Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

View prices & book 9.1 621 reviews
Non-electric grass pitch
Non-electric grass pitch
Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Caravan at holmsley
Campsite entrance and pathways
Forest view and grass pitches
External view of the bell tent
Camper at holmsley
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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.

Campground type

Tent sites 346
Camper sites 396
RV sites 396
Rent a tent 10
Open now
Opens April 1

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • 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.
  • 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. One amendment per booking is free; subsequent amendments are subject to a £10 fee.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Tue, Apr 1 to

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

View all Camping in the New Forest parks.

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 621 Pitchup.com customers

  • 66%
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Forest

92% would recommend this campground to a friend

89% would stay here again

What customers say

Spacious pitches, great staff, and clean facilities at this large, well-kept New Forest campsite. Ideal for forest walks and wildlife spotting. Can get busy and noisy during peak season, but overall a good family option.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 63
Arrival date (latest first)

Location and setting. Was quiet considering how busy it was.…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Location and setting.
Was quiet considering how busy it was.

Disliked How far the toilet block was away from our pitch.
How crammed in we were on Saturday night. - we did arrive on a hot Saturday afternoon and it was packed.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nothing…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Nothing

Disliked We arrived on Friday after work and were there before 7pm. Already at the entrance you told us that we have to find a place by ourselves! Really? We go to different regions, pay half of what we paid here and they always show us our place. Here everyone takes as much space as they want and it is difficult to find anything!
We finished unpacking around 9pm so we wanted to sit, relax and make food as we had not eaten after work. We sat for quite a long time but talked quietly so as not to disturb anyone, despite this a lady came in and said she was disturbed by the light and the fact we were talking because she had small children! Does that mean we have to go to bed at the time when everyone else is putting the kids to bed? We used to have small children too but we didn't make any problems!
In the morning we couldn't sleep at least until 8 o'clock, we couldn't because from 6 o'clock the children were already very noisy, but we didn't make a problem out of it! We packed up and left for home at 10am (so we spent 13 hours). We wasted time and money unnecessarily but we preferred to leave rather than suffer!
We were here for the first and last time!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Enjoyed the weather and location

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Patrick M.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Staff were polite and very helpful throughout our stay

Disliked Finding a good area to pitch up, it just seems park anywhere and hope for the best. Managed to find even base for 3,of us to pitch up altogether

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great staff great location beautiful campsite

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
Emma N.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Beautiful location, great facilities were busy in mornings and evenings but was expected, shop and takeaway was great prices affordable and well stocked! We traveled with teenagers and a baby and campsite was safe and quiet in evenings, perfect location to watch the sunrise and surrounded by wild horses and cows was quite the magnificent experience was overall a perfect location and will definitely be coming back in the future

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice mixed area with grass and trees.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Adrian B.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Nice mixed area with grass and trees.

Disliked Unable to use fire pits.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Schöner Platz in toller Natur leider mit etwas Fluglärm

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Schöner weitläufiger Campingplatz inmitten toller Natur und vielen freilaufenden Pferden. Viel Platz, nahe Sanitärgebäude.

Disliked Flughafen nicht weit entfernt, Flugzeuge störten etwas, sonst aber sehr ruhig. Sanitärgebäude nicht sehr sauber.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice and peaceful.…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Nice and peaceful.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely campsite, would definitely stay again but not in peak season.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked The campsite is a lovely one with great facilities, staff and location!
The showers were powerful and hot water instantly.
Site was clean and tidy throughout and it was always lovely seeing the horses.

Disliked Unallocated pitches - we were not aware and given we went in peak season and arrived towards the evening all pitches were gone. Managed to find a space giving the 6m space rule, however a camper-van pulled up right next to our tent and we were unaware that they had pitched there with a additional large tent so we were very close with our neighbours the whole time.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent camp site meeting all our expectations with our grandsons.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Helpful staff on reception arrival and all that the dry weather and sunshine brings to a camping stay.
Open selection for camping in grassed wooded areas feeling wild and private over our 4 day stay in the New Forest.
Wildlife in the forest!
No Wi-Fi!!!……..👍🏻

Disliked Washroom closure (nearest) over 24hrs but not a show stopper!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Angie in reception was incredibly helpful. Lovely to have a shop and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Lauren H.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Angie in reception was incredibly helpful. Lovely to have a shop and takeaway on site. Really nice location, easy to find.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/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 Horseback 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

Bus
3.2 mi Post Office
3.2 mi Post Office
3.3 mi Bradbeers
Rail
2.8 mi Hinton Admiral Rail Station
2.9 mi New Milton Rail Station
3.8 mi Sway Rail Station
Ferry
5.1 mi Mudeford Quay Ferry Landing
5.3 mi Hengistbury Head Ferry Landing
5.6 mi Christchurch Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
6.1 mi Bournemouth International Airport
18.3 mi 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 3.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Highcliffe Castle 3.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Bay 4.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Friar`S Cliff 4.3 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Avon Beach 4.6 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Highcliffe Castle 3.8 mi

Adventure Wonderland 6.7 mi

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway 7.7 mi

The Bournemouth Balloon 9.1 mi

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 9.2 mi

National Trust

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery 10.3 mi

Brownsea Island 13.5 mi

Newtown Old Town Hall 13.8 mi

Kingston Lacy 14.8 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 15.1 mi

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) 1.9 mi

AVON TYRRELL 1.9 mi

The Naked Man - New Forest 2.5 mi

RHINEFIELD HOUSE 4.3 mi

Rhinefield Ornamental Drive - Blackwater Arboretum 5.2 mi

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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park 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 $36.33 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.