Herston Caravan and Camping

View prices & book 6.4 378 reviews
Well-spaced pitches
Bell tent
Spacious grass pitches
Bell tent with picnic table

  • Holiday park one mile from the beach in Swanage
  • Half an hour's drive from Monkey World and Durdle Door
  • Playground, shop and takeaway on site; dogs welcome
Three cheers for this one on Dorset's Jurassic Coast: Herston Caravan and Camping is a family-friendly site only five minutes' drive away from the town of Swanage and its sandy beach. Everyone should find a full programme of stuff to do and see in this neck of the woods: perhaps rides on the steam-powered Swanage Railway, windsurfing down at Swanage Bay or clifftop walks on the South West Coast Path. The popular attractions of Corfe Castle, Old Harry Rocks and Durdle Door are all under half an hour's drive away too. Facilities on site include a playground and a mini market that also functions as a visitor information centre. Grab food from the takeaway on site when you're hungry. The spacious and clean toilet blocks have plentiful hot showers, family bathrooms and disabled facilities, and the site also has a launderette and a washing-up area. Dogs are also welcome at the park as long as they are kept on a lead and cleaned up after.

Campground type

Caravan sites 164
RV & Motorhome sites 164
Tent sites 46
Rent a tent 57
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).
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Site types & availability

Reviews

  • 25%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 20%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 21%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 9%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 19%
    2
  • 1%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
6
Accommodation
6
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
7
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
5

52% would recommend this campground to a friend

51% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 38
Arrival date (latest first)

Unkempt & very messy site. Disgusting toilet & shower facilities.

Overall 1/10

Location
4
Value for money
1
Accommodation
1
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
4
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
BarryKathy M.

Powered grass site

Liked Close to Swanage beach for swimming if weather suitable

Disliked Disgusting toilets, showers & dishwashing facilities. The water temperature in showers very hot & not adjustable & the shower heads not spraying consistently but leaking down the pipe. In the family shower which was a hand held one, I was burnt by the extremely hot water( you could have stewed a teabag with the boiling water)& had to redress & find another shower room. Still very hot & the floors are so filthy. Looked like someone had tried to dry floor with toilet paper, which was left in piles on floor absolutely dirty brown. Toilet brush was also covered in poo so not conducive to help clean the toilet. The whole site is tired, untidy & a complete shambles in places. We stayed here last year as needed a place close to Poole & it was in slightly better condition then but has definitely gone more downhill since. The pub bar has gone & a new building in progress but this doesn’t help the condition of this very shabby place which is such a shame as it is situated in a lovely, picturesque area & so handy for the ferries but unfortunately we will not be returning & would not recommend to friends.

Will definitely be booking a few more times this yr.

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Julie H.

Powered grass site

Liked Such a relaxed atmosphere, very welcoming and happy to except doggos, very clean and the way pitches are set out, very spacious!! Also exceptional views and very well sign posted! Cannot fault and will continue to be a loyal customer.

Disliked Cannot fault and have recommended to several friends

Not a good site untidy not level dirty facilities noises all night

Overall 1/10

Location
6
Value for money
1
Accommodation
1
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
2
Child friendliness
1
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site

Liked Near to swanage little shop friendly limited stock

Disliked Sewerage smell very strong all day and night had to ask to move to another pitch away from smell very bad and very noisy all night from families opposite who had no respect for others. Also coming into the site was very full of permanent caravans and mobiles very jumbled and messy facilities at the front very dirty no hand towels in the ladies for the 2 days we were there. Was slightly better once we had to pack up and move to a different part of site facilities better but the hook ups kept us awake with a loud buzzing humming.

Nice walk into swanage, facilities are what you expect from a campsite,…

Overall 10/10

Location
8
Value for money
6
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
7
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Powered grass site

Liked Nice walk into swanage, facilities are what you expect from a campsite, shame bar not open

Run down neglected appearance

Overall 3/10

Location
8
Value for money
1
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
No rating
Lewis M.

Powered grass site

Liked Location, easy walk to Swanage

Disliked Overgrown, small pitches, lack of cleanliness in toilet/shower. Long distance to dishwashing facilities. Site looked run down

Bathroom style facilities Size of pitches Location of site Onsite food outlet (on some days)…

Overall 7/10

Location
8
Value for money
6
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
2
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site

Liked Bathroom style facilities
Size of pitches
Location of site
Onsite food outlet (on some days)

Disliked Facilities being overwhelmed and not cleaned often enough at weekends

Good stay in a good place.

