Herston Caravan and Camping

View prices & book 6.7 407 reviews
Pitches
Pitches
Old Harry Rocks, three miles away
Bell tents
Aerial view of the site
Night time at the site
Bell tents
Electric grass pitch
Well-spaced pitches
1/196
Old Harry Rocks, three miles away
Bell tents
Aerial view of the site

  • Holiday park one mile from the beach in Swanage
  • Half an hour's drive from Monkey World and Durdle Door
  • Visitor information, shop and takeaway on site; dogs welcome
Three cheers for this one on Dorset's Jurassic Coast: Herston Caravan and Camping is a family-friendly site only five minutes' drive away from the town of Swanage and its sandy beach. Everyone should find a full programme of stuff to do and see in this neck of the woods: perhaps rides on the steam-powered Swanage Railway, windsurfing down at Swanage Bay or clifftop walks on the South West Coast Path. The popular attractions of Corfe Castle, Old Harry Rocks and Durdle Door are all under half an hour's drive away too. Facilities on site include a mini market that also functions as a visitor information centre, and a takeaway for grabbing food when you're hungry. The spacious and clean toilet blocks have plentiful hot showers, family bathrooms, disabled facilities and washing-up areas. Dogs are also welcome at the park as long as they are kept on a lead and cleaned up after.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 164
Motorhome pitches 164
Tent pitches 46
Rent a tent 57
Open all year
Opens
Please note

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

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).

Languages spoken

English

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
0 dogs
Touring caravan

Reviews

6.7

Overall rating from 407 Pitchup.com customers

  • 25%
    10
  • 5%
    9
  • 21%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 12%
    6
  • 5%
    5
  • 7%
    4
  • 2%
    3
  • 9%
    2
  • 6%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 5
Peaceful

61% would recommend this site to a friend

63% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite is praised for its excellent location, offering a pleasant walk to Swanage and beautiful views. Visitors highlight the friendly staff and many found the individual shower and toilet cubicles to be clean and functional, though some felt the site overall, including some facilities, could benefit from updates and better maintenance. On-site amenities like the food van and bar are popular, though availability and operating times vary. Noise from other campers was a concern for some.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 06/10/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 41
Arrival date (latest first)

Convenient to town,ok toilet/ Staff friendly.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 7
Anonymous

Electric grass pitch

Liked Convenient to town,ok toilet/ Staff friendly.

Disliked Still no sign of new build,bar etc

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good friendly place to stay

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 10
 Jerry B. 6 reviews

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Great stay pitch perfect

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Swanage Blues Fest accessible with a walk. No staff help when needed.

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 2
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked It’s a good option for the Swanage Blues Festival IF you can walk the mile to town including traversing a field. There are good hard standing pitches. Toilets are okay.

Disliked There could have been some information provided when all electric went off for the good part of a day. We spend a lot of time trying to work out our problem. No answer to any phone calls or messages. The bar is a tent after club house taken down.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had afew days in my camper.…

Overall

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

Electric grass pitch

Liked Had afew days in my camper. I had a lovely time at the campsite. Clean washrooms and plenty of toilet paper. Loads of hot water. Very friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be going back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Highly recommended

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Electric grass pitch

Liked A big site but the various different sections are well separated by trees and bushes. The grass camping field is large and (when we were there) nearly empty, which was nice. There are lots of showering facilities on the site and the group of five or six independent cubicles, each with toilet, shower, washbasin, etcetera were a pleasure to use.
The footpath to town and beach is nice for a vehicle-free-day - around 30-40 minutes depending on your speed. There's a great walk on the coastal path to (and beyond) Durlston Head. Two pubs with evening food within walking distance of the camp, and also a petrol station with a useful 6am-11pm shop.
The site was very quiet at night with lovely views of the night sky, and of the hills during the day. Highly recommended.

Disliked Aggressive speed bumps were annoying. Could these be softened a little?

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved it view was stunning, amenities…

Overall

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

Electric grass pitch

Liked Loved it view was stunning, amenities gr8

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site great location

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Kenny K. 2 reviews

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Great location good size pitches, facilities were clean with good hot water pressure in the showers.

Disliked Could do with a few more dog bin disposal points,

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good hard and grassed areas…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
 Colin W. 1 review

Fully-serviced hardstanding touring pitch (large)

Liked Good hard and grassed areas

Disliked Not enough gents showers or toilets
Not enough signs for directions at the site entrance.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loads of space around, easy to…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 9
 Sharon M. 4 reviews

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Loads of space around, easy to walk down to the town centre

Disliked Toilets weren't very clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the field Toilets were fairly…

Overall

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

Electric grass pitch

Liked Loved the field
Toilets were fairly well maintained. One had a broken seat but other wise quite pleasant

Recommend to friends Visit again

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 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 Rallies welcome 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 Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise 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

Large (51-200 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 Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for tourers Seasonal pitches Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

Herston Caravan and Camping

Washpond Lane

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3DJ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.61816°N
1.97913°W

Nearest transport

Coach
1 mi Bus Station
3.6 mi East Street
3.6 mi East Street
Rail
7 mi Poole Rail Station
7.4 mi Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
7.6 mi Hamworthy Rail Station
Ferry
4.5 mi Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
4.7 mi Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
5 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
12.8 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

