking for groups under 15.

The National Trust's travel page has the current timetable and fares. Everyone pays the ferry fare, including National Trust members, and non-members also pay an island entry charge when they land. Children under five travel and enter free, according to the Trust.

Poole Quay is 12 minutes from Bournemouth by train to Poole station and then a walk of about 15 minutes through the town, or about half an hour on the bus. The Bournemouth Guide's page on getting around without a car explains the buses and trains. Arrive at the kiosk with time to spare on a sunny weekend, because the early boats fill first.

What is there to see on Brownsea Island?

Brownsea covers about 500 acres of woodland, heath, beaches and a brackish lagoon. The main draws are the red squirrels, the birds on the lagoon, the views across the harbour to the Purbeck hills, and the history, from the castle by the landing stage to the field where Robert Baden-Powell held his experimental camp.

Red squirrels

Brownsea is one of the few places left in southern England where native red squirrels live, because the grey squirrels that displaced them on the mainland never reached the island. They are small, quick and easy to miss. Walk the woodland paths quietly, look along the branches as well as on the ground, and ask the rangers where they have been seen that day.

The lagoon and the nature reserve

The northern half of the island is a nature reserve run by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, with restricted access to protect the birds. The lagoon near the landing stage holds terns in summer and, through the winter, large numbers of avocets and other wading birds. There are hides overlooking the water; bring binoculars if you have them.

The Scout camp and the castle

In 1907 Robert Baden-Powell brought 21 boys from different backgrounds to camp on the island and tried out the ideas he later published in Scouting for Boys. A memorial stone marks the site, and Scout groups still camp on the island. The castle by the quay began as a Tudor fort, has been rebuilt more than once and is leased to the John Lewis Partnership as a holiday hotel for its staff, so it is not open to visitors.

How long do you need on Brownsea?

Allow four hours, or the whole day if you like to walk slowly. A loop of the island's main paths takes about two hours at an easy pace, and the café near the landing stage, the church and the lagoon hides add the rest. Take the earliest boat you can and come back on one of the last.

A sensible order for a first visit is the lagoon hides first, while the birds are feeding, then the woods on the western side for the squirrels, then the church and the Scout memorial on the way back to the quay. Take a picnic if you want to eat away from the café, and a bag to carry your rubbish off the island.

Brownsea in autumn

October is a good month for the island. The squirrels are at their most active as they gather and bury food for the winter, the first wintering waders arrive on the lagoon, and the woods turn. The days are shorter, so the last boat back matters more; note its time as soon as you land.

The paths are mostly gravel and earth, with some hills and steps. The National Trust offers an all-terrain Tramper for hire in 2026, and its accessibility page has the details. Wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy after rain.

What should you know before you go?

Four things catch people out. Dogs are not allowed on the island, other than assistance dogs. The ferry fare is separate from the National Trust entry charge. The last boat back leaves in the late afternoon, so check the time when you land. And the island closes for the winter after Sunday 1 November 2026.

If you are staying with a dog, plan Brownsea for a day the dog can be looked after elsewhere, and read the Help Centre's page on pets and assistance dogs for what applies in the apartments.

Make a day of it in Poole

Brownsea pairs well with an evening on Poole Quay, a walk round the Old Town or an afternoon at Sandbanks. The Bournemouth Guide's Poole guide covers the town, and its Sandbanks page covers the peninsula at the harbour mouth. Our own things to do in Poole has the Quay, the museum and Poole Park, and our guide to the chain ferry to Studland is the next trip across the harbour.

Where to stay for a Brownsea day

Most visitors do Brownsea as a day out from Bournemouth, 12 minutes away by train. To stay closer to the Quay, where to stay in Poole compares the Quay, Sandbanks and Ashley Cross, and Flexiestays lists serviced apartments near Poole alongside its own eight aparthotels on and around the West Cliff in Bournemouth.