Howard's Wood

View prices & book 9.7 85 reviews
Aerial view of Dorset countryside
Aerial view of dorset countryside
Campsite
Campsite and shower
Woodland clearing
Site entrance
Trail through the woodland
Aerial view of the woods
Campsite
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Campsite
Campsite and shower
Woodland clearing

  • Almost wild camping in a 25-acre woodland at Netherbury in Dorset
  • Charmouth 25 minutes’ drive and Abbotsbury Swannery 35 minutes
  • Dog-friendly pop-up site 15 minutes’ walk from the local pub
There’s getting away from it all – and then there’s really getting away from it all. If you feel the need to do the latter, then do it somewhere like Howard’s Wood, an almost wild pop-up site on the outskirts of Netherbury in Dorset. Here you can escape into a 25-acre woodland – planted in 2003 by the landowners – and truly relax in the middle of a wildlife haven. Bring your dogs and exercise them while exploring the woods, and let the kids run around within earshot on the playing fields next to the pitches. The pretty basic setup here consists of composting toilets and hot showers, and is suitable for anyone and everyone looking for a simple camping experience out in nature yet near to some big-name Dorset attractions. For at Howard’s Wood, you can wake up to mornings filled with birdsong, with the chance of spotting deer and squirrels roaming around near your tent. After a day out at the mysterious National Trust - Cerne Giant (35 minutes’ drive) or scouring for fossils along the Jurassic Coast (half an hour), return to base for relaxing times cosying up around a firepit or cooking up a barbecue – pick up food in Beaminster or Bridport (both about 10 minutes’ drive). Alternatively you can wander down to the local pub (15 minutes’ walk), which has luscious country views, a beer garden for warmer evenings and good home-cooked food.

Site type

Tent sites 15
Motorhome sites 11
Rent a tent 1
Open now
Opens 18 July
Please note
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 18 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesMotorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating from 85 Pitchup.com customers

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Location
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 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
BushPeacefulWild camping

99% would recommend this site to a friend

99% would stay here again

What customers say

Howard's Wood: Unique wild camping in private woodland clearings, praised for peace & natural setting. Spacious, secluded pitches, friendly hosts, good basic facilities (hot showers, composting toilets). Fire pits/wood avail. Some uneven pitches, improved signage needed. Excellent value, plan to return. Ideal quiet escape.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 9
Arrival date (latest first)

Wonderful back-to-basic woodland camping! Just really, really…

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10 out of 10
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Cathrin P.

Unpowered forest floor campervan site

Liked Wonderful back-to-basic woodland camping!
Just really, really charming and peaceful site. The communications were great, super nice and helpful owner.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place for woodland rustic camping.

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10 out of 10
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vanessa s.

Unpowered forest floor campervan site

Liked The relaxed atmosphere. No long list of rules. Very quiet and relaxing. The owner was responsive when required.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fabulous! Lovely helpful young lady.…

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10 out of 10
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Tanya S.

Unpowered forest floor tent site

Liked Fabulous! Lovely helpful young lady.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

A fun place to stay, great value and very peaceful.

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10 out of 10
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Angus J.

Unpowered forest floor campervan site

Liked This was the perfect stopover for us and very tranquil. Basic facilities are available if you need them and all looked well maintained. If you like cooking your meals on camp fires then this is the ideal place. Unfortunately we had no food with us so we wanted to eat in the local pub which was closed, however as we returned to our campervan an angel appeared called Steph. Not only did she offer to drop us off in Beaminster to get a pub meal but she also came and picked us up at 10pm. This was truly over and above the responsibility of a site owner and we cannot thank her enough for her kindness. A++++++++++++++++++ Definitely worth a visit.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely secluded pitches for camping on the wilder side

Overall

10 out of 10
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Anonymous

Unpowered forest floor tent site

Liked We loved our stay here. The pitches are secluded from each other so you feel you have your own private camp. The loos are well supplied with toilet roll and the kitchen area with all the extras you might need/have forgotten. Stephanie was nicely attentive via text. The location is also great - we got lots of free local produce which was on offer when walking around the pretty village. There is a circular walk you can do. Shops in Bridport are only 10 mins drive away. I would recommend this campsite to anyone who likes their camping on the wilder side.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little campsite pitchs are secluded…

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10 out of 10
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Damon E.

