Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree

View prices & book 9 65 reviews
campsite and reception
Campsite and reception
Looking out to the downs
View from our tent 👌🏽
Ringstead bay
Where music/food was
Great views!
The eastern field
Lots of space!
1/90
Looking out to the downs
View from our tent 👌🏽

  • Spacious site over four acres of a working farm with great views
  • A 10-minute drive from Dorchester and 15 minutes from Weymouth
  • Barbecues and firepits welcome; neolithic tumuli in the main field
With ancient burial sites and some top-notch views to its name, Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree is the sort of place where you’ll certainly be keen to roll out of bed and go for a wander. The spacious site is spread over four acres of relatively flat grassland, next to Came Woods, with excellent views over the north Dorset countryside on one side and glimpses over Weymouth Bay and Portland on the other. There’s a fair bit of history at this working farm, in the form of several Neolithic tumuli in the main pitching field. And there’s more in the surrounding area too, which you can spot as you take walks along local footpaths to Hardy’s Monument and Osmington White Horse or along the Dorset Ridgeway. Getting in and out should be fairly straightforward here: the farm is a 10-minute drive from Dorchester and 15 from Weymouth, both easy journeys via B roads. Closer to home are the villages of Sutton Poyntz and Preston, which have convenience stores, fish and chip shops and a clutch of good pubs. With so much space to run about in, this site is a fine pick for family holidays and those travelling with dogs. Barbecues and campfires are allowed on site too, although some restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of guests and local wildlife alike.

Site type

Tent pitches 50
Open now
Opens 22 May
Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.

General

  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Occupancy

  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri 22 May to

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Reviews

9

Overall rating from 65 Pitchup.com customers

  • 72%
    10
  • 7%
    9
  • 6%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 6%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 3%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Spectacular sceneryPeaceful

91% would recommend this site to a friend

89% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite is praised for its stunning views, spacious and level pitches, and friendly, helpful staff. Guests enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, live music, and on-site bar and food options. Facilities, including toilets and showers, are generally reported as clean, though some found them basic. While most experiences were positive, occasional issues with noise from other campers and long grass were noted. A few reviews mention challenges with finding the site and some found the composting toilets basic, with one guest reporting a leaky bell tent.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 11/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 7
Arrival date (latest first)

Scenic campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Cassie W. 17 reviews

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely, friendly host. Great campsite with amazing views across Dorset. Spacious and quiet. We had a very relaxing stay, thank you.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Liked the area ,nice ,quiet…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Ana F. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Liked the area ,nice ,quiet

Disliked The toilets

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent place !…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Gustavo V. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Excellent place !

Recommend to friends Visit again

views, location and peaceful - a…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked views, location and peaceful - a full on real camping experience

Recommend to friends Visit again

views…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked views

Disliked toilet

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice and peaceful and friendly staff…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Caitlin P. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Nice and peaceful and friendly staff and toilets were nice and clean as well as the other facilities. Location was great

Disliked No hot water in the shower both times I tired them was very cold

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi
So sorry about the showers! We had an issue with the battery on the solar system which I did not discover as quickly as I should have. Please get in touch as I would like to compensate you.

Different location

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
 2
Value for money
 3
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Michelle P. 4 reviews

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Ground was flat for camping.

Disliked Had stayed previously in the old site which changed (albeit out of the hands of organisers as it is farm land). Grounds, people, general camping vibe very different. More suited to wild campers who want to be alone.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi.
So sorry we failed to meet your expectations. I agree that the current Culliford Tree site has a very different feel to Donkey Down site. Unfortunately the landlord there decided to curtail our use of it. Culliford Tree is all about the space, ancient history and peace and quiet which, I understand, is not for everyone.

Beautiful and scenic

Overall

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

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Everything was beautiful and quiet

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

What it's beautiful…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Fahim R. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked What it's beautiful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely pitch. Lots of space…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah H. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely pitch. Lots of space to choose from. There was even a band on the Saturday night which was brilliant fun

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 Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet 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

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 Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pop-up campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree

Chalky Road

Whitcombe

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 8NL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.66769°N
2.4268°W

Nearest transport

Coach
2.9 mi South Station
4.1 mi Marks and Spencer
14 mi Red Lion
Rail
2.2 mi Upwey Rail Station
2.9 mi Dorchester South Rail Station
3.1 mi Dorchester West Rail Station
Ferry
4.2 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal
19.2 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
19.6 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
27.2 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

What exactly is the Osmington White Horse (25 minutes' walk)? In the shape of King George II riding his steed, this limestone figure is carved into a smugglers’ landscape. Hardy's Monument (two hours' walk/20 minutes' drive) is a stone monument and a fine reward for a slightly more challenging hike. If you’re keen to see more historical bits, The Tank Museum (20 minutes) houses an impressive collection of war tanks and the Swanage Railway (40 minutes) keeps alive a steam railway from the 19th century. Dorchester (10 minutes) is another good bet, with a dinosaur museum, teddy bear museum and the Tutankhamun Exhibition’s mummy artefacts. Of course, you’re not far from the Jurassic Coast either – big sights there include Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door (20 minutes), Chesil Beach (20 minutes), Portland Bill Lighthouse (half an hour) and Abbotsbury Swannery and Subtropical Gardens (25 minutes). As for classic seaside amusements and other family-friendly days out, count on Fantasy Island amusement park (10 minutes), Bournemouth (45 minutes), Monkey World (20 minutes) and Weymouth (15 minutes). Weymouth has a gorgeous sandy beach, the Sealife Centre and boat trips to fish for mackerel or visit Portland.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Bowleaze Cove 2.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Central 3.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ringstead Bay 4.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Portland Harbour Castle Cove 5.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentN/AN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 3 mi

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 3.9 mi

Hardy's Birthplace 4.6 mi

Abbotsbury Swannery 7.6 mi

The Tank Museum 8.3 mi

National Trust

Max Gate 2.8 mi

Hardy's Cottage 4.6 mi

Clouds Hill 8.4 mi

Corfe Castle 16.3 mi

White Mill 18.6 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

LODMOOR (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 25/11/2004) 2.6 mi

Nottington - Lorton - Radipole 2.8 mi

Lodmoor Nature Reserve - Littlemoor - Preston 2.9 mi

Nottington - Southill - Chickerell 2.9 mi

Nottington - Upwey - Broadwey 2.9 mi

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, 5 September 2026 – Saturday, 5 September 2026)

    Dorchester, Dorset 3.8 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 Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree? What exactly is the Osmington White Horse (25 minutes' walk)? In the shape of King George II riding his steed, this limestone figure is carved into a smugglers’ landscape. Hardy's Monument (two … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree? From £24 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.