When can I check in and check out of Haywards Bridge Farm?

Camping and touring Arrive: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Depart by: 12 p.m. Read more

Haywards Bridge Farm

View from nearby Okeford Hill (added by manager 06 Sep 2021)

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Wild camping on the banks of the River Stour in Shillingstone
A 10-minute drive to Blandford Forum; half an hour to Poole
Access to the North Dorset Trailway; village pub a 15-minute walk

What did you get up to during the lockdowns of 2020? The folk at Haywards Bridge Farm had rather a busy time of it – they started up a sustainable veg and pick-your-own project at their scenic rural Dorset location… and then, as if that wasn’t enough, they opened up a small campsite too. All of this is part of an 8.5-acre rural farm on the banks of the River Stour, with views across the water to Hambledon Hill in the north and Shillingstone railway station (a non-functioning station closed in 1966 but now open with a tasty little café) to the south. This is a handy spot indeed for many reasons: it’s easily accessed by road (via the A357) and on foot (via the North Dorset Trailway, by the site), with a small supermarket just over the road and Shillingstone’s village pub and playground a 15-minute stroll away. Longer walks along the trailway will take you out into the nearby Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for more scenic views or visits to Blandford Forum, five miles away. All efforts have been made to keep this site as sustainable as possible, so it’s all about wild camping here. There’s only a handful of pitches, all right on the riverbank to max out on the views, and guests will have access to toilet facilities but no showers (in fact, there’s no running water so you’ll need to bring drinking water with you). Being an easygoing kind of place, campfires and barbecues are allowed and dogs are welcome as long as they’re kept on a lead.

Site type

Languages spoken

Czech

English

Italian

Polish

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

Adults only

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

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Adults only

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

No drinkable water point

No hot water

No running water

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Pop-up campsite

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Location

Haywards Bridge Farm

Haywards Lane

Shillingstone

Blandford Forum

Dorset

England

DT11 0QY

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.90628°N
-2.2524°W

Nearest transport

Coach

7.3 mi The Town Hall

8.2 mi Virginia Ash

Rail

8.9 mi Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station

9.8 mi Templecombe Rail Station

11.7 mi Sherborne Rail Station

Ferry

17.8 mi Poole Ferry Terminal

17.8 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing

19.9 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing

Airport

20.4 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

Keep it local to start with by popping into Shillingstone Station, where the café and museum are open a few days per week and you can see the work that a group of volunteers are putting in to bringing the heritage railway back to life. Only a little further away are hill walks to the Iron Age fort on Hambledon Hill or Bulbarrow Hill, or cycling exploits at Okeford Hill Bike Park. All are within an hour and a half’s amble. You may also like to walk down to Blandford Forum in a little under two hours to visit the Fashion Museum and take a tour of the Hall & Woodhouse brewery (you can also drive in 10 minutes if you prefer…) Looking a little further afield, how about meeting the residents of Monkey World (half an hour’s drive), admiring the physique of the Cerne Giant (25 minutes), picking up a boat trip to Brownsea Island from Poole (half an hour) or hitting the sands of Weymouth (45 minutes)?

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Poole Harbour Rockley Sands	15.9 mi	Estuary	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Poole Harbour Lake	16.6 mi	Estuary	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Ringstead Bay	19.5 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Durdle Door East	19.7 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	N/A	Excellent
Durdle Door West	19.7 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens 11.5 mi

Hardy's Birthplace 13.6 mi

Stourhead House and Garden 14.2 mi

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 14.5 mi

The Tank Museum 14.6 mi

National Trust

White Mill 10.9 mi

Kingston Lacy 11.7 mi

Clouds Hill 13.1 mi

Hardy's Cottage 13.6 mi

Stourhead 14 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Child Okeford - Wessex Ridgeway - Shillingstone 0.9 mi

Fiddleford Manor - Hammoon - Child Okeford - Fiddleford 1.7 mi

Fiddleford Mill - Sturminster Newton - Fiddleford 1.7 mi

Hod Hill Fort - Iwerne Minster - Hambledon Hill - Coombe Bottom 1.9 mi

RANSTON 2.5 mi

Local events

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally (Friday 19 July 2024 – Friday 19 July 2024)
Dorchester, Dorset 11 mi
Tankfest (Friday 28 June 2024 – Friday 28 June 2024)
Wareham, Dorset 14.7 mi
Dorset County Show (Saturday 7 September 2024 – Saturday 7 September 2024)
Dorchester, Dorset 14.8 mi
Camp Bestival Dorset (Thursday 25 July 2024 – Thursday 25 July 2024)
Wareham, Dorset 18.7 mi
Glastonbury Festival (Wednesday 26 June 2024 – Wednesday 26 June 2024)
Glastonbury, Somerset 22.7 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.

Reviews

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Does Haywards Bridge Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
Is Haywards Bridge Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near Haywards Bridge Farm? Keep it local to start with by popping into Shillingstone Station, where the café and museum are open a few days per week and you can see the work that a group … Read more
When can I check in and check out of Haywards Bridge Farm?

Camping and touring

Arrive: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Depart by: 12 p.m.

Read more