Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

View prices & book 9.1 598 reviews
Non-electric grass pitch
Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Caravan at holmsley

  • New Forest family campsite 20 minutes’ drive from Bournemouth beaches
  • A 15-minute drive to Christchurch, Barton on Sea and Highcliffe Castle
  • Grass pitches on a former airfield with direct access to walking paths
This is a gorgeous location, with pitches on open grassland and surrounded by the ancient ancient trees of the New Forest National Park… and it’s got an intriguing past too. Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site has brought new life to a former World War II airfield and turned it into a splendid woodland base for family camping adventures. Grass pitches here are tucked away among the trees or out in open fields, with spectacular forest views in all directions. When you’re ready to explore, there are miles of stunning way-marked tracks and footpaths leading directly from the site, while cyclists can access National Forest Ride from Holmsley car park (15 minutes by bike) and stop off at a pub in pretty Brockenhurst (half an hour) in the middle of the forest. As well as giving access to the forest, Holmsley is also well placed for excursions to the coastline of Dorset and Hampshire. Bournemouth (20 minutes’ drive) beckons with its sandy beaches, seaside walks await at Barton on Sea and you can look out over the waves from Highcliffe Castle. While maintaining a back-to-nature vibe, Holmsley is well set up when it comes to essential facilities, with electric hook-ups and full toilet, shower and washing amenities all on hand. There’s also a store selling camping essentials and food basics for the self-caterers among you, plus a takeaway service for days when you've worn yourselves out too much to contemplate cooking.

Site type

Tent sites 346
Caravan sites 396
Motorhome sites 396
Rent a tent 10
Open now
Opens 1 April

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Bookings must not be for more than 21 consecutive nights.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Minimum spacing of 6 metres between pitches.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.
  • Please do not feed, pet or approach the animals in and around the campsite; they may look friendly but are unpredictable and can bite and kick. Please keep all food sealed and out of reach of the ponies.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Tue, 1 Apr to

This site is a member of Camping in the New Forest group.

AA Holiday Centre
View all Camping in the New Forest parks.

Pitch types & availability

No availability here for your search criteria

Other pitch types

Reviews

  • 66%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 23%
    8
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    7
  • 5%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
6

92% would recommend this site to a friend

89% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 60
Arrival date (latest first)

Showers and toilets were clean…

Overall 2/10

Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Laima B.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Showers and toilets were clean

Disliked I am writing to share my recent experience during our stay at your campsite, which unfortunately left us quite disappointed due to the conduct of a staff member at reception.

Upon our arrival, we checked in and began setting up our tent. Shortly after, a woman from reception approached us and informed us—rather abruptly—that our tent was too close to another, as tents must be at least 6 metres apart. This rule was not mentioned during check-in, and as first-time visitors, we were unaware. Nevertheless, we apologised politely and moved our tent without issue.

Later, after we had settled in, the same staff member returned and loudly instructed us to extinguish our barbecue. She claimed she had already told us this three times and even insisted we had visited the campsite the previous weekend, which is entirely untrue. Her tone was unnecessarily aggressive, which made us feel uncomfortable and unfairly treated.

We fully respect campsite rules and are always happy to comply, but we believe that respectful communication is essential—especially in hospitality. This interaction significantly impacted our experience, and we hope steps can be taken to ensure future guests are treated with more courtesy and professionalism.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our feedback.

Would recommend for everyone. Good toilet/shower block and large area

Overall 9/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
alex s.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great location in the new forest
Big site
A park for the kids and shop/pizza place

Great site and nice staff

Overall 8/10

Location
10
Value for money
8
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
1
Anthony S.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great location close to sea and in set in new forest , nice staff , toilets and would visit again

Disliked A bit dusty on road

Friendly staff, can grab a home cooked pizza

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Sam W.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great location, fantastic clean facilities

7

Overall 8/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Unpowered grass site

Liked Friendly staff

Disliked The ground around the long stay pitches could be kept tidy, i.e.long grass and things

💯 Recommend!!

