Howard's Wood

View prices & book 9.6 79 reviews
Aerial view of Dorset countryside
Aerial view of dorset countryside
Campsite
Campsite and shower
Woodland clearing
Site entrance
Trail through the woodland
Aerial view of the woods
Campsite
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Campsite
Campsite and shower
Woodland clearing

  • Almost wild camping in a 25-acre woodland at Netherbury in Dorset
  • Charmouth 25 minutes’ drive and Abbotsbury Swannery 35 minutes
  • Dog-friendly pop-up site 15 minutes’ walk from the local pub
There’s getting away from it all – and then there’s really getting away from it all. If you feel the need to do the latter, then do it somewhere like Howard’s Wood, an almost wild pop-up site on the outskirts of Netherbury in Dorset. Here you can escape into a 25-acre woodland – planted in 2003 by the landowners – and truly relax in the middle of a wildlife haven. Bring your dogs and exercise them while exploring the woods, and let the kids run around within earshot on the playing fields next to the pitches. The pretty basic setup here consists of composting toilets and hot showers, and is suitable for anyone and everyone looking for a simple camping experience out in nature yet near to some big-name Dorset attractions. For at Howard’s Wood, you can wake up to mornings filled with birdsong, with the chance of spotting deer and squirrels roaming around near your tent. After a day out at the mysterious National Trust - Cerne Giant (35 minutes’ drive) or scouring for fossils along the Jurassic Coast (half an hour), return to base for relaxing times cosying up around a firepit or cooking up a barbecue – pick up food in Beaminster or Bridport (both about 10 minutes’ drive). Alternatively you can wander down to the local pub (15 minutes’ walk), which has luscious country views, a beer garden for warmer evenings and good home-cooked food.

Site type

Tent pitches 15
Motorhome pitches 11
Rent a tent 1
Open now
Opens 18 July
Please note
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 18 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 79 Pitchup.com customers

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Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
ForestPeacefulWild camping

99% would recommend this site to a friend

99% would stay here again

What customers say

Howard's Wood offers a unique "wild camping" experience nestled in private woodland clearings, praised for its peace and natural setting. Guests highlight the spacious, secluded pitches, friendly and accommodating hosts, and good basic facilities like hot showers and composting toilets. Fire pits and wood are available. While some pitches are uneven and signage could be improved, most visitors found it excellent value and plan to return. The site is ideal for those seeking a quiet escape close to nature.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

Fabulous! Lovely helpful young lady.…

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10 out of 10
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Tanya S.

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch

Liked Fabulous! Lovely helpful young lady.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

A fun place to stay, great value and very peaceful.

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
Value for money
 10
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Angus J.

Non-electric forest floor campervan pitch

Liked This was the perfect stopover for us and very tranquil. Basic facilities are available if you need them and all looked well maintained. If you like cooking your meals on camp fires then this is the ideal place. Unfortunately we had no food with us so we wanted to eat in the local pub which was closed, however as we returned to our campervan an angel appeared called Steph. Not only did she offer to drop us off in Beaminster to get a pub meal but she also came and picked us up at 10pm. This was truly over and above the responsibility of a site owner and we cannot thank her enough for her kindness. A++++++++++++++++++ Definitely worth a visit.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely secluded pitches for camping on the wilder side

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
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 10
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Anonymous

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch

Liked We loved our stay here. The pitches are secluded from each other so you feel you have your own private camp. The loos are well supplied with toilet roll and the kitchen area with all the extras you might need/have forgotten. Stephanie was nicely attentive via text. The location is also great - we got lots of free local produce which was on offer when walking around the pretty village. There is a circular walk you can do. Shops in Bridport are only 10 mins drive away. I would recommend this campsite to anyone who likes their camping on the wilder side.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little campsite pitchs are secluded…

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10 out of 10
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Damon E.

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch

Liked Great little campsite pitchs are secluded and feel private stayed 2 nights love being in woods facilities clean and stocked great stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had an excellent stay at the…

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10 out of 10
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Anonymous

Non-electric forest floor campervan pitch

Liked Had an excellent stay at the campsite, it had everything needed and very reasonably priced

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful, we will be coming back again soon

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10 out of 10
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Ben S.

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch

Liked Beautiful woodland campsite, large pitches with lots of space between. Fires allowed and basic toilet and shower. Perfect for an offgrid experience.

