The Barley Mow Inn

8 16 reviews
The Inn
The inn
Wild camping more like
Camping field
Secluded camping field
Pub cat in the camping field
Pub seating area
Pub seating area
Pub seating area
1/20

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  • No-frills, rural camping field two miles from Wimborne Minster
  • A 20-minute drive to Blandford Forum; 30 minutes to the coast
  • Secluded pitches behind a traditional pub with thatched roof
Stay at The Barley Mow Inn’s secluded site, in the field behind the historic pub, and you'll be following in famous footsteps: this is where Oliver Cromwell once stopped off on his way to battle at Corfe Castle in the 17th century. If you’re after rural peace and simplicity, this is a super spot with just a few frills thrown in: there’s plenty of parking on site, wifi is available, and there are toilets in the car park so you'll not be caught short when the pub is closed. Surrounded by gorgeous Dorset countryside, the Barley Mow is a cosy, old-fashioned pub with a thatched roof, exposed beams and blazing log fires. It’s open for lunch and dinner – all day at the weekend – so you can pop in for a locally brewed beer or book in for supper and stay on to socialise with the locals. And in summer, there’s always something happening there, so watch out for live music, hog roasts or occasional steam-engine rallies. The lovely old town of Wimborne Minster is two miles away along quiet country lanes, so it’s handy for picking up supplies – and there’s a flea market every Saturday where you can root out bargains. A host of outdoor activities are on hand, from long forest walks with the family dog to carp fishing and playing golf. If you’re out and about exploring by car, there are animal sanctuaries, museums and ruined castles all within an hour’s drive.

Site type

Motorhome pitches 3
Tent pitches 12
Touring caravan pitches 3
Opens

Languages spoken

English

Nearby sites that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Features

Pop-up campsite

Dogs 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

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

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

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Horse riding nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

The Barley Mow Inn

Long Lane

Broom Hill

Dorset

England

BH21 7AH

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.82036°N
1.95617°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.9 mi Bournemouth University
6.4 mi St Johns Church
6.4 mi St Johns Church
Rail
6.6 mi Branksome Rail Station
6.7 mi Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
7.1 mi Poole Rail Station
Ferry
7.6 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing
7.9 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
9.1 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
6.2 mi Bournemouth International Airport
27.6 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

As well as being close to walks in Moors Valley Country Park & Forest (20 minutes by car), the Barley Mow Inn is half an hour’s drive from Bournemouth, so on sunny days you can pack the bucket and spade and head to the beach with the kids. They’ll probably love you forever if you also take them to meet the chimps at Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre, or to scramble over army vehicles at the Tank Museum, both under 45 minutes’ drive. Around the same distance and adding a cultural mix into your trip, you might relive a Civil War battle at hilltop Corfe Castle or see how the 19th-century aristocracy lived at Neo-Gothic Highcliffe Castle. There's stately home elegance to be seen at Kingston Lacy (10 minutes' drive), or you can pretend to be giants at Wimborne's Model Town & Gardens (five minutes). Salisbury (40 minutes drive) also makes a fantastic family day out, with its mighty cathedral, tours of grand Wilton House and riverside restaurants. Closer to home is Blandford Forum (20 minutes), home to a fashion museum and tours of the Hall and Woodhouse Brewery.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Poole Harbour Rockley Sands 7.9 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Harbour Lake 8 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bournemouth Durley Chine 8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bournemouth Alum Chine 8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bournemouth Pier 8 mi Sea N/AExcellentGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens 3.5 mi

Adventure Wonderland 5.8 mi

The Bournemouth Balloon 7.8 mi

Bournemouth Pier Beach 8 mi

Oceanarium, The Bournemouth Aquarium 8 mi

National Trust

Kingston Lacy 3.4 mi

White Mill 4.7 mi

Brownsea Island 9.1 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 12.1 mi

Corfe Castle 13.4 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 1.3 mi

Pamphill - Eye Bridge - Lambs Green - Wimborne 2.8 mi

KINGSTON LACY 3.4 mi

CRICHEL HOUSE 4 mi

Canford Heath 4.1 mi

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday 6 September 2025 – Saturday 6 September 2025)

    Dorchester, Dorset 21.6 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

8

Overall rating from 16 Pitchup.com customers

  • 37%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 37%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 18%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 6%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

81% would recommend this site to a friend

81% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 2
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent pub grub Excellent service And considerate to campers Would recommend staying…

Overall 10/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
Paul H.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked Excellent pub grub
Excellent service
And considerate to campers
Would recommend staying

Very basic site for the price.

Overall 2/10

Location
 2
Value for money
 2
Accommodation
 2
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 2
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked Food in the pub was very good.

Disliked The grass had been recently mowed and all the grass had been left on the top which was very thick. There was not a chemical emptying point and we were told to empty it in the toilet.

Very quiet picturesque toilets open all night…

Overall 8/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 4
Darren A.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked Very quiet picturesque toilets open all night

Handy quiet spot 25 mins from Poole Ferry Terminal.

Overall 8/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 2
Child friendliness
 2
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 2
Paul B.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked Very quiet spot with 24/7 access to the pub toilets.

Disliked We arrived 10.45pm due to our Brittany ferry timings/security checks (we stated late arrival on the booking). Pub was closed on arrival and no staff around. The camping field had a combination lock on the gate, but we had no instructions on how to get in so had to park and sleep in the large flat car park. Unfortunately a very noisy bin lorry empties the bins in the car park at around 4.30am on Friday mornings. Left around 8am for a long journey home. No staff about so posted our payment through the pub letterbox.

Perfect spot for a stopover

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Steven P.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked Quiet and spacious. Very friendly staff. Perfect spot.

A lovely old pub with field behind with 24hr access to toilet…

Overall 6/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Jeff R.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked A lovely old pub with field behind with 24hr access to toilet block. Food in pub was good.

Disliked The pub ran out of real ale! Didn't feel like they wanted you to stay in pub as lights in bar were turned off before 9pm.
Grass in field had been cut when long and large tufts of cut grass across field. Not great when in van but would be worse for tent.

Lovely place, lovely pub. Nice simple back to basics camping.

Overall 8/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Haley H.

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked No marked out pitches, camp where you like.
Toilets in pub left open all night for campers use.
Reasonable price! No post covid camping prices.

Disliked Long grass had been cut and 'hay' left on top. Gets in tent and van when dry and sunny but also made a wet pack up bit of a nightmare. But not the end of the world.

We had a good night

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Ease to checking in.
Food was amazing
Cleanliness of the site and pub

Disliked Owners attitude

The area is very beautiful, quiet, plain ground . Food and Toilet…

Overall 8/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The area is very beautiful, quiet, plain ground . Food and Toilet available

Disliked No showers at all, no WiFi on the site.

The quiet meadow and lovely pub. Toilets open during the night…

Overall 10/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 8
Anonymous

Non-electric grass touring pitch

Liked The quiet meadow and lovely pub.
Toilets open during the night too,Definitely stay again

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Barley Mow Inn have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Barley Mow Inn dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Barley Mow Inn? As well as being close to walks in Moors Valley Country Park & Forest (20 minutes by car), the Barley Mow Inn is half an hour’s drive from Bournemouth, so on sunny … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Barley Mow Inn?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more