Herston Caravan and Camping

View prices & book 6.4 441 reviews
Well-spaced pitches
Well-spaced pitches
Bell tent
Spacious grass pitches
Bell tent with picnic table
Gather friends and family
Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch
Friendly site
Bell tents with great rural views
1/147
Bell tent
Spacious grass pitches
Bell tent with picnic table

  • Holiday park one mile from the beach in Swanage
  • Half an hour's drive from Monkey World and Durdle Door
  • Playground, shop and takeaway on site; dogs welcome
Three cheers for this one on Dorset's Jurassic Coast: Herston Caravan and Camping is a family-friendly site only five minutes' drive away from the town of Swanage and its sandy beach. Everyone should find a full programme of stuff to do and see in this neck of the woods: perhaps rides on the steam-powered Swanage Railway, windsurfing down at Swanage Bay or clifftop walks on the South West Coast Path. The popular attractions of Corfe Castle, Old Harry Rocks and Durdle Door are all under half an hour's drive away too. Facilities on site include a playground and a mini market that also functions as a visitor information centre. Grab food from the takeaway on site when you're hungry. The spacious and clean toilet blocks have plentiful hot showers, family bathrooms and disabled facilities, and the site also has a launderette and a washing-up area. Dogs are also welcome at the park as long as they are kept on a lead and cleaned up after.

Campground type

Camper sites 164
RV sites 164
Tent sites 46
Rent a tent 57
Open all year
Opens
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).

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

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

6.4

Overall rating from 441 Pitchup.com customers

  • 24%
    10
  • 2%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 19%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 9%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 17%
    2
  • 3%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 5
PeacefulBudget/backpacker

52% would recommend this campground to a friend

51% would stay here again

What customers say

This large, well-located campground is a short walk from Swanage town and beach, offering competitive prices and good on-site amenities like a shop and food truck. Guests praise the friendly staff, excellent WiFi, and spacious sites. While many facilities are clean and functional, some reviews note they are dated and could benefit from maintenance. There are mixed reports on cleanliness and noise levels.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 45
Arrival date (latest first)

Water tap and drainage on each…

Overall

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

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Water tap and drainage on each 2 pitches.
Walks for the dog.
Friendly reception.
Little shop on site.
Great views.
Had a place to grab food.

Disliked Couldn't see a play park for kids although I may have missed it.
The back roads to get there were very tight but no fault of the parks.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice level pitches good location good…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 4
Anonymous

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Nice level pitches good location good facilities

Disliked Burger van very basic

Recommend to friends Visit again

The shop, the staff , the…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
Vanessa W.

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked The shop, the staff , the bar/ food van all excellent

Disliked The toilets, showers were awful not cleaned enough , lots of broken doors, shower screens, toilet roll holders.
Water went off the first day at 10am that was everywhere!
It says 5 mph on site but most people went over that, because it’s all gravel, and we was on an end pitch, we was getting all the dust from the traffic, other people commented on how fast people were driving.
My husband gestured the log man to slow down in his truck, but it fell on deaf ears/eyes! whilst we was cooking our bar b q.
Wasn’t anyone on reception when we left to complain to.
Shame because it’s a great location 🤷‍♀️

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice enough, though uncertain if I’d return.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Nigel H.

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Polite staff, easy parking, more than adequate space per unit. Proximity to Swanage - an easy walk.

Disliked Too many barking dogs, dearth of shower or toilet facilities, slightly overpriced.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I would not recommend or return.

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 1
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 No rating
Sally H.

Powered grass campsite

Liked Seaview was the only nice field. Plenty of room and parking.

Disliked Only 5 showers for a large field. The toilets had no soap no paper towels. There were buckets and mops to clean the floors, in each toilet shower cubicle but the water in them was absolutely disgusting. The site is unkept rubbish everywhere

Recommend to friends Visit again

This was our first,stay at this…

Overall

9 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
Scott M.

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked This was our first,stay at this site and definitely won’t be the last.very happy with everything,the staff were laid back and professional and made checking in and out a simple and pleasant experience.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Area and friendliness…

Overall

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked Area and friendliness

Disliked Could do with more toilets and showers but you have to expect that when it’s busy

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very busy and loud campsite lots of vehicles in and out all hours

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 2
Wifi
 No rating
Leanne R.

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (large)

Liked The size of pitches
The easiness of checking in
The closeness to swanage
The big fields for dogs to run in

Disliked Toilet block was disgusting and never clean over the 3 days
The lack of the gate being closed allowing late night entry causing excessive noise
The amount of dog mess around the site and in filed not picked up by owners

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location, friendly staff and good amenities. Toilets bit dirty

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 4
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 4
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Catherine J.

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Pitch sizes, food van and shower huts

Disliked Toilets and entry caravans made the place look unnecessarily unkept

Recommend to friends Visit again

20 minute walk to Swanage beach…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 No rating
Jack H.

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked 20 minute walk to Swanage beach was perfect for us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Campfires 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 Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Local produce 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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Hikers’ paradise Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Gray water hook-up for caravans Seasonal sites Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Herston Caravan and Camping

Washpond Lane

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3DJ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.61816°N
1.97913°W

Nearest transport

Bus
1 mi Bus Station
3.6 mi East Street
3.6 mi East Street
Rail
7 mi Poole Rail Station
7.4 mi Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
7.6 mi Hamworthy Rail Station
Ferry
4.5 mi Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
4.7 mi Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
5 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
12.8 mi 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

A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll beach (10 minutes' drive) or Lulworth Cove (40 minutes) to hire your craft and see the place from sea level. The 630 mile-long South West Coast Path passes through town: pick it up and head eastwards to the Studland and Godlington Heath Nature Reserve to see the wild and nature-filled Wessex that inspired Thomas Hardy (or hire a steed from the trekking centre for extra historical detail). Going west, the path goes past the splendid sights of Stair Hole and Durdle Door (40 minutes), while descents of varying steepness lead down to quiet and cove-like beaches like Winspit (accessible only on foot from Worth Matravers, 10 minutes away) and Kimmeridge (half an hour). For a spot of time travel, pick up the Swanage Railway for a nine-mile steam trip to Wareham, perhaps stopping off en route for a clamber round the ruins of Corfe Castle (10 minutes). Younger visitors should have a ball among the play barns, pedal go-karts and pettable animals at the Putlake Adventure Farm, five minutes away. Further afield, there are pony rides, deer safaris, tractor trips and bouncy castles at Farmer Palmer's Farm Park (30 minutes), and at a similar distance the heavy hardware in The Tank Museum and the charming residents of Monkey World should keep everyone's monkeys out of mischief.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Swanage Central 1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Studland Knoll House 2.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Shell Bay North 4.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Sandbanks Peninsular 5.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Shore Road Beach 5.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Swanage Railway 1 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3 mi

Corfe Castle 3.8 mi

Brownsea Island 5 mi

Dorset Cruises 8.1 mi

National Trust

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 2.2 mi

Corfe Castle 3.7 mi

Brownsea Island 4.9 mi

White Mill 13.4 mi

Kingston Lacy 13.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 0.3 mi

Swanage to Corfe Circular Walk 1.8 mi

Durlston Castle Historic Landscape 1.9 mi

Studland - Old Harry - Ballard Down - Studland 2.2 mi

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 2.9 mi

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 20.8 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.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Herston Caravan and Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Herston Caravan and Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Herston Caravan and Camping? A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Herston Caravan and Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Herston Caravan and Camping? From $67.52 (for 2 nights, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.