Buddens Camping and Activity Centre

View prices & book 8.9 24 reviews
Activity lake
Space for gazebos included
Fantastic spacious camping area for all campers
Family campers

  • Large, family-friendly site a 10-minute drive from Wareham, in Dorset
  • Corfe Castle ruins 15 minutes’ drive; Jurassic Coast 20 minutes
  • Water- and land-based activities for kids; barbecues allowed
If your idea of a good holiday is to scramble, climb and have a go at all sorts of land- and water-based adventures (or to watch your offspring do all that), you’ve come to the right place. Guests at Buddens Camping and Activity Centre, in Dorset, have 96 acres of countryside and woodlands in which to indulge their passion for outdoor activities. The site is on the Purbeck peninsula, a 10-minute drive from the market town of Wareham and about 20 minutes from the beaches and clifftop walks of the Jurassic Coast. The local area is well worth exploring – that’s if you can tear yourself away from the exciting adventures on site. Where to start? Those with a head for heights could head to the massive multipurpose tower, with three climbing walls, a Jacob’s Ladder, an abseil platform and two ziplines. If you’re visiting in the summer months, the tree-fringed lake is the place to be, whether you’re into canoeing, kayaking or paddleboarding. On top of all that, there’s also archery and tomahawk throwing, plus team activities like raft-building. While the kids take part in the organised activities, why not grab a few hours to yourself exploring the bridleways and paths that start directly from the site? You might end up at Careys Secret Garden (30 minutes by bike), where you can stop for a (pre-booked) workshop or guided tour, or at Morden Bog National Nature Reserve (40 minutes by bike) for a spot of birdwatching. Come dinner time, you can light a barbecue outside your tent. Throughout the day, the reception sells a variety of tea and coffees in a small tuck shop. You can also stock up on groceries in Wareham, where there are also plenty of family-friendly restaurants.

Campground type

Tent sites 40
Rent a tent 6
RV & Motorhome sites 10
Open now
Opens 4 April
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Facilities/activities including climbing, stand-up paddleboarding, zip wire and many more are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.
  • Reception is unmanned after 7 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • Please note, free Wi-Fi is available, but only in the vicinity of the reception building.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 4 Apr to

Open from Fri, 27 Mar to

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Reviews

  • 61%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 26%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
4

88% would recommend this campground to a friend

88% would stay here again

What customers say

Spacious, tidy sites in a top spot for exploring. Clean loos & showers with hot water are usually good. Staff are friendly & run ace kids' activities. Some found it peaceful, others had minor gripes about toilets, activities, or no Wi-Fi.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 3
Arrival date (latest first)

All great.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Marite S.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Great place. Will come back again. Staff amazing.thank you.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect site for families. Clean facilities and super helpful staff.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
Lisa P.

Bell tent

Liked We loved our stay at Buddens over the August bank holiday weekend. The bell tent we stayed in gave us plenty of space for a family of 4 and the beds were comfortable. This place is perfect for families with lots of activities on offer. We did kayaking and zip lining and our kids loved it. They also have plenty of space for ball games and have a volleyball court. The shower/toilet facilities were kept really clean. The staff were super friendly and very helpful. It’s the perfect spot for exploring the Jurassic coast.

Disliked The ants were annoying but hey that’s camping! It won’t deter us from returning.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very friendly staff. Clean camping. Great…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Rafal S.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Very friendly staff. Clean camping. Great time with family

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great weekend camping with friends... would recommend!

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
3
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Peaceful weekend

Disliked Toilet block could have been kept a bit cleaner, more stocked with toilet roll.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I styaed here with my wife…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Mohammad M.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked I styaed here with my wife and noticed it's a great place to take children rather than a couple campsite.

So many activities available to do depending on the day and costs around £12 each.

Shower and toilet facilities were clean and lots of fire pits to use for campfires.

There's WiFi at the reception if you want to stay connected otherwise the signal isn't the best at the campsite.

