Marwell Resort

View prices & book 8.3 833 reviews
Aerial view of the freshwater carp lake
Sunset at the lake
Aerial view of cooper's crop field
Lots of space for one and all

  • Lakeside site on the edge of the South Downs National Park
  • A 15-minute drive from central Winchester; 1.5 miles from Marwell Zoo
  • Fishing, archery and other adventure sports
Zebras, tigers and bokibokies await in these handsome Hampshire surrounds – taking the kids to see Marwell Zoo's multitude of beasts is likely to make for some very happy hols indeed. Marwell Resort is within walking distance of this much-loved menagerie and is home to plenty of adventurous action in its own right – head here if you like the sound of oodles of outdoor activities in a pretty lakeside setting. The team at Marwell Resort have been instructing for more than 25 years, so they're well qualified to help you try out sports like archery and clay pigeon shooting. (Please note that many of these activities have a minimum age restriction applied.) The site lake has a total of nine swims available for anglers (mega-sized carp can be found in its waters, including whoppers weighing up to 45 pounds). Surrounded as it is by trees, it also looks pretty fine (especially at sundown) and is a popular spot with local wildlife. Marwell Resort has strong all-round facilities, including toilets, showers and wifi. There's also an on-site bistro restaurant that serves up nourishing meals seven days a week. You can set up a barbecue and cook your own grub, too (stock up on fresh meat and veg 15 minutes' drive away at Westlands Farm Shop).

Campground type

Caravan sites 43
RV & Motorhome sites 10
Tent sites 43
Rent a tent 5
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Facilities/activities including fishing, archery, axe throwing, air rifles, clay pigeon shooting, and adventure golf are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.
  • The restaurant is open between 02/01 and 31/12.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Reception is unmanned after 6 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • The bar is open between 02/01 and 31/12.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • The restaurant opening times vary, depending on guest occupancy numbers at the time of stay. There are minimum and/or maximum age limits for some activities. Not all activities are available daily and some are unavailable from 01 September to 31 March. Fishing bookings must be made in advance. Guest wifi is available in the bar and grill area but may be slow. Phone service may also be limited, depending on your provider. The shower blocks do not have heating.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Reviews

  • 45%
    10
  • 8%
    9
  • 22%
    8
  • 5%
    7
  • 7%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 3%
    4
  • 1%
    3
  • 2%
    2
  • 1%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
8
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
6

85% would recommend this campground to a friend

83% would stay here again

What customers say

Great for families, spacious sites, friendly staff & clean facilities. Beautiful grounds, handy location. Some water pressure issues & facility wear noted, esp. busy times. Popular spot, many keen to come back.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 16/06/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 84
Arrival date (latest first)

Really enjoyed the stay and will definitely be returning soon!

Overall

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

Powered grass site

Liked We liked the pitch we had (S1), near to facilities and fairly quiet in our field.
Facilities were great (e.g. bar, restaurant and pizza area). Also like that there was live music. Nice, modern washing and cleaning facilities.

Disliked The only problem we really had was some people in field next to us were playing loud music and shouting a lot until around midnight.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Needs some improvement this year

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
4
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
5
Wifi
No rating
Joanne E. 1 review

Powered grass site

Liked I’ve been to this campsite a few times. The staff are friendly and the site is always clean. Pitches are a good size. Bar is good and pizza night with live music was excellent.

Disliked Having been previous years I was quite disappointed with the main wash block. There was no hot water on Saturday for showers or to wash up. There was also no soap in the lady’s soap dispensers for a period of time. I don’t think it was as clean as previous years either, especially the toilets.

The other point to note is the children’s play are is currently out of use and the woodland adventure trail has mostly been removed, both of which have always provided a lot of entertainment for our children. This led to there being very little for the children to do, which didn’t involve spending money. I think some prior warning about this would have been beneficial.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean facilities Decent size pitch Evening entertainment Evening…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
No rating
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Emma A. 2 reviews

Powered grass site

Liked Clean facilities
Decent size pitch
Evening entertainment
Evening food choices

Disliked Not being advised the park was closed prior to visit or at reception

Recommend to friends Visit again

Most things…

Overall

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

Powered grass site

Liked Most things

Disliked Shop being closed

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site and surrounding areas. The…

Overall

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

Powered grass site

Liked Lovely site and surrounding areas. The kids loved it and it felt very safe.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The grounds were beautiful. Lovely lake…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
3
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
3
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
5
Wifi
5
Kelly W. 2 reviews

Powered grass site

Liked The grounds were beautiful. Lovely lake for fishing. If you have kids there does seem to be plenty of activities on hand for them.

