Furzey Island

Furzey Island

Looking south-west from Brownsea Island - Furzey Island is centre, with Green Island directly behind, to the left
Furzey Island
 Furzey Island shown within Dorset
OS grid referenceSZ011870
Civil parishCorfe Castle
DistrictPurbeck
Shire countyDorset
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Police Dorset
Fire Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentSouth Dorset
List of places
UK
England
Dorset

Coordinates: 50°40′57″N 1°59′01″W / 50.682527°N 1.98372°W / 50.682527; -1.98372

Furzey Island is an island in Poole Harbour in the English county of Dorset. The island lies to the south of the larger Brownsea Island. Seen from the water, or adjoining land, the island looks like another wild pineclad island. However, hidden in the trees are twenty-two oil wells split into 2 well-sites for the Wytch Farm Oil Field, which is linked by pipeline to Hamble on Southampton Water. The rarely seen tall oil rig, can sometimes be a big landmark of Southern Poole Harbour and the main landmark between Brownsea and Furzey.[1] The well-sites are manned 24 hours a day.

Furzey Island lies within the civil parish of Corfe Castle. The parish forms part of the Purbeck local government district.[2]

History

Furzey Island is believed to have been part of a much larger island around two thousand years ago, encompassing the entirety of Green Island. In February 2004, Channel 4's archaeological television programme Time Team found evidence of Iron Age commercial activity on Green Island. The remains of an Iron Age furnace were discovered, along with evidence of the production of shale jewellery. However, due to the lack of shale jewellery found in the surrounding Dorset area, archaeologists theorized that Green Island was a centre of production that exported its goods to continental Europe. This theory lends further evidence to Green Island having once been an important port.

References

  1. "Brownsea Island - What to see and do - Viewpoints". National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved August 29, 2006.
  2. OS Explorer Map OL15 - Purbeck & South Dorset. Ordnance Survey. 2006. ISBN 978-0-319-23865-3.
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