Green Island (Dorset)

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Green Island is one of the eight islands that are situated in Poole Harbour, Dorset. It lies in the central south part of the harbour, south of Brownsea Island and Furzey Island. The island is an Area of Natural Beauty (AONB), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA).

Looking north-west from Brownsea Island - Furzey Island is centre, with Green Island directly behind, to the left

1 Geography
2 History and Ownership
3 References
4 External Links

[edit] Geography

The island covers approximately 45 acres at low tide while the central raised part of the island is approximately 19 acres. The island is covered in extensive woodland in the centre, made up of Scots pine with several small zones of heathland. The island also has a large saltmarsh and several small glades, as well as a beach area. The majority of the island is made of sandstone. has two buildings: a two bedroom summer house and a single story cabin known as the Greensleaves. The island has a helicopter landing pad and a private wooden jetty. The island, along with Brownsea Island and Furzey Island, is one of the few known places in the United Kingdom where red squirrels are still found.^[1]

[edit] History and Ownership

The island is currently privately owned. The island was owned from 1987 by the Davies family until 2005. In 2005 the island went for sale at an asking price of 2.5 million pounds (see below). In previous years, the island was used by the Green Island Holiday Trust which ran a limited number of holidays for disabled and disadvantaged people on the island. It was also used for corporate events, weddings and functions. The Green Island Holiday Trust now conducts their activities at Holton Lee (near Upton)

The island was featured on television in the archaeology programme Time Team.^[2] On the 8th February 2004 the team visited the island and conducted works to examine the islands rich history. The team found a furnance as well as pottery fragments. Evidence suggests that at one point Green Island was twice its size and a major place of trading in southern England. The island is part of a current project run by Bournemouth University to discover the history of Poole Harbour, in conjunction with Poole Maritime Trust.^[3]