Overall 10/10

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

Unpowered grass site

Liked Everything was perfect from the booking till the end!
We were there for our children Bdays and the service was just excellent!!
Clean ,tidy in the bathrooms and all grounds around the tent pitches .
We stayed only for one night but deffo back for more .
💯 Recommend!!

Disliked The only thing is were the mobile service was poor but is ok if you need to take a break from it ☺️

Clean…

Overall 9/10

Location
9
Value for money
7
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass site

Liked Clean

Functional, there are better sites in the New Forest in my opinion.

Overall 6/10

Location
6
Value for money
6
Accommodation
5
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Kristen C.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Shower and toilets were clean

Disliked Felt crowded and exposed. Semi-permanent vans parked there looked a bit derelict. Very large site.

Good location. Pick your pitch.…

Overall 7/10

Location
8
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
6
Lucy C.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Good location. Pick your pitch.

Disliked Toilet & shower block needs updating.
Barriers not opening until 7.30am

Location, can pitch where you like. Unique location and heritage. Friendly staff,…

Overall 6/10

Location
8
Value for money
4
Accommodation
6
Facilities / Activities
3
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
3
Wifi
6
Anonymous

Unpowered grass site

Liked Location, can pitch where you like. Unique location and heritage. Friendly staff, good shop

Disliked Shower blocks were not cleaned regularly enough. Not enough drinking water taps around the site. Lack of monitoring


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

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

Rules

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

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

Very large (over 200 sites)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point Seasonal sites

Location

Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

Forest Road

Christchurch

Dorset

England

BH23 7EQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.79085°N
1.69527°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.2 km Post Office
5.2 km Post Office
5.2 km Bradbeers
Rail
4.5 km Hinton Admiral Rail Station
4.7 km New Milton Rail Station
6.1 km Sway Rail Station
Ferry
8.1 km Mudeford Quay Ferry Landing
8.5 km Hengistbury Head Ferry Landing
9.1 km Christchurch Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
9.8 km Bournemouth International Airport
29.5 km Southampton 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 outdoor activities of the New Forest National Park are well documented – come along here and you’ll have access to all sorts of walking and bike trails (including some leading directly from the site). There are also several riding centres nearby offering lessons and forest trail rides, or you could go fishing at Orchard Lakes (10 minutes’ drive). Staying here on the southern side of the national park also means easy access to the coast – including the long sandy stretch in Bournemouth (also a handy place for rainy-day attractions like the Oceanarium) and wilder areas like Hengistbury Head (both 20 minutes’ drive). Seafront Highcliffe Castle (15 minutes) is a fabulous place to visit, or you could pick up the Solent Way trail in Barton on Sea (15 minutes) for a long walk through a lovely nature reserve. On the way home, how about something totally different? Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (10 minutes) is likely to enthral anyone with an interest in engines, and is well worth a visit to see the 500 rare bikes from around the world.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Highcliffe 6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Highcliffe Castle 6.3 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Bay 6.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Friar`S Cliff 7 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Avon Beach 7.4 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Highcliffe Castle 6 km

Adventure Wonderland 10.7 km

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway 12.4 km

The Bournemouth Balloon 14.7 km

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 14.8 km

National Trust

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery 16.6 km

Brownsea Island 21.7 km

Newtown Old Town Hall 22.2 km

Kingston Lacy 23.8 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 24.3 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Burbush Hill - Dur Hill - Whitten Pond - (New Forest) 3 km

AVON TYRRELL 3.1 km

The Naked Man - New Forest 4 km

RHINEFIELD HOUSE 6.8 km

Rhinefield Ornamental Drive - Blackwater Arboretum 8.4 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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site? The outdoor activities of the New Forest National Park are well documented – come along here and you’ll have access to all sorts of walking and bike trails (including some leading directly … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site? From $60.34 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.