Recommend to friends Visit again

perfect site for a relaxing and peaceful break

Overall

10 out of 10
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Value for money
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Tracy H.

Non-electric forest floor campervan pitch

Liked The peacefulness, the individual pitches and the natural forest environment, a truly beautiful site. Basic but has toilets, hot shower and washing up facilities.
Each pitch has its own burner and logs are provided.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nature at its best

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
Value for money
 10
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April H.

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch

Liked Nature and wild enjoyed my stay very much , it's peaceful through the night, be back again soon

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Almost wild camping in a safe space

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
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 7
Customer service
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Margaret M.

Non-electric forest floor campervan pitch

Liked Great location, back to basics almost wild camping, but in a safe space. Beautiful individual pitches, nice walks, away from it all, peace and tranquility. A hot shower, 2 composting toilets and a drinking water tap, fire pits to hire and logs, everything you need. A short drive from Bridport and West Bay, and the rest of the Jurassic Coast. Great communication, Steph was very friendly and helpful

Disliked Not exactly a dislike, just a little uncomfortable with only a shower curtain and no door on the shower

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect place to relax

Overall

10 out of 10
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Value for money
 1
Accommodation
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Matyas V.

Non-electric forest floor campervan pitch

Liked Quite and peaceful
Rural area

Disliked N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

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 Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Local produce 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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Peaceful Remote location Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Pop-up campsite Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Howard's Wood

Netherbury

Bridport

Dorset

England

DT6 5RT

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.78721°N
2.75317°W

Nearest transport

Coach
3.7 mi Coach Station
12 mi Yeovil Bus Station
14.8 mi South Station
Rail
6.1 mi Crewkerne Rail Station
8.1 mi Maiden Newton Rail Station
9.6 mi Chetnole Rail Station
Ferry
18.2 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal
26.7 mi Bridgwater Ferry Terminal
Airport
29.3 mi Exeter 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

Dorset packs a mighty historical punch, and there are several Iron Age sites to see locally. Hike up to the fort at Rawlsbury Camp (50 minutes) for spectacular views over Bulbarrow Hill and Blackmore Vale, or glimpse the sea from the top of the burial mounds at Eggardon Hill Fort (25 minutes). Time-travel forward to Saxon times to see the National Trust-owned Cerne Giant (35 minutes’ drive) etched into the chalk hillside above thatched Cerne Abbas village (half an hour). A day on a Jurassic Coast beach may be in the sightseeing schedule too; choices include the fossil hub of Dorset at Charmouth (25 minutes) or the soft sandy town beach at popular Lyme Regis (half an hour). Heading east, Seatown Beach (20 minutes) is a quiet shingle spot for solitary walks, while trips to the West Dorset Heritage Coast repay with scenic hikes along Chesil Beach (40 minutes) and the chance to feed the swans at Abbotsbury Swannery (35 minutes). If you’d rather stay closer to home base, tour the orchards and taste a drop or two of local scrumpy at Dorset Nectar Cider (five minutes), and if the kids have been well behaved, reward them with cuddly donkey encounters at Donkey Walking Adventures (10 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Eypemouth 5.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Bay (West) 5.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Seatown 5.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hive 6.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Charmouth West 7.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Mapperton House & Gardens 2.1 mi

Abbotsbury Swannery 11.1 mi

Montacute House 11.5 mi

Hardy's Birthplace 16.4 mi

Fleet Air Arm Museum 16.5 mi

National Trust

Montacute House 11.4 mi

Barrington Court 12.9 mi

Tintinhull Garden 13.1 mi

Loughwood Meeting House 13.4 mi

Shute Barton 13.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

PARNHAM 1 mi

BEAMINSTER MANOR 2 mi

MAPPERTON HOUSE 2.1 mi

DOWNE HALL 3.5 mi

North Chideock - Symondsbury and More. 4.6 mi

Local events

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

    Dorchester, Dorset 15 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 Howard's Wood have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Howard's Wood dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Howard's Wood? Dorset packs a mighty historical punch, and there are several Iron Age sites to see locally. Hike up to the fort at Rawlsbury Camp (50 minutes) for spectacular views over Bulbarrow Hill … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Howard's Wood?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Howard's Wood? From £10 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.