Disliked Very disorganised. The shop was not open at all and when we spoke to the staff we were told they only open in high season even though we are already in mid June. When we went to the restaurant on the Saturday evening to get a pizza which they only do on Saturdays we had to wait until 6pm to order as they had such a back log they couldn’t take any more orders. The table outside which was the only one left was covered in bird poo and they were clearly struggling to cope with the staff that were there. There was a large family on site that were quite loud and noisy which went late in to the evening (I do appreciate that was not the sites fault) but they left there beer cans around there pitch and some on ours which we needed to clear as we did not want it looking like that was us. When we went to empty our toilet cassette on the Sunday morning it was block and unusable. Another gentleman who was also needing to empty theirs asked a member of staff if they could do something to be told he was the only one there and couldn’t help ????? Over all for the price a very disappointing stay. I don’t think we will be returning.

Recommend to friends Visit again

good but too expensive

Overall

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

Powered grass site

Liked lot of space, plots good prepared

Disliked No bus link, far away from everything

Recommend to friends Visit again

The food was good. The staff were…

Overall

5 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
Andrew P. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked The food was good.
The staff were very friendly.

Disliked Virtually none of the attractions were open. Only one of the food outlets was operating.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Always very welcoming and has great…

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
Anonymous

Powered grass site

Liked Always very welcoming and has great facilities for the family. Especially important is the cleanliness and availability of bathroom/showering facilities, which never disappoint.

Disliked What’s not to like?

Recommend to friends Visit again

First time staying here and I…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

Powered gravel caravan site

Liked First time staying here and I was so impressed, clean and beautiful surroundings. Restaurant, bar, soft play, mini golf all fantastic. Beautiful lakes and assault courses dotted around for kids. Shower and toilet block all looked clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

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 Soft 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 Laundry 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 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

Peaceful Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Marwell Resort

Hurst Lane

Owslebury

Hampshire

England

SO21 1EZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.98572°N
1.27669°W

Nearest transport

Coach
8.7 km Broadway Guildhall
10.1 km Southampton Uni Interchange
10.1 km Southampton Uni Interchange
Rail
5.4 km Shawford Rail Station
5.5 km Eastleigh Rail Station
6.1 km Hedge End Rail Station
Ferry
13.5 km Southampton Vehicle Ferry Terminal
13.6 km Southampton Passenger Ferry Terminal
14.4 km Hamble-le-Rice Ferry Landing
Airport
7.1 km Southampton Airport
45.4 km 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

Marwell Zoo (five minutes' drive) has over 140 different species to admire – you can also leave the car back at base and stroll over (about 20 minutes) for a pedestrian safari. Paultons Park (25 minutes' drive) is another perennial fave for family-oriented days out – here you can meet Peppa Pig, crash down log flumes or opt for wanders through a dinosaur-filled forest. The South Downs National Park has some truly splendid hiking trails, including the 100-mile-long South Downs Way (the trail starts 15 minutes down the road in Winchester). Mountain bikers also have plenty to choose from around these parts – an exhilarating bike track through the woods is on hand in the nearby village of Bishopstoke (10 minutes). The gorgeous New Forest National Park (25 minutes) is also within easy reach, and one of the best ways to get around is by open-top tour bus. There are three routes to choose from – it all comes down to whether you prefer vistas of heather-covered heathland or coastal explores. Speaking of the sea, beaches like Lepe and Highcliffe Castle (both 40 minutes) are very much worth the journey (make sure to pack jelly shoes and a towel if at all tempted).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Hillhead 19.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Calshot 19.8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lee-On-Solent 21.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lepe 23.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Cowes 24.3 km Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

INTECH Science Centre & Planetarium 8.3 km

Winchester Cathedral 8.8 km

Southampton Maritime Museum 13.4 km

Mid-Hants Railway 'Watercress Line' 13.9 km

Mottisfont Abbey Garden, House and Estate 19.3 km

National Trust

Winchester City Mill 8.6 km

Hinton Ampner 10.8 km

Mottisfont 19.3 km

Uppark House and Garden 27.2 km

Newtown Old Town Hall 31.5 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Upham - Woodcote - Green Hill - Upham 3 km

Upham - Street End 3 km

Shawford - Highbridge - Marwell - Shawford 5.4 km

CRANBURY PARK 6.5 km

COMPTON END 6.6 km

Local events

  • Wickham Festival (Thursday 30 July 2026 – Thursday 30 July 2026)

    Fareham, England 11.1 km

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

    Southampton, England 13.2 km

  • New Forest and Hampshire County Show (Tuesday 28 July 2026 – Tuesday 28 July 2026)

    Brockenhurst, England 26.9 km

  • Isle of Wight Festival (Thursday 18 June 2026 – Thursday 18 June 2026)

    Newport, England 31.4 km

  • Goodwood Festival of Speed (Thursday 9 July 2026 – Thursday 9 July 2026)

    Chichester, England 39.7 km

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 Hampshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Marwell Resort have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Marwell Resort dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Marwell Resort? Marwell Zoo (five minutes' drive) has over 140 different species to admire – you can also leave the car back at base and stroll over (about 20 minutes) for a pedestrian safari. … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Marwell Resort?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Marwell Resort? From $56.78 (for 1 night, 8 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.