The Railway Campsite

View prices & book 9.5 229 reviews
Train going past the site
Train going past the site
The steam train running past
Train passing at site
Sunrise one morning
View of the site on a cloudy morning
View of the site
View of the field
Caravans set up on site
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The steam train running past
Train passing at site
Sunrise one morning

  • Eight-acre field with Swanage Railway steam trains passing by
  • A 10-minute drive to Swanage Beach; 35 minutes to Durdle Door
  • Off-ground barbecues and firepits allowed; dogs welcome
If you’ve got little train enthusiasts in your family (or large ones, for that matter…), this is a site that’s likely to please them very much indeed. As the name suggests, The Railway Campsite is located next to the railway – and none other than the famed Swanage Railway. Waving at the steam trains as they puff past is a popular pastime around this dog-friendly site – although there are also some great Dorset countryside views for when there’s no railway action, plus lots of space around the eight-acre open field for whatever you choose to focus your attention on. And presumably you’ll want to take a ride on one of those trains too? That’s easily done, since Harmans Cross station is just next door to the site. All you have to do is choose whether to journey up to Corfe Castle or over to Swanage for a day at the beach (both about 15 minutes by train). When you’re not riding the rails, you can get out to some great coastal corners, including Studland Beach, Kimmeridge Bay or Dancing Ledge – all are within a 20-minute drive. This is a back-to-basics site, but it does have wooden composting toilets, a shower hut and chemical disposal facilities. The on-site snack shack opens its doors on weekends for breakfast, drinks and light evening meals. It's also open on Thursday evenings for Jamaican food. Off-ground barbecues and firepits are allowed (the site has firepits for hire and wood for sale if you need it), so you’re welcome to have a go at making your own dinner. You can source provisions at the small supermarket in the village of Harman’s Cross (five minutes’ walk).

Campground type

Tent sites 50
RV sites 3
Open now
Opens July 4
Please note
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 16 or over.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jul 4 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 229 Pitchup.com customers

  • 71%
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Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Peaceful

98% would recommend this campground to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Great location near the Swanage steam railway & countryside. Guests loved the friendly owners, clean facilities (hot showers, compost toilets), and snack shack. Spacious, relaxed vibe & pitch choice are big pluses. Basic facilities/steep terrain noted, but overwhelmingly positive with return visits planned.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 23
Arrival date (latest first)

So perfect we don’t want anyone to know about it!!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 1
Value for money
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Accommodation
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Cleanliness
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Wifi
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toby p.

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Excellent site, clean, friendly, perfect location for steam trains and walking Purbeck. Ideal for lazy camping - shack has bacon sandwiches and coffee for breakfast (full English if you want) and burgers for supper, and more. Very quiet, wonderful night skies, idyllic in every way, our second visit and will return next year.

Disliked Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great value, relaxed campsite in a fab location

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely campsite, enjoyed the hot showers! Compost loos were clean and well stocked with toilet roll and sawdust.

Great location- easy reach of lots of buses which as a solo camper with no car was very helpful! Also lots of footpaths nearby, so you can walk to the coast path or Purbeck way very easily.

Great value for money. Didn’t use the snack shack but it’s great to have the option.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Love the Railway Campsite!! Third year…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
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Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
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 10
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sophia c.

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Love the Railway Campsite!! Third year I've been back. Great location, simple facilities but everything you need and well maintained. The showers are great. Food shack with food available am and pm.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

The little food shack was a…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
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Customer service
 10
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 10
Wifi
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Richard B.

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The little food shack was a bonus after a long days walking, cheese burger is recommended.
Staff very approachable and helpful excellent value for the price,
Will stay again

Recommend to friends Visit again

I would highly recommend this site.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
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Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked This is a lovely little campsite. Everything was well maintained. The owners were, helpful, friendly, and very relaxed.
Having no time restraints made all the difference. Not having to rush on departure day meant there was no stress, and everything was.packed away properly. I even had time to clean the tent before putting it away.

