In the 1860s, the Admiralty had been considering buying Brownsea to replace Dartmouth as a base for training naval cadets.

So it was appropriate that, at Charles van Raalte's invitation, Major-General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of Mafeking, should have chosen the island for his first Scout camp.

He chose 22 boys to join him. Some were the public-school children of his acquaintances; others working-class lads from the Poole and Bournemouth Boys' Brigades.

Tents, tracking and mock whale-hunts

In August 1907, they set up their tents on the south coast of the island. The day began at dawn with the blast of an African kudu horn.

After a glass of milk and a biscuit, followed by 30 minutes' physical training and prayers, the boys broke up into separate patrols: the Wolves, Bulls, Curlews and Ravens. They practiced tracking, building shelters and putting up tents, and performed mock whale-hunts in boats.

In the evening there were brief talks on scouting techniques, and then, round the campfire, Baden-Powell told yarns of life on the African veld.

The Scout movement grows
The success of this first camp encouraged Baden-Powell to publish his 'Scouting for Boys' the following year, and from this modest beginning the international Scouting movement grew rapidly.

New Baden-Powell Outdoor Centre

© NTPL / Joe Cornish

We have opened the Baden-Powell Outdoor Activity Centre to improve the facilities on the campsite. The building comprises new toilets and showers (including public toilets), the Trading Post Scout and Guide souvenir shop, a small heritage centre, a classroom and storage space. It is available to all youth groups.