A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll beach (10 minutes' drive) or Lulworth Cove (40 minutes) to hire your craft and see the place from sea level. The 630 mile-long South West Coast Path passes through town: pick it up and head eastwards to the Studland and Godlingston Heath Nature Reserve to see the wild and nature-filled Wessex that inspired Thomas Hardy (or hire a steed from the trekking centre for extra historical detail). Going west, the path goes past the splendid sights of Stair Hole and Durdle Door (40 minutes), while descents of varying steepness lead down to quiet and cove-like beaches like Winspit (accessible only on foot from Worth Matravers, 10 minutes away) and Kimmeridge (half an hour). For a spot of time travel, pick up the Swanage Railway for a nine-mile steam trip to Wareham, perhaps stopping off en route for a clamber round the ruins of Corfe Castle (10 minutes). Younger visitors should have a ball among the play barns, pedal go-karts and pettable animals at Salt Pig the Farm - Putlake, five minutes away. Further afield, there are pony rides, deer safaris, tractor trips and bouncy castles at Farmer Palmer's Farm Park (30 minutes), and at a similar distance the heavy hardware in The Tank Museum and the charming residents of Monkey World should keep everyone's monkeys out of mischief.
(within 6.2 mi)
Castle, Aquarium, Theme park, Zoo and Cashpoint (within 10 mi)

Food and drink

  • Coastal Crust Pizza Restaurant 0.4 mi
  • Golden Bengal Restaurant 0.5 mi
  • The Globe Inn Pub 0.6 mi
  • The Royal Oak Pub 0.6 mi
  • The Village Inn Pub 0.7 mi
  • The Crows Nest Inn Pub 0.9 mi
  • Black Swan Inn Pub 1 mi
  • The Corner Restaurant 1 mi
  • Sea Breeze Restaurant 1.1 mi
  • The Narrows Restaurant 1.1 mi

Groceries

  • Courthill Stores Off-licence 0.8 mi
  • Co-op Food Supermarket 1 mi
  • Budgens Supermarket 1.1 mi
  • The Dorset Cider Farm Off-licence 3.5 mi

Parks and play

  • King George's Play Area Playground 0.8 mi
  • Days Park 0.8 mi
  • The Chadwick Playground 1.1 mi
  • West Burton Field Playground 3.1 mi
  • Natural Play Area Playground 5.1 mi
  • Blue Pool Play Area Playground 5.4 mi

Family days out

  • Punch and Judy Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Salt Pig Farm Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Santa-Fe Fun Park Theme park 1.1 mi
  • Swanage Lockup Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Funworld Amusements Amusement arcade 1.1 mi
  • Shep's Hollow Visitor attraction 1.2 mi
  • Playland Amusements Amusement arcade 1.3 mi
  • Norman's Quarry Visitor attraction 1.6 mi
  • Spyway Barn Visitor attraction 1.7 mi
  • Durlston National Nature Reserve Visitor attraction 1.8 mi
  • Burngate Purbeck Stone Centre Visitor attraction 1.9 mi
  • Agglestone Rock Visitor attraction 1.9 mi
  • Dancing Ledge Visitor attraction 2.1 mi
  • Oceanarium Aquarium 8.1 mi
  • Bournemouth Aviary Zoo 8.3 mi

Public transport

  • Herston Cross 0.5 mi
  • Swanage School 0.6 mi
  • Steer Road 0.6 mi
  • Holmes Road 0.7 mi
  • Cecil Road 0.7 mi
  • Ulwell College 0.7 mi
  • Washpond Lane 0.8 mi
  • Mill Cottages 0.8 mi
  • Three Acre Lane Bottom 0.8 mi
  • Howard Road 0.8 mi

Beaches

  • Swanage Beach 1.1 mi
  • South Beach 2.3 mi
  • Knoll Beach 2.6 mi
  • Studland Naturist Beach 3.5 mi
  • Sandbanks Beach 5.1 mi
  • Shipstal Beach 5.6 mi
  • Shore Road Beach 5.9 mi

Other nearby

  • Kirkwood Park Golf course 0.6 mi
  • Swanage Golf Games Golf course 0.6 mi
  • Isle of Purbeck Golf Club Golf course 1.2 mi
  • Isle of Purbeck Golf Course 1.5 mi
  • Shell Bay Marine Marina 4.3 mi
  • Royal Motor Yacht Club Marina 5.1 mi
  • Salterns Marina 6.2 mi

Local services

  • Cardtronics UK Ltd Cashpoint 1 mi
  • Nationwide Cashpoint 1.1 mi
  • NatWest Cashpoint 1.1 mi
  • Texaco Fuel station 0.5 mi
  • Pod Point Charging station 0.8 mi
  • Swanage Medical Practice Doctors 1 mi
  • Well Pharmacy 1.1 mi
  • Pod Point Charging station 1.1 mi
  • Well Pharmacy 1.1 mi
  • Swanage Hospital 1.2 mi
  • BP Fuel station 1.3 mi
  • Murco Fuel station 1.9 mi
  • Mer Charging station 3.8 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Swanage Railway 1 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3 mi

Corfe Castle 3.8 mi

Brownsea Island 5 mi

Dorset Cruises 8.1 mi

National Trust

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 2.2 mi

Corfe Castle 3.7 mi

Brownsea Island 4.9 mi

White Mill 13.4 mi

Kingston Lacy 13.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 0.3 mi

Swanage to Corfe Circular Walk 1.8 mi

Durlston Castle Historic Landscape 1.9 mi

Studland - Old Harry - Ballard Down - Studland 2.2 mi

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 2.9 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 Herston Caravan and Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Herston Caravan and Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Herston Caravan and Camping? A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Herston Caravan and Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Herston Caravan and Camping? From £50 (for 2 nights, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.