Sweet Hill Farm

View prices & book 9.1 276 reviews
Sea views from the pitches (added by manager 25 Jul 2022)

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Sea views from the pitches (added by manager 25 jul 2022)
1/8
1/402
Favourite
Lovely visitors (added by manager 25 jul 2022)
Camping field (added by manager 25 jul 2022)
Views to portland bill lighthouse. (added by manager 15 sep 2021)

  • Farm-style stays on a Dorset site with sea views
  • On the edge of Southwell village; 10 minutes' drive from Chesil Beach
  • Equestrian activities available; half a mile to the pub or coast path
The long-gone folk who decided to call this patch Sweet Hill Farm were right on the money – with spectacular 180-degree seaside vistas, views over three lighthouses and next to no light pollution, this fine little farm site is a very appealing place to stay indeed. This family-friendly spot is on the tip of the Isle of Portland, a scenic outcrop off Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. Rollick around the island on foot, by bike or on horseback – the team who run Sweet Hill Farm also own an ace equestrian outfit next door, so get set for saddle-based trekking under their expert guidance. The pitches here have plenty of space between them and are set over various fab fields. The key phrase here is 'nearly wild', the 'nearly' part being a nod to the composting loos and cold water taps that make family hols here that little bit easier. Wild, though, it certainly is – birds of prey can often be spotted soaring overhead during the day, and it gets decidedly darker over here at night than it does on most of the mainland. Please note that there's no car parking by the pitches during busy periods and peak season. Cars will be parked in the field directly behind the camping areas and customers will have the use of a giant wheelbarrow to help move their gear from car to pitch. Hikers who want to tackle Portland’s stretch of the South West Coast Path in one fell swoop will come across the trail's distinctive yellow arrows about half a mile away. All that walking (or horse riding, fishing or swimming…) can be thirsty work, so you may be chuffed to find a pub in the local village, Southwell (10 minutes' walk).

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 63
Tent sites 63
Open now
Please note
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • A charge of GBP1.00 ($1.91) applies for the use of the shower.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Minimum spacing of 2 metres between pitches.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 9 Feb to

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating based on 276 reviews View breakdown

Wild camping

Voted 70% of visitors View breakdown

93%

would recommend this campground to a friend

91%

would stay here again

  • 70%
    10
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  • 21%
    8
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    7
  • 3%
    6
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    5
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    4
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    3
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Beautiful coastal spot. Feels like wild camping but others around.

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 6
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Beautiful view of the sea, warm showers.

Disliked: A bit noisy with people up chatting and drinking until near midnight, even though the guidance said quiet after 10 so we didn’t sleep easily.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely amazing place good location, facilities, food and drinks definitely will be…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Arkadiusz L. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Absolutely amazing place good location, facilities, food and drinks definitely will be back

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peng…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 6
Wifi No rating
Sam R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Peng

Recommend to friends Visit again

The scenery and setting was amazing, great showers…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Nathan C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: The scenery and setting was amazing, great showers

Disliked: Toilets were a bit rickety and not much privacy in the privy

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful location…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 6
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Beautiful location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 4
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: View , location, friendly and and very easy to contact owners

Disliked: Toilet 🤪

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect and value for money!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Ben G. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: *The view and surrounding scenery; great walks, pubs and restaurants in situ (no chains!) and run by locals. Eight Kings pub did the best home cooked food and a 15 walk down from the farm. *Portland Bill is a small walk from the south west path. Stunning. *The facilities were decent, all outdoor (compost toilet, token showers), all well maintained. On-site food and drink (summer only), I went in October so not open. Looked decent and has themed nights in the summer plus food! *Charlotte and the family on site were a blessing. My van broke down and they helped with towing, jump starting and storing the van overnight whilst awaiting recovery. She then rang to check I got back OK the following day. Which was sweet! *Lots of life on the farm; goats, pigs, horses and chickens - loved it! *Fire pit was available but I did not get chance to use due to poor weather. *Will be back in the summer!

Disliked: *I didn’t dislike anything; only the torrential rain and wind! The field was a bit boggy and there were plenty of puddles en-route to the site but that aside it drained well. *The site was being further developed when I was there (winter hours) but that did not put me off. Was glad to get away in such a stunning location. *The sat nav takes you to a different location near by.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent simple site with good eco facilities, and lovely views.

