Southover Woods
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Add your business details- Wild woodland site 20 minutes’ drive from Dorchester in Dorset
- Half an hour’s drive to the Jurassic Coast and Weymouth harbour
- Woodland walks accessed from the pitches, trout fishing next door
Site type
1
12Languages spoken
English
Open from Tue, 1 Apr to
Nearby sites that are bookable on Pitchup.com
Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.
Want to know more about camping in Dorset?
Features
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 WatersportsAmenities 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 Local produce Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area WifiGroups welcome
D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcomeRules
Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all yearCamping 2.0
Jumbo tent pitchesThemes
Budget/backpacker Forest Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife havenUtilities
Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point No hot water Recycling available Renewable energyNearby amenities
Bar nearby Dog walk nearbyType
Small (11-25 pitches)Nearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearbyLocation
Southover Woods
Affpuddle car park
B3390
Dorchester
Dorset
England
DT2 7HP
Directions Timezone
Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)
GPS
50.73135°N
2.27892°W
Route directions
Nearest transport
Coach
Rail
Ferry
AirportPlease 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
Water quality at nearby bathing waters
| Name | Distance | Type | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durdle Door East | 7.6 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | N/A | Excellent |
| Durdle Door West | 7.6 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Ringstead Bay | 7.6 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Lulworth Cove | 7.9 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Bowleaze Cove | 9.1 mi | Sea | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Data source: European Environment Agency
Must see
The Tank Museum 2.9 mi
Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 3.6 mi
Hardy's Birthplace 4.9 mi
Lulworth Castle & Park 7.1 mi
Lulworth Heritage Centre 7.9 mi
National Trust
Clouds Hill 1.5 mi
Hardy's Cottage 4.9 mi
Max Gate 6.5 mi
White Mill 10.8 mi
Corfe Castle 11.6 mi
Cycle routes
Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.
Other
Clouds Hill - Moreton 1.8 mi
ATHELHAMPTON 2.3 mi
Beacon Hill - Hardy's Cottage - Stinsford - Beacon Hill 3.7 mi
WATERSTON MANOR 4.5 mi
Higher Bockhampton - Puddletown Forest 4.9 mi
Local events
- Dorset County Show (Saturday 6 September 2025 – Saturday 6 September 2025)
Dorchester, Dorset 6.4 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
91% would recommend this site to a friend
89% would stay here again
Lovely woods if you wantt a more back to basics camping experience.
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (family)
Liked The woods were beautiful and the pitches felt private and secluded.
Disliked Difficult to find the correct car park/pitch. Track into the site too many holes, could do with some gravel to fill.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Great site, with very friendly staff, we had a great weekend!
Meadow non-electric grass pitch
Liked Beautiful site, very peaceful, staff were so helpful and kind.
Toilet and shower facilities were clean and functional.
Disliked A bit difficult to find but we called the staff and they helped us find the right route.
Recommend to friends Visit again
This campsite is absolutely wonderful. Amazing surroundings. The drive in was…
Meadow non-electric grass pitch
Liked This campsite is absolutely wonderful. Amazing surroundings. The drive in was really fun too! Hold on to your seats!
Recommend to friends Visit again
Absolutely stunning place! First thing first, parking was great! Didn't have to…
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (family)
Liked Absolutely stunning place! First thing first, parking was great! Didn't have to walk far with all of our stuff to the to the villager pitch and 2 wheel barrows were available to borrow. The compost toilet was actually great to use! You could have a pee/poo with a view and didn't have to worry about people seeing you as the other pitches were really far away, also not once did it smell.
The scenery was absolutely breath taking. So peaceful and beautiful. I loved getting up early and listening to the birds and watching the squirrels rin around the firepit. The pitch was really well laid out, there was plenty of room for my 5m bell tent and we put up a gazebo. The fire pit was great! There are activities to do on site although we didn't do them this time. I will definitely be bringing my 2 boys and husband next time and I
We'll go for longer! The location was great, not too far from anywhere. The staff were really friendly and helpful.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Liked the environment…
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (groups only, large)
Liked Liked the environment
Disliked Quite expensive
Recommend to friends Visit again
Gorgeous wild camping spot in the forest. We’ll definitely return!
Meadow non-electric grass pitch
Liked A peaceful spot in the middle of the forest. Clean composting toilets and bucket showers. Each pitch comes with a firepit and seats. 15 minute walk to a lovely pub with nice food and great staff.
Disliked The drive in is long with bumps and potholes.
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you so much!
Great well thought out site
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (family)
Liked This is an extremely well thought out site and I just don't get why there are negative comments about it.
The pitches are well laid out and I didn't hear a peep from other campers - they were there somewhere....as evidenced by the car park!
I can by myself, but would definitely and would come back again for sure either solo or with friends and family.
I read some negative comments about the unpaved road leading up to the site. Yes it's about a mile long, but drive sensibly (I have a "normal car") and you won't have any issues.
(my photos don't do the site any justice - the weather was a little grim at the time)
Disliked Nothing
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Dear Adam,
Thank you so much for your review.
We have been to this camp size a couple of times now…
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (family)
Liked We have been to this camp size a couple of times now and it’s one of our favourite places to visit
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you so much!
Plenty of compost loos
Hazel Wood non-electric forest floor tent pitch (small, woodland)
Liked Loved the wild camp site. Stayed by myself with my 8 year old for the first few days, and felt very safe. Loved the parachutes providing shelter to cook and have a fire. My son loved being able to roam freely.
Chloe was super helpful and welcoming.
Will definitely return
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you so much!
Excellent site, and friendly owners.
Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (family)
Liked We liked the back to basics camping, the campsite we had was really big with plenty of space, a fire pit was already there with log seating around it. Plenty of places to go for a walk and a lovely setting. We liked that we were secluded and the other pitches were not too close by. Beautiful place to stay if you are looking for back to basic camping.
Disliked It was a little tricky to find and the track road is pretty rough but that were the only things we disliked.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Frequently asked questions
- Does Southover Woods have a swimming pool? No View all features
- Is Southover Woods dog friendly? Yes View all features
- What attractions are near Southover Woods? Should you fancy a change of scenery from Southover Woods, go hunting for fossils on the Jurassic Coast’s Bowleaze Cove or have a potter around the Georgian harbour at Weymouth (both half … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of Southover Woods?
Camping and touring Arrive: 2 p.m. – Anytime Depart by: 11 a.m. On-site accommodation Arrive: 2 p.m. – Anytime Depart by: 11 a.m. From the car park, head across the crossroads, under the silver height barrier gate then follow signs for Southover Woods.
Read more