Riverside Lakes

View prices & book 9.3 50 reviews
Kingfisher lake - specimen carp to nearly 30lb
Kingfisher lake - specimen carp to nearly 30lb
Bell tents
Cut-out lawns between the meadows
Chill out pitch
Cloverleaf pitch
Hideaway is one of our electric bell tents fitting up to 6 campers with view over the lake
The island
Comfortable five-metre bell tents
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Bell tents
Cut-out lawns between the meadows
Chill out pitch

  • Attractive natural site on a family-run Dorset smallholding
  • New Forest National Park 15 minutes' drive; Paultons Park half an hour
  • Fishing lakes and animals to meet, plus craft activities for the kids
Riverside and lakes in one location? Yes, family-run Riverside Lakes, on the Dorset/Hampshire border 15 minutes' drive from Wimborne, is an attractive spot indeed, with lots of gorgeous corners to choose from when you fancy chilling out in the open air. The lakes aren’t just for decoration though – they’re for fishing, and open to guests whether they're experienced with a rod or just trying it out for the first time. There are carp of up to 30lb in the specimen lake, with lots of littler ones in the smaller lake. Unhooking mats, weigh slings and nets are provided free of charge (and it's all fenced off so children are kept safe when roaming about). This site is part of a smallholding that’s also home to friendly pigs, alpacas, goats and chickens for you to meet; they’re even friendlier if you turn up with something from the site shop to feed them. Handily there are also various indoor activities available, including pottery painting and tie-dying. There’s a nicely natural vibe at this site, with pitching areas mown but much of the rest left as natural meadow. There's a policy of no cars on the pitches to make sure it's all peaceful and safe for kids. Bathroom facilities are spacious and clean, and there's a washing-up station and a fridge/freezer area to stash all your food and drinks ready for your evening campfire. Each pitch has a free-to-use firepit, with wood available to buy on site (please don't bring your own). Wood-fired pizzas are available on selected nights, or you can walk to one of the local pubs for dinner if you prefer. Just make sure you're back in time for the splendid stargazing on site.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 55
Rent a tent 5
Motorhome pitches 55
Tent pitches 55
Open now
Opens 1 April

Tourist board rating

Please note

Admission

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

Extras

  • Facilities/activities including fishing are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.

Occupancy

  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Reception

  • Reception is unmanned after 8 p.m.. Please inform the site while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time, so that the team can provide information about your unit/pitch.

Safety

  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Wed 1 Apr to

AA 5 pennants

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
Electric pitch
Other options

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 50 Pitchup.com customers

  • 62%
    10
  • 20%
    9
  • 10%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 2%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Peaceful

96% would recommend this site to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

This family-run campsite is praised for its friendly and welcoming hosts, beautiful surroundings, and well-maintained, spacious pitches. Guests highlight the on-site animals, fishing lakes, and clean facilities, including baths. Pizza nights are a particular hit. Some minor points include a need to be aware of ticks, occasional warm showers, and the decision not to allow cars on pitches for safety and quietness. WiFi can be unreliable in some areas.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 25/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 5
Arrival date (latest first)

Really welcoming hosts, good facilities, reliable…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Viewpoint electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Really welcoming hosts, good facilities, reliable amenities, tucked away countryside location, big pitches and the animals.

Disliked The fishing. Only 1 lake open which was full of weeds and next to no fish. We didn't see anyone catch anything the whole time we were there. Could also do with a play area. No mobile phone or wifi signal.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Love love loved it! Pitch 42…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 3
 Sam C. 3 reviews

Sunset non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Love love loved it! Pitch 42 own secluded spot. Thank you. Beautiful grounds well maintained. Basic tent pitch perfect x

Recommend to friends Visit again

The Bell tent was nice with…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 3
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Emma S. 2 reviews

The Island bell tent (six person)

Liked The Bell tent was nice with cute little features.

Disliked How far away the showers and a plumbed toilet was. No electrics in the tent. Expensive. WiFi didn’t reach us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean, tidy, plenty of space on…

Overall

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

Chill Out non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Clean, tidy, plenty of space on the pitch

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great stay plenty of space for the grandkids to play

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
teddy t. 1 review

Ridgeway non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked So much room

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Overall a very good stay, would defiantly visit again.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
 Sarah V. 1 review

Viewpoint electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Good size pitches, pizza night, fishing, animals, good base to explore, bins provided.