The area is close to a lot of attractions like Bournemouth and Durdle door.

Disliked I thought it was a bit expensive for a campsite compared to others o jave been however this is one of the biggest campsites and they need to cover the cost of the numerous staff so it's understandable.
They can't help it but there are lots of ants which I've never experienced in camping before. Next time if i return I would bring bug spray.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff, well manner and informative

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
6
Vincent H.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Great

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will visit again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Very clean, very polite and helpful reception. Excellent location. Good facilities.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loads of space, staff friendly…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
4
Anonymous

Bell tent

Liked Loads of space, staff friendly and helpful, lovely views around the area, quite area even when bigger groups were on site.

Disliked Unfortunately the bell tent was by any news so had alot of ants in the tent, staff were great at helping to keep them at bay, as best as they could.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities very clean Very quiet, we were…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
5
Value for money
7
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
2
Marney W.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Facilities very clean
Very quiet, we were the only ones on the campsite for one of the nights

Recommend to friends Visit again

Definitely stay again. Clean toilet…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
2
Sean D.

Bell tent

Liked Definitely stay again. Clean toilet with hot showers.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Themes

Bush Peaceful Remote location Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Buddens Camping and Activity Centre

Puddletown Road

Wareham

Dorset

England

BH20 7NU

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.70355°N
2.1828°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.5 km Post Office
5.5 km Red Lion
11.6 km East Street
Rail
3.7 km Wool Rail Station
4.9 km Wareham Rail Station
7.5 km Holton Heath Rail Station
Ferry
13.4 km Poole Ferry Terminal
14 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
16.1 km Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
26.1 km Bournemouth International Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

The ruins of Corfe Castle (15 minutes’ drive) perch atop a hill overlooking the Purbeck peninsula, and on a clear day, you can see as far as the Isle of Wight. Audio posts scattered throughout the remains explain the history of this centuries-old structure. If you prefer your castles in pristine conditions, you can head to Lulworth (15 minutes), built in the 1600s as a royal hunting lodge. At any time of year, the Blue Pool (15 minutes) draws visitors with its changing colours and splendid woodland location. Walk the surrounding trails or stop for a picnic on the shaded banks; if you’re visiting in the winter months, check out the illuminations (and music) lighting up the paths. You can join the South West Coast Path at West Lulworth (20 minutes) and stroll on the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, stopping at sheltered coves like ​​Man O’War Beach, admiring the natural arch at Durdle Door, and checking out the unusual rock formations at Fossil Forest.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Poole Harbour Rockley Sands 10.2 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lulworth Cove 10.5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Kimmeridge Bay 10.9 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door East 11.1 km Sea N/AExcellentN/AExcellent
Poole Harbour Lake 11.1 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 2.5 km

The Tank Museum 4.4 km

Lulworth Castle & Park 7.4 km

Lulworth Heritage Centre 10.6 km

Corfe Castle 11.3 km

National Trust

Clouds Hill 5.1 km

Corfe Castle 11.5 km

White Mill 14.2 km

Hardy's Cottage 14.9 km

Kingston Lacy 15.9 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Clouds Hill - Moreton 4.7 km

GRANGE HEATH (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 30/03/2005) 7 km

STOBOROUGH HEATH (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 18/01/2004) 7.4 km

LULWORTH CASTLE 7.4 km

ANDERSON MANOR 8.1 km

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday 6 September 2025 – Saturday 6 September 2025)

    Dorchester, England 17.2 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Buddens Camping and Activity Centre have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Buddens Camping and Activity Centre dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Buddens Camping and Activity Centre? The ruins of Corfe Castle (15 minutes’ drive) perch atop a hill overlooking the Purbeck peninsula, and on a clear day, you can see as far as the Isle of Wight. Audio … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Buddens Camping and Activity Centre?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Buddens Camping and Activity Centre? From $82.96 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.