Unpowered forest floor tent site

Liked Great little campsite pitchs are secluded and feel private stayed 2 nights love being in woods facilities clean and stocked great stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had an excellent stay at the…

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10 out of 10
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Anonymous

Unpowered forest floor campervan site

Liked Had an excellent stay at the campsite, it had everything needed and very reasonably priced

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful, we will be coming back again soon

Overall

10 out of 10
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Value for money
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Ben S.

Unpowered forest floor tent site

Liked Beautiful woodland campsite, large pitches with lots of space between. Fires allowed and basic toilet and shower. Perfect for an offgrid experience.

Recommend to friends Visit again

perfect site for a relaxing and peaceful break

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
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Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
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Tracy H.

Unpowered forest floor campervan site

Liked The peacefulness, the individual pitches and the natural forest environment, a truly beautiful site. Basic but has toilets, hot shower and washing up facilities.
Each pitch has its own burner and logs are provided.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nature at its best

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
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Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
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April H.

Unpowered forest floor tent site

Liked Nature and wild enjoyed my stay very much , it's peaceful through the night, be back again soon

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker Bush Peaceful Remote location Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Howard's Wood

Netherbury

Bridport

Dorset

England

DT6 5RT

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.78721°N
2.75317°W

Nearest transport

Coach
6 km Coach Station
19.4 km Yeovil Bus Station
23.9 km South Station
Rail
9.8 km Crewkerne Rail Station
13 km Maiden Newton Rail Station
15.4 km Chetnole Rail Station
Ferry
29.3 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
43 km Bridgwater Ferry Terminal
Airport
47.2 km Exeter 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

Dorset packs a mighty historical punch, and there are several Iron Age sites to see locally. Hike up to the fort at Rawlsbury Camp (50 minutes) for spectacular views over Bulbarrow Hill and Blackmore Vale, or glimpse the sea from the top of the burial mounds at Eggardon Hill Fort (25 minutes). Time-travel forward to Saxon times to see the National Trust-owned Cerne Giant (35 minutes’ drive) etched into the chalk hillside above thatched Cerne Abbas village (half an hour). A day on a Jurassic Coast beach may be in the sightseeing schedule too; choices include the fossil hub of Dorset at Charmouth (25 minutes) or the soft sandy town beach at popular Lyme Regis (half an hour). Heading east, Seatown Beach (20 minutes) is a quiet shingle spot for solitary walks, while trips to the West Dorset Heritage Coast repay with scenic hikes along Chesil Beach (40 minutes) and the chance to feed the swans at Abbotsbury Swannery (35 minutes). If you’d rather stay closer to home base, tour the orchards and taste a drop or two of local scrumpy at Dorset Nectar Cider (five minutes), and if the kids have been well behaved, reward them with cuddly donkey encounters at Donkey Walking Adventures (10 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Eypemouth 8.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Bay (West) 8.5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seatown 8.8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hive 10.3 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Charmouth West 12.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Mapperton House & Gardens 3.4 km

Abbotsbury Swannery 17.8 km

Montacute House 18.5 km

Hardy's Birthplace 26.3 km

Fleet Air Arm Museum 26.6 km

National Trust

Montacute House 18.4 km

Barrington Court 20.8 km

Tintinhull Garden 21 km

Loughwood Meeting House 21.5 km

Shute Barton 21.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

PARNHAM 1.5 km

BEAMINSTER MANOR 3.3 km

MAPPERTON HOUSE 3.4 km

DOWNE HALL 5.7 km

North Chideock - Symondsbury and More. 7.5 km

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 24.2 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 Howard's Wood have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Howard's Wood dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Howard's Wood? Dorset packs a mighty historical punch, and there are several Iron Age sites to see locally. Hike up to the fort at Rawlsbury Camp (50 minutes) for spectacular views over Bulbarrow Hill … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Howard's Wood?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Howard's Wood? From $18.34 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.