The Red Lion

View prices & book 8.5 278 reviews
The site
The pub in the early morning sunlight
The red lion lit up at night
Winter sunrise over the campsite

  • Family-friendly campsite adjoining a Winfrith Newburgh pub in Dorset
  • A 10-minute drive to the Jurassic Coast, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door
  • Showers and loos on site; delicious food and drink in The Red Lion pub
Set in the middle of lovely Dorset countryside and on the outskirts of the peaceful village of Winfrith Newburgh, The Red Lion is a family-run pub with a namesake campsite on the extensive field to its rear. There’s easy access by car to dump your gear at the spacious pitches – most are sheltered by mature trees – and modern facilities on-site include showers, mains water, toilets and a washing-up area. The adjoining pub is open throughout the year: winter brings warming log fires while summer invites alfresco dining in the beer garden – and whenever you visit, you’re assured of a constant supply of delicious food as well as award-winning West Country ales and ciders. Luckily the site is dog-friendly as it’s a great base for soaking up Dorset’s rural vibe on quiet walks across the downs. If you’d like to spark up your barbecue while you’re there, there’s a small store in the village; otherwise, do a bigger stock up in Dorchester (15 minutes).

Campground type

Caravan sites 6
Tent sites 20
RV & Motorhome sites 6
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Reviews

  • 49%
    10
  • 10%
    9
  • 20%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 8%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 2%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 2%
    2
  • 1%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
7

86% would recommend this campground to a friend

85% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot behind the Red Lion pub! Friendly staff, awesome food, and handy for exploring. Mostly level, roomy pitches. Facilities are clean but basic; could do with a spruce-up. Occasional road noise.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 28
Arrival date (latest first)

Large hardstanding area, welcome booking in…

Overall

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

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked Large hardstanding area, welcome booking in and access to great pub. Good value if you don’t need electricity and 10% off food and drink at the pub made it better value. Pub staff very friendly and helpful.

Disliked Toilet & shower block round the back (by pub) very tired.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Field was great, toilet and showers…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Field was great, toilet and showers all good, breakfast was fantastic!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for the review! We’re glad you enjoyed the campsite facilities and breakfast – hope to see you again soon.

Lovely place . Pub serves excellent food with great friendly staff .

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Nina B.

Powered gravel and sand caravan site

Liked Great place with really easy access & marked pitches . From the moment I checked in the team in the pub we’re friendly , professional & very welcoming .
Well maintained & peaceful .
Toilet & showers were better than I had expected . Great stay & will definitely come back .

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay and it’s great to know that our facilities exceeded your expectations. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another visit!

Good for a short stay, pub is a real bonus on site.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Gemma C.

Powered grass site

Liked Easy check in, clean bathrooms, and the pub is lovely - great food and welcoming staff. Good location for Lulworth Cove and castle.

Disliked Disliked is a strong word - just two things to be aware of. 1: you are by a main road so I can be a little noisy with traffic at times. 2: we went during a quiet period, so access to the toilets and showers wasn't an issue. However when the field is full, you have 3 toilets and 3 showers - i would imagine you have a bit of a waiting time!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the pub, our food, and the location.

We do have 4 showers on site, and our pub toilets are also open to campers during pub opening hours, so there’s usually plenty of space even when it’s busy.

We’d love to welcome you back soon!

Nice Flat dry pitch close to…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
9
Leslie S.

Powered gravel and sand caravan site

Liked Nice Flat dry pitch close to shower toilets and pub. Fantastic range of food and drinks.
The Breakfast is a must. The staff gave great service.

Disliked Waiting for showers and lack of in use sign on doors.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the pitch, breakfast, and our team’s service.

We appreciate your comments about the showers and signage and will look at ways to improve.

We hope to welcome you back soon!

Wouldn’t recommend or visit again

Overall

2 out of 10
Location
5
Value for money
1
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
3
Wifi
5
Anonymous

Powered gravel and sand caravan site

Liked Not a lot

Disliked Expensive field for a weekend. One shower out of use which left two for the whole site. Not enough facilities for the size of site. Annoying having to use a separate code for each one, especially in the night. Noisy road right outside and expensive pub food. Staff not trained with complaints about cold food and just ignored our table

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear your stay didn’t meet your expectations. We appreciate your comments about the facilities, showers, and service, and will review them to see how we can improve. We hope to have the opportunity to provide a better experience in the future.

Good place to stop for dinner and a night of camping. Friendly

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Lisa S.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked There was a pub and amenities close by

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind words! We’re glad you enjoyed your dinner and stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back for another great camping experience!

Welcoming staff, clean and warm showers. Lovely site and very safe.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
3
Anonymous

Unpowered concrete slab caravan site

Liked We had a fantastic stay. Super welcoming at the pub and great food. We would definitely recommend. The location was perfect for getting to the popular locations to visit. Can’t wait to come back.

Disliked I could imagine it could get busy in the summer months with only a few toilets and showers. But they are great clean toilets and showers just could do with more.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for your lovely review. It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the pub, our food, and the location. We really appreciate your feedback regarding the facilities, and we’ll certainly keep it in mind as we continue to improve. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another fantastic stay!

Really nice camp site behind an excellent pub, cant really fault it.

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Friendly greeting from bar staff who were very switched on and provided all the info we needed. Nice level pitches with a decent choice of locations and the facilities were nice and clean. Food at the Red Lion was great and very reasonably priced. Pleasant, attentive staff throughout our short stay. Will be returning.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay. We can’t wait to welcome you back on your next visit!

All great!!

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Nice clean facilities. Great pub with friendly staff. Short drive to Monkeyworld and Tankworld.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely review! We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit!


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 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

Peaceful Spectacular scenery

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

Medium (26-50 sites) Pub campground

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Red Lion

Winfrith Newburgh

Dorset

England

DT2 8LE

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.66708°N
2.2767°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12 km Red Lion
12 km Post Office
12.3 km South Station
Rail
4.2 km Wool Rail Station
4.6 km Moreton (Dorset) Rail Station
11.8 km Wareham Rail Station
Ferry
13.8 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
20.6 km Poole Ferry Terminal
21.2 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
33.7 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

You won’t have to wander very far afield to sample the best of Dorset attractions; The Red Lion is only 10 minutes’ drive from Man O’War Beach on the Jurassic Coast, the spectacular Durdle Door sea arch and romantic, almost circular Lulworth Cove. The kids will relish the chance to encounter the primates at Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre (yes, also 10 minutes away), or see the nesting mute swans at Abbotsbury Swannery (40 minutes). Weymouth (25 minutes), its sandy beaches and Sea Life Adventure Park is also a good bet for keeping youngsters happy. Plus, the ever-popular Tank Museum in Bovington (10 minutes) is within striking distance. Take the Dorset air as you scramble up to Osmington White Horse (15 minutes), cut into the limestone landscape in 1808, for views over the downs to the English Channel. There are more wonderful vistas to be had from hilltop Corfe Castle (also 15 minutes), and if any cobwebs still need blowing away, head to Chesil Beach (half an hour) for a blustery walk along the shingle.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Durdle Door East 5 km Sea N/AExcellentN/AExcellent
Durdle Door West 5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lulworth Cove 5.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ringstead Bay 6.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bowleaze Cove 10.8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

The Tank Museum 3.9 km

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 5.4 km

Lulworth Heritage Centre 5.7 km

Lulworth Castle & Park 5.7 km

Hardy's Birthplace 10.6 km

National Trust

Clouds Hill 5.9 km

Hardy's Cottage 10.6 km

Max Gate 11.3 km

Corfe Castle 15.8 km

White Mill 21.6 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

West Lulworth Circular 4.8 km

Lulworth and White Nothe Coastal Tour 5.4 km

South Down Car Park - White Horse Hill - Osmington - Osmington Mill - Ringstead - South Down CP 5.5 km

LULWORTH CASTLE 5.5 km

Clouds Hill - Moreton 5.6 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 Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Red Lion have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Red Lion dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Red Lion? You won’t have to wander very far afield to sample the best of Dorset attractions; The Red Lion is only 10 minutes’ drive from Man O’War Beach on the Jurassic Coast, the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Red Lion?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Red Lion? From $36.66 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.