Loscombe Farm

Visitor image of the view looking down the hill

Secluded wild camping spots on a working Dorset farm near Dorchester
A 20-minute drive to the Jurassic Coast; 15 minutes to Chesil Beach
Woodland walks on site; five minutes’ drive from pubs and shops

Offering low-impact and secluded wild camping, Loscombe Farm is located near Dorchester in Dorset. There's plenty of variety here: pitches are in woods, fields, near bridleways or in open fields, and groups are welcome to camp together, bring a bit of folk music and get down to some serious catching up. The private land is also yours to wander at will. You're free to build a campfire here – and to make that easy, the owners offer wood to fuel it at a small charge. Chances are they might join you around the fire to swap stories and show you Stone Age flint arrowheads found on the farm. It really is wild here… there’s no electricity (bring torches please) and all the water will need boiling on the campfire. Compost loos are available, and you can get phone reception in some places but not all – roaming wifi works reasonably well if you can’t give up outside contact completely. Some areas are driver accessible, others not. But fear not, if you do have to park and walk a short distance to your pitch, the owners will help out with transport. It’s almost always possible to find a secluded pitch, meaning there can be little contact with fellow guests unless you actively choose it. There are some basic stores for essentials and fantastic pubs within five minutes’ drive, as well as in Dorchester (10 minutes – also good for shopping) or Weymouth (20 minutes).

Site type

Languages spoken

English

Nearby sites that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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

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 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 Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campsite Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Loscombe Farm

Winterbourne Steepleton

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 9HD

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

50.70408°N
2.54713°W

Nearest transport

Coach

4.8 mi South Station

7.7 mi Marks and Spencer

9.7 mi Coach Station

Rail

4.6 mi Dorchester West Rail Station

4.8 mi Dorchester South Rail Station

5.2 mi Upwey Rail Station

Ferry

7.9 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal

24.3 mi Poole Ferry Terminal

24.7 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing

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

An easy stroll from the camping fields is to the National Trust-owned Hardy Monument (40 minutes’ walk), a vantage point with views over the Jurassic Coast (20 minutes’ drive). Down by the sea, you can follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning and forage for fossils at Lyme Regis or Charmouth (both half an hour), or head for the SEA LIFE Centre, the extensive beach and the buzzy marina at Weymouth (20 minutes). Take a dip in the sea off Chesil Beach (15 minutes), or up the action by sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and kitesurfing off Portland (40 minutes). Back on dry land, have a go on climbing walls on the Isle of Portland (35 minutes), wander palm-lined walks at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (10 minutes) and marvel at the mute swan colony at Abbotsbury Swannery (15 minutes, open in summer). Up the cultural aspect of your days exploring Dorset with a trip to the Iron Age hill fort at Maiden Castle (15 minutes), or hike up to the prehistoric monoliths at The Nine Stones (half an hour’s walk) and carry on until you reach the undulating burial mounds at Winterbourne Poor Lot Barrows (an hour’s walk from the campsite).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Weymouth Lodmoor	7.1 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Bowleaze Cove	7.2 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Weymouth Central	7.5 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Hive	7.7 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Portland Harbour Castle Cove	8.4 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	N/A	N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Abbotsbury Swannery 3.9 mi

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 7 mi

Hardy's Birthplace 7.1 mi

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 7.2 mi

Mapperton House & Gardens 9.3 mi

National Trust

Max Gate 5.4 mi

Hardy's Cottage 7.1 mi

Clouds Hill 12.9 mi

Montacute House 18.6 mi

Tintinhull Garden 20 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

BRIDEHEAD 1.1 mi

Hardy Monument Circular 1.2 mi

South from Little Bredy 1.6 mi

A Chess Piece Visit 2.1 mi

Abbotsbury - Hardy Monument - Portesham - Abbotsbury 3.8 mi