Wooder's Camping

This Dorset site is aptly named: Wooder’s Camping is right on the edge of Wareham Forest for woodland holidays with plenty of routes to roam.

Families, ramblers, cyclists and dogs are all welcome here, on a friendly site close to the Jurassic Coast and just to the north of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wareham town centre is within 10 minutes’ drive for shopping, cream teas and strolls or rowing trips along the River Frome; it’s the same distance to the famed Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre to pootle around with the primates.

Not that there’s any need to venture far for glimpses of animals: the site is in a wildlife haven home to bats, owls, songbirds and Sika deer, and is on a working farm with its own cows and two bulls as well as geese and cockerels in the paddock. Kids are welcome to explore if they're careful, and all guests can come along to meet the cows on request.

Once you’ve had a gander, build a campfire in the firepit available for a small fee (first-come, first-served basis) and settle down to see the stars in this area of low light pollution. Sacks of wood collected from the farmland are available to buy; for foodie supplies local village Bere Regis (five minutes’ drive away) has a convenience store, two pubs and a petrol station.

Amenities on site include a toilet, a hot shower and a washing-up area. When you arrive, follow the signs to the pitching field, pitch up and get unpacked: the owners will be along that evening to say hi.