Gate 3 entrance to Youlbury Scout Activity Centre (geograph 4675673)

Youlbury Scout Activity Centre is one of a number of

The Scout Association The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was for ...

's National Scout Activity Centres in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and is the oldest permanent Scout campsite in the world (while

Brownsea Island Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust with the northern half managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and ...

was the site of the first campsite, it was a private island for many years after). The Centre, which is based near

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, is open to Scouts from around the world, and offers many activities as well as camping and accommodation in huts.

History

The site was first used as a meeting place and camping field in 1913 when the site owner,

Sir Arthur Evans Sir Arthur John Evans (8 July 1851 – 11 July 1941) was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age. He is most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete. Based on t ...

, had a cabin built for a local

Scout patrol A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

. This building was demolished in the 1980s, but many other of the original buildings still stand. Since then, the site has been developed and expanded to accommodate large gatherings of Scouts, offering activities such as

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...

, and more.

Milestones

* 1913 - the log cabin for the Scouts is built * 1919 -

Gilwell Park Gilwell Park is a camp site and activity centre in East London located in the Sewardstonebury area of Waltham Abbey, within Epping Forest, near the border with Chingford. The site is owned by The Scout Association, is used by Scouting and Gu ...

, a centre for

Scoutmaster A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit. Roles There are many different roles a leader can fulfill depending on t ...

training is founded * 1925 -

Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...

approaches the landowner to use Youlbury as another training centre * 1939 - Gilwell Park is commandeered by the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, and the ''Scout Movement'' move their headquarters to Youlbury * 1941 - Sir Arthur Evans dies, leaving instructions that site be sold to the ''Scout Movement'' for a "reasonable price" * 1946 - Headquarters returns to Gilwell Park * 2013 - Youlbury celebrates its centenary as a scout camp site

Location

Youlbury is situated in a wooded area just north of

Boars Hill Boars Hill is a hamlet southwest of Oxford, straddling the boundary between the civil parishes of Sunningwell and Wootton. Historically, part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. History The earliest ...

, about 5 miles west of Oxford.

Facilities

Building at Youlbury Scout Activity Centre building in Hen Wood (geograph 4675138)

Campsites

Youlbury has a large number of fields and sites spread around the woodland. Each camping area has designated fire circles, and have shared toilet and washing facilities.

Indoor accommodation

There are a number of buildings with varying facilities available on the site. This provides for the younger sections who require alternative indoor accommodation when camping, and also for training purposes. * ''The Lawn Hut'' - was originally a

Croquet Croquet ( or ; french: croquet) is a sport that involves hitting wooden or plastic balls with a mallet through hoops (often called "wickets" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court. Its international governing body is the Wor ...

pavilion and was the building which the Scouts had asked to be allowed to use before having the log cabin built. It has a kitchen and main hall, but no beds * ''Camp Headquarters Building'' - Staff accommodation. No access to members of the public * ''The Gulf Building'' - a self-contained chalet with 6 rooms of 2 beds and 3 rooms of 6, a kitchen, and indoor hall * ''The Brazier Building'' - 4 rooms of 4, 1 room of 2, kitchen and hall. This building is alongside ''The Lawn Hut'' -No longer available for group hire * ''The Training Centre'' - This was closed to groups due to water damage * ''The Activity Barn'' - A large hall with a bouldering wall and indoor archery range. * ''Bear's Den'' - Replaced the old den and museum in 2013. Sleeps fifty in ensuite rooms The Centenary Lodge, a building that sleeps 36, large kitchen, main room, boot room with wash/dry facilities, en suites on every room, and a large decking area to the rear.

Activities

The site offers a number of activities on or near site, all properly supervised: * Climbing and Abseiling * Go-Karts * Air Rifle Shooting (Indoor Range) * Assault Course * Archery * Pioneering * Orienteering * Aerial Trek * 3G Swing * Jacobs Ladder * Crate Stacking Sailing is also available nearby, and there is the CuriOXity Science Centre in Oxford, and a rural farm museum nearby.

Staff

The site is overseen by a Centre Manager, who manages a small permanent staff who maintain the site and supervise the various activities. Over the summer months, as the site is much busier, volunteers are recruited from nearby Scout and Guide Groups and from international members of

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

or Guiding.

External links

Official Youlbury Scout Activity Centre Website

Official Website of The Scout Association
Scout Activity Centres of The Scout Association