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Melanie B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: The toilet facilities, i liked the fact they were eco friendly, beautiful views of the lighthouse from the field we stayed in.

Disliked: Not a dislike- and i think its an important thing to note- with the campsites lovely big dog Romeo, you should warn campsite stayers that are coming with dogs, that Romeo is there and isnt always on a lead, im ok with big dogs and we kept ours on a lead, but not everyone is OK with big dogs, Just something we thought about.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just perfect

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Steven M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: Was just perfect. Clean and tidy, amazing views, extremely helpful staff, horse riding and pretty much everything was spot on. Our favourite place we have visited. Made friends with Salty and Dave the sheep who always came to say hello. Was just the getaway from it all we needed. Also great that the local fish and chip shop Salty Towers and papa johns pizza also deliver to the site too!

Disliked: Going home again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site with amazing views, minutes from coast.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service No rating
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked: views. Clean toilets Location to coastal paths Fantastic dark zone- stars were amazing Walkable climbing areas for adult son.

Disliked: No one on check in at 8pm- this was the latest check in online, and we raced to get there for 8pm. Did not really need check in, but finished work early to get there on time. Would have liked to have been able to buy wood. Hard to find in the dark!

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

Car parking by site/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

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

D. of E. 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

Budget/backpacker

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Dump point

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Convenience store nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Horse riding nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Location

Sweet Hill Farm

Sweet Hill Road

Portland

Dorset

England

DT5 2DS

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.52772°N
-2.44865°W

Nearest transport

Coach
9.2 km Marks and Spencer
20.2 km South Station
29.7 km Red Lion
Rail
9.7 km Weymouth Rail Station
13.5 km Upwey Rail Station
20.2 km Dorchester South Rail Station
Ferry
9 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
38 km Poole Ferry Terminal
38.6 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing

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

OK folks, it's time to come clean – there's a road bridge between the Isle of Portland and the mainland, meaning that any boat trips you make while here will be purely optional. That said, you can't go far wrong with a sailing jaunt around Weymouth Bay – head to Portland harbour (10 minutes' drive) to set sail on an organised yacht cruise, or, if you’ve got some experience, to charter a vessel of your own. While hanging around the northern part of the island, swing by historic sites like Portland Castle and Castletown D-Day Centre (both 10 minutes), or make your way to Chesil Beach (10 minutes), a rather rugged stretch of shingle that runs for miles alongside the gorgeous Fleet lagoon. Beaches more suitable for bathing include Church Ope Cove (five minutes' drive or half an hour on foot), a secluded cove overlooked by the ruins of Rufus Castle. Weymouth (25 minutes' drive) has bigger and sandier beaches that are well-suited to those bucket and spade days.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Church Ope Cove 1.8 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Portland Harbour Sandsfoot Castle 7.5 km Sea N/A Good Excellent Good
Portland Harbour Castle Cove 7.7 km Sea N/A Excellent N/A N/A
Weymouth Central 9.7 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 10.9 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 9.8 km

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 10.9 km

Lulworth Heritage Centre 17.2 km

Abbotsbury Swannery 18.1 km

Lulworth Castle & Park 21 km

National Trust

Max Gate 20.2 km

Hardy's Cottage 22.8 km

Clouds Hill 25.2 km

Corfe Castle 30.2 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 37.4 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Around the Island of Portland 1.7 km

RADIPOLE LAKE (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 15/10/1990) 10.5 km

Lodmoor Nature Reserve - Littlemoor - Preston 11.1 km

LODMOOR (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 25/11/2004) 11.6 km

Nottington - Upwey - Broadwey 12.9 km

Local events

  • Camp Bestival Dorset (Thursday 25 July 2024 – Thursday 25 July 2024)

    Wareham, England 20.9 km

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday 7 September 2024 – Saturday 7 September 2024)

    Dorchester, England 21.7 km

  • Tankfest (Friday 28 June 2024 – Friday 28 June 2024)

    Wareham, England 23.5 km

  • Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally (Friday 19 July 2024 – Friday 19 July 2024)

    Dorchester, England 26.9 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.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

See all results in England

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

  • Does Sweet Hill Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Sweet Hill Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Sweet Hill Farm? OK folks, it's time to come clean – there's a road bridge between the Isle of Portland and the mainland, meaning that any boat trips you make while here will be purely … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Sweet Hill Farm?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Sweet Hill Farm? From $45.54 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.