Disliked The field is hilly, so if you get to the site at the wrong time you may struggle to find a flatish area to pitch up.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet family field, plenty of compost…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
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Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
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Cleanliness
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Wifi
 3
Chris S.

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked Quiet family field, plenty of compost toilets and water points. Loads of room to pitch where you like.
Compost toilets clean and not at all smelly.
Would definitely use again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Cheap, friendly, proper campsite.

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Totally relaxed vibe, staff friendly. Needed the cheapest option before sailing to France and turns out the cheapest was the best. No frills, no hassles.

Disliked Nothing to dislike, even had a steam train go past.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We spent four nights at this…

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
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Kate G.

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked We spent four nights at this campsite. We had a great time, it is very basic but that’s the best thing about it. Very fun to wave to the train when it goes past. Lovely owner and lovely dogs. We will be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Was my first time here and…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Was my first time here and it’s was very good location, peaceful and spacious. The rail station to swanage or corfe castle it’s 5 min walk and you can take the steam train, this also was something good to do. 8 min walk there is a shop if you need something last min. a lady from the management was friendly and lovely. It’s good if you like just basic camping for just a relax night .

Disliked There is composting toilet that isn’t great but this my option as I don’t like this type of toilet.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent, clean, safe, friendly.

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked First time staying here & I will definitely stay again. Everyone I spoke to was really friendly, the stream train was lovely to hear & see. The shower was amazing, lovely & hot. The on site café was brilliant for the first nights dinner & even a glass of wine.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

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 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 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 Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery

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

Farm Large (51-200 sites) Pop-up campground

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Railway Campsite

Sunny Glade

Haycrafts Lane

Harmans Cross

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3EB

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.61958°N
2.0239°W

Nearest transport

Bus
1.8 mi East Street
1.9 mi East Street
2.9 mi Bus Station
Rail
6.5 mi Wareham Rail Station
6.8 mi Holton Heath Rail Station
7.1 mi Poole Rail Station
Ferry
5.3 mi Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
5.5 mi Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
5.6 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
13.8 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

Famed for its ever-changing shades of blue and green, the Blue Pool (15 minutes’ drive) is surrounded by acres of heath- and woodland laced with trails. Take the easy path skirting the lake (where kids can also hunt for magic fairy doors), or steel yourself for a more challenging uphill route leading to views of the Purbeck Hills. Overlooked by the Georgian Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge Bay (20 minutes) is part of the Jurassic Coast. Rockpooling here may well yield some fossils; if not, you can head to the Etches Collection Museum, which displays fossilised marine creatures dating back millennia. The bay has clear waters for swimming and a summer snorkelling trail. Stay on the Jurassic Coast and move westwards to Durdle Door (35 minutes from the site), an iconic limestone arch stretching out into the sea. You can admire this imposing natural landmark from the dog-friendly beach or from the lookout point up on the cliff (easily reached via the South West Coast Path).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Swanage Central 2.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Studland Knoll House 3.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Kimmeridge Bay 4.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Shell Bay North 5.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Sandbanks Peninsular 6.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Corfe Castle 2 mi

Swanage Railway 2.9 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3.8 mi

Brownsea Island 5.6 mi

Lulworth Castle & Park 8.2 mi

National Trust

Corfe Castle 1.9 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3.6 mi

Brownsea Island 5.6 mi

Clouds Hill 12.1 mi

White Mill 12.9 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 1.6 mi

Worth Matravers - Winspit - Dancing Ledge 1.6 mi

Corfe - Nine Barrows Down - Swanage 2 mi

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 2 mi

The Purbecks - Castle and Coastal 2.2 mi

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 19 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 The Railway Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Railway Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Railway Campsite? Famed for its ever-changing shades of blue and green, the Blue Pool (15 minutes’ drive) is surrounded by acres of heath- and woodland laced with trails. Take the easy path skirting the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Railway Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  Anytime –  Anytime
    Depart by:  4 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Railway Campsite? From $21.64 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.