Brownsea Island is not far from the town of Poole. It is fringed by inviting beaches along its south shore and has two nature reserves (north and south) that stretch out on either side of a road. The north reserve is a sanctuary for waterfowl. The south reserve is home to numerous peacocks. Baden-Powell Stone commemorates the first experimental Boy Scout camp held in 1907. From here there is a splendid view across Poole Bay.

This splendid 19C drive features a large number of magnificent adult trees, particularly oak and beech. Paths lead off from the drive to observation platforms from which visitors can admire the stag in paddocks. Further on down the drive, the oak and beech trees are at least three hundred years old. Right at its end just before the A35, stands the grand old Knightwood Oak, said to be over 375 years old.

The Maritime Museum illustrates numerous aspects of life and work in Bucklers Hard in the 18C with reconstructed interiors of two cottages and an inn, furnished in the style of the 1790s.

A splendid Victorian gallery, with painted cast-iron pillars and arches supporting a glass roof, houses Thomas Hardy memorabilia. The author was born near Dorchester and the stories in his novels take place in the region. The furniture, paintings and documents came from Max Gate, a house he had built in 1885, as well as a reconstruction of the author's study as it was at his death.