Overall 7/10

Location
10
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
No rating
Andy B.

Powered grass site

Liked Good view and great location, near great attractions. Easy going site with adequate facilities.

Disliked Seaview field facilities in need of a thorough clean, water not always hot.

Nothing fancy but what we needed!

Overall 8/10

Location
8
Value for money
10
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
3
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
5
Carlotta C.

Bell tent

Liked Quiet space, nice location. Beds very comfortable and yurt spacious. Facilities easy to access.

Disliked Toilets were numerous but always very dirty. Reception not particularly helpful.

Shame it could be such a beautiful site with some care and attention.

Overall 3/10

Location
10
Value for money
2
Accommodation
2
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Fully-serviced concrete and grass caravan site

Liked Great location 25 minutes easy walk from Swanage Bay.

Disliked Very disappointed with site. The site was very scruffy, the toilets and showers were not clean (and we saw no sign of anybody having checked or cleaned them during our stay). Some of the toilet/shower locks were broken and there were no dryers or than towels in the ones we used. The waste for the grey waste was 6 inches above the ground so we had to keep lifting our waste hose up to drain it. When we came to use the Elson point near to us it was blocked and it was the only one I saw that had a hose attached to it for rinsing out our cassette. Sadly the pitches looked nothing like advertised.

Without doubt the worst site we have stayed at.

Overall 1/10

Location
6
Value for money
1
Accommodation
1
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
1
Anne p.

Powered grass site

Liked Nothing

Disliked Showers disgusting, chemical waste inadequate, water stations inadequate, electric hookup does not have sufficient power, pitches are too close together so you are tripping over neighbours guy ropes etc, grass on pitches is left uncut. All in all and extremely disappointing site and would not recommend to anyone.


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 TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Local produce 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 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

Budget/backpacker Bush Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise 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 Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for caravans Seasonal sites Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Herston Caravan and Camping

Washpond Lane

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3DJ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.61816°N
1.97913°W

Nearest transport

Coach
1.6 km Bus Station
5.8 km East Street
5.8 km East Street
Rail
11.3 km Poole Rail Station
11.9 km Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
12.2 km Hamworthy Rail Station
Ferry
7.2 km Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
7.6 km Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
8 km Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
20.5 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

A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll beach (10 minutes' drive) or Lulworth Cove (40 minutes) to hire your craft and see the place from sea level. The 630 mile-long South West Coast Path passes through town: pick it up and head eastwards to the Studland and Godlington Heath Nature Reserve to see the wild and nature-filled Wessex that inspired Thomas Hardy (or hire a steed from the trekking centre for extra historical detail). Going west, the path goes past the splendid sights of Stair Hole and Durdle Door (40 minutes), while descents of varying steepness lead down to quiet and cove-like beaches like Winspit (accessible only on foot from Worth Matravers, 10 minutes away) and Kimmeridge (half an hour). For a spot of time travel, pick up the Swanage Railway for a nine-mile steam trip to Wareham, perhaps stopping off en route for a clamber round the ruins of Corfe Castle (10 minutes). Younger visitors should have a ball among the play barns, pedal go-karts and pettable animals at the Putlake Adventure Farm, five minutes away. Further afield, there are pony rides, deer safaris, tractor trips and bouncy castles at Farmer Palmer's Farm Park (30 minutes), and at a similar distance the heavy hardware in The Tank Museum and the charming residents of Monkey World should keep everyone's monkeys out of mischief.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Swanage Central 1.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Studland Knoll House 4.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Shell Bay North 7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Sandbanks Peninsular 8.4 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Shore Road Beach 9.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Swanage Railway 1.6 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 4.8 km

Corfe Castle 6.1 km

Brownsea Island 8 km

Dorset Cruises 13.1 km

National Trust

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3.5 km

Corfe Castle 6 km

Brownsea Island 7.9 km

White Mill 21.5 km

Kingston Lacy 21.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 0.6 km

Swanage to Corfe Circular Walk 3 km

Durlston Castle Historic Landscape 3 km

Studland - Old Harry - Ballard Down - Studland 3.6 km

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 4.7 km

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 33.5 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 campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Herston Caravan and Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Herston Caravan and Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Herston Caravan and Camping? A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Herston Caravan and Camping?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Herston Caravan and Camping? From $103.94 (for 2 nights, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.