Brownsea Island
| Brownsea Island | ||
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| Waters | Poole Harbor | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 41 '30 " N , 1 ° 58' 20" W | |
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| length | 2.4 km | |
| width | 1.2 km | |
| surface | 2.02 km² | |
Brownsea Island (anciently known as Branksea) is located in the entrance to Poole Harbor . It is a large natural harbor near Poole , in the south of Great Britain . The small island can be hiked around within 2 hours. It is under nature protection because it is the last habitat of the Eurasian squirrel in England next to the Isle of Man .
On this island from July 25 to August 9, 1907, the first trial camp of the boy scouts with 20 boys, carried out by Robert Baden-Powell , took place. Baden-Powell arrived a few days before the 20 boys to prepare the camp . The boys, who were divided into four patrols , arrived on July 30, 1907, and that evening the first campfire took place, and the morning of August 1, 1907 is considered to be the beginning of the Boy Scouting movement.
The island is threatened by tides that are gradually eroding land. It is also a popular tourist destination because, in addition to the red squirrels already mentioned, it is also home to peacocks , pheasants and red deer .
Only members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are allowed to stay overnight on Brownsea Island, all other visitors must leave the island on the last ferry at 5:00 p.m. No fire may be made on the island because it has a large amount of peat .
On Brownsea there is an old fort and a few old houses and the remains of a clay distillery .
history
Early history
The first signs of a settlement emerged in the 5th century BC. And the first records of residents on Brownsea Island date back to the 9th century when a small chapel and hermitage were built by monks. The chapel was dedicated to the Apostle Andrew , and the island's sole resident was a hermit who blessed the passing sailors with spiritual prosperity. In 1015, Canute the Great led a raid on the harbor and used Brownsea as a base for the looting of Wareham and Cerne Abbey . In the 11th century, the owner of the island was Bruno, the Lord of the Manor of Studland . After his invasion of England, William the Conqueror gave Studland, and with it Brownsea Island, to his half-brother, Robert von Mortain . In the 12th century gave Henry II. The Abbey of Cerne control of Brownsea for the next 350 years.
Tudor period and civil war
After the dissolution of the English monasteries , the British Crown took control of Brownsea. Henry VIII recognized the island's strategic and important role in guarding the narrow entrance to Poole Harbor. It serves as a deterrent against the invading troops from Europe. In 1547 the island was fortified by a military log cabin known as Brownsea Castle. In 1576 Queen Elizabeth I gave the island to Sir Christopher Hatton , who is rumored to be her lover. During the English Civil War , Poole's Parliament occupies Brownsea Castle. Colonel Thomas Pride , the leader of Pride's Purge , was stationed on the island in 1654. Sir Robert Clayton , a Lord Mayor of London and wealthy merchant, became the owner of Brownsea in the mid-1650s. After his death in 1707, William Benson , Member of Parliament and architect, bought Brownsea Island. He makes Brownsea Castle his residence and cares for a variety of trees.
The island today
Since 1964, Brownsea Open Air Theater has used the island for its annual performances of the works of William Shakespeare . The island has a visitor center and a museum that exhibits the history of the island. There is a cafe and also a souvenir shop . There is only one mailbox on the island that is emptied daily. During the holiday season you can stay overnight at the campsite, but you can also rent a cottage .
literature
- Sydenham The History of the Town and County of Poole (2nd ed.). Poole: Poole Historical Trust. ISBN 0-9504914-4-6 .
- Legg, Rodney (2005). The Book of Poole Harbor and Town. Neck Grove. ISBN 1-84114-411-8 .
Web links
- Brownsea and its significance - The world's first Scout Camp ( Memento from June 4, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
- Brownsea Iceland information from National Trust (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Johnny Walker: Brownsea and its significance - The world's first Scout Camp . Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Accessed September 20, 2013. . In: Scouting Milestones. February 2006
- ^ A history of Brownsea Island ( Memento from July 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Sydenham (p.384)
- ↑ Sydenham (p.385)
- ↑ Legg (p.28)
- ↑ Legg (p.33)
- ↑ Legg (p.37–38)
- ↑ Eating & shopping
- ^ Brownsea Island
- ^ Agents House; Poole, Dorset