Brownsea Island Brownsea Island Brownsea Island (also archaically known as "Branksea") is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck. The island was the location of an experimental camp in 1907 that led to the formation of the Scout movement the following year. Access is by public ferry or private boat; in 2017
Action off James Island Action off James Island The Action off James Island was a naval engagement of the War of 1812. In May 1813 an American frigate captured three British whalers off James Island in the South Pacific. Only one of the whalers resisted and the resultant single-ship action was one of the few fought in Pacific waters during the war. The British later recovered all the whalers involved. Following Captain David Porter's passage of Cape Horn in a year earlier, the United States Navy vessel focused on commerce raiding by attacking British whalers off the coast of South America. After taking several