Disliked Could do with a little play area , on a very sunny pitch with no shade but no fault of the site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very beautiful stay

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 2
Anonymous

Lake view electric grass pitch

Liked Very clean and well organised, we loved the animals and the staff was very friendly.

Disliked As a fisherman, I have been disappointed about the closure of the second lake, but I totally understand the reason. I’ll enjoy it next time.
Also area with vero poor signal and I did not ask for WiFi, so I do not know if they has it.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Scenic, quiet and simple

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
 Karen D. 5 reviews

Viewpoint electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Layout
No cars at pitches
Plenty of bins
Ample freezer / fridge facilities for ice packs
Beautiful walk with dogs around the lakes
Scenic
Enjoyed watching and animals
Quiet even though there were families and children on site - loved how the kids were happy climbing the tree by the toilet block. I heard one shout "I'm surrounded by nature!"

Disliked Could have done with a map, or info on local walks and pubs

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site for all! Has everything you could need.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Hayley C. 5 reviews

Ridgeway non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked I have been to this site many times but after a break in camping due to personal reasons I hadn't been since the handover to new owners.
Can safely say I still love this place!
This time I travelled by motorcycle with my nephew & I'm grateful there is still the fridges & freezers available for guest use. I am unable to carry a large cool box so this meant I could still plan ahead with food as opposed to buying daily; tesco supermarket will deliver an online shop to reception!!
The toilet & shower facilities were always clean despite us arriving towards the end of a busy weekend.
The plugs in the little 'dressing room' within the shower block meant that despite having no hook-up; again a downside to motorcycle camping, it meant we could plug in essential devices & powerbanks to charge while washing up (obviously at our own risk).
The little shop selling slushie drinks was very much appreciated midway through pitching a tent in motorcycle gear midst a 32° heat wave.
Motorcycle theft is rife currently & despite not being allowed to park at your pitch I felt completely safe with my motorcycle being parked where it was & will definitely recommend this site to other bikers. Its fab for a get away either as a small (quiet) group or touring alone.

Disliked We did have a slight issue with one of the fridges not being as cold as expected which meant some food went off quickly.
I actually forgot to bring this to the attention as it was the night before we left.
I'm sure it has been noticed & rectified already.

Also, not really a dislike but I wish there was a little box, maybe within the kitchen, for guests to leave unopened or small no longer needed items for future guests.
I had an unopened roll of kitchen towels & a package or antiseptic wipes that I left on the side hoping someone may have found them to use!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Family friendly

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Jemma h. 3 reviews

Viewpoint electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Really lovely place, clean and well looked after after. It is a family run site who are friendly and made us feel welcome we will definitely rebook.

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

Baby-changing facilities 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 Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Tents for hire 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

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent pitches

Themes

Forest Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Large (51-200 pitches)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point Seasonal pitches Tourer storage facilities Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

Riverside Lakes

Slough Lane

Horton

Wimborne

Dorset

England

BH21 7JL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.86347°N
1.92613°W

Route directions

If coming from the Horton Inn way with a tourer or motorhome, you may want to go past the site's turning and find a safe space to turn around, as the turning to the left is at an angle and can be tricky to negotiate.

Nearest transport

Coach
6 mi Meeting House Lane
8.4 mi Bournemouth University
9.3 mi St Johns Church
Rail
9.4 mi Branksome Rail Station
9.8 mi Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
9.8 mi Bournemouth Rail Station
Ferry
10.8 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing
11 mi Tuckton Tea Gardens Ferry Landing
11.1 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
Airport
7.2 mi Bournemouth International Airport
25.4 mi Southampton 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

This is a fantastic area for outdoor activities, with places like Moors Valley Country Park (10 minutes' drive), which has cycle paths, orienteering and a treetop trail, and the New Forest National Park (15 minutes) close by. The national park has heaps of walks, bike rides and wildlife, plus attractions like New Forest Water Park (20 minutes) and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu (40 minutes). And there's the coast too, of course – top spots nearby include the sandy beach in Bournemouth (25 minutes), wildlife-rich Hengistbury Head (half an hour) and the sailing hotspot of Lymington (40 minutes). At around an hour’s drive, Swanage and Durdle Door are a little further away but doable for a day trip. More family days out? How about Liberty's Owl, Raptor & Reptile Centre (20 minutes), Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park (20 minutes) or Paultons Park, Home of Peppa Pig World (half an hour)?

Food and drink

  • Drusilla's Inn Pub 0.9 mi
  • The Cross Keys Pub 1.6 mi
  • The Albion Inn Pub 2 mi
  • Monmouth Ash Pub 2.3 mi
  • Champagne Chinese Takeaway Restaurant 2.4 mi
  • Swans Pub 2.4 mi
  • Old Inn Pub 2.4 mi
  • The Horton Inn Pub 2.4 mi
  • Forzza Restaurant 2.4 mi
  • Spice of India Restaurant 2.7 mi

Groceries

  • Morrisons 2.4 mi
  • Lidl 2.8 mi
  • The Co-operative Food 2.9 mi
  • Spar 3.2 mi
  • Co-op Food 4 mi
  • Sainsbury's 4.2 mi
  • Lidl 4.3 mi
  • Tesco 4.5 mi
  • M&S Foodhall 4.8 mi
  • Waitrose 5.1 mi

Parks and play

  • Champtoceaux Green park 2.3 mi
  • Eastworth Play Area Playground 2.4 mi
  • Verwood Green park 2.4 mi
  • Verwood Recreation Playground 2.5 mi
  • Verwood Recreation Ground park 2.5 mi
  • Potterne Park 2.8 mi
  • Fryer Field Recreation Ground park 2.8 mi
  • Tap And Railway Playarea Playground 3 mi
  • Adventure Playground 3.4 mi
  • Moors Valley Country Park 3.4 mi

Family days out

  • Dorset Heavy Horse Centre 2.8 mi
  • Stephen's Stone 3.1 mi
  • Ringwood Forest 3.5 mi
  • HoneyBrook Farm 3.8 mi
  • Walford Mill Crafts 4.9 mi
  • Eye bridge 5.7 mi
  • Down Farm 5.8 mi
  • Matchams Karting 6 mi
  • Friday's Cross 6 mi

Public transport

  • West Moors Road 2 mi
  • Verwood, Dewlands Way 2 mi
  • Three Legged Cross, Woodcutters 2 mi
  • Joys Road 2 mi
  • Bridleways 2 mi
  • Church Road 2 mi
  • Haddons Drive 2 mi
  • Dewlands Road 2.1 mi
  • Church Hill 2.2 mi
  • Glenwood Road 2.2 mi

What’s nearby

  • Remedy Oak 0.5 mi
  • Crane Valley - Valley Course 1.5 mi
  • Crane Valley - Woodland Course 1.7 mi
  • Moors Valley Golf Course 3.2 mi
  • Ferndown Forest Golf Club 3.2 mi
  • Somerley Park Golf Club 4.6 mi
  • Ferndown Golf Club 4.9 mi
  • Canford Golf Club 5.4 mi
  • Dudsbury Golf Club & Hotel 5.8 mi
  • Merley Park Golf Course 5.9 mi

Local services

  • Morrisons Petrol Station Fuel station 2.4 mi
  • Valero Fuel station 2.8 mi
  • The Surgery Doctors 3.9 mi
  • Colehill Pharmacy 4 mi
  • Valero Fuel station 4 mi
  • Ashley Heath Pharmacy 4.2 mi
  • Esso Fuel station 4.2 mi
  • GenieEV Charging station 4.2 mi
  • Sainsbury's Ferndown Charging station 4.2 mi
  • Sainsbury's Fuel station 4.2 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens 5.9 mi

Adventure Wonderland 7.1 mi

Breamore House 9.6 mi

The Bournemouth Balloon 10.2 mi

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 10.4 mi

National Trust

Kingston Lacy 5.9 mi

White Mill 7.1 mi

Brownsea Island 12.2 mi

Mompesson House 15.1 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 15.2 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Holt Heath - Horton Tower - Holt Heath 2.2 mi

ST GILES' HOUSE 3.5 mi

CRICHEL HOUSE 3.6 mi

CRANBORNE MANOR 3.7 mi

BOVERIDGE HOUSE SCHOOL 4.7 mi

Local events

  • Southampton Boat Show (Friday, 18 September 2026 – Friday, 18 September 2026)

    Southampton, Hampshire 22.7 mi

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

    Dorchester, Dorset 23.9 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 Riverside Lakes have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Riverside Lakes dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Riverside Lakes? This is a fantastic area for outdoor activities, with places like Moors Valley Country Park (10 minutes' drive), which has cycle paths, orienteering and a treetop trail, and the New Forest National … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Riverside Lakes?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Riverside Lakes? From £72 (for 2 nights, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.