Andark Lake

View prices & book 8.7 339 reviews
Lakeside pitches
Lakeside pitches
Swimming and diving on site
The grass pitch
Entrance to site
Grass pitches
Lake-view pitches
Andark lake
Gardens around the lake
1/255
Swimming and diving on site
The grass pitch
Entrance to site

  • Peaceful site near the River Hamble: two pubs within walking distance
  • Six miles from Southampton and 12 from Portsmouth's ferry terminal
  • Set in scuba diving and open-water swimming lake grounds
Get set to get wet… with the Solent coast a couple of miles away, the Hamble river down the road and of course the lake on site, it’s safe to say that life pretty much revolves around the water at Andark Lake, a small and quiet grassy site six miles from the centre of Southampton. The main focal point here is the purpose-built scuba diving training lake, where wetsuit-clad types can sign up for training courses (when pre-booked) or recreational dives, hire kit and fill air tanks (for certified scuba divers). Open-water swims can be had for an extra charge at the weekends, when staff are on site and the place isn't in use by divers. Outside of swim time, there’s more water-based activity (sailing, paddleboarding, kitesurfing and windsurfing) along the riverside or at Swanwick Marina. Should all this aquatic activity have worked up a bit of a hunger, trot over to the site café for snacks and light lunches, plus hot and cold drinks throughout the day. For your evening meals, three pubs are within walking distance, or you can pick up supermarket supplies two miles away for a sunset sausage sizzle. Other amenities on site include a drinking water tap and a toilet block with male and female changing rooms, lockers and showers, all open 24/7. A coldwater sink is available in the pitching field where guests can wash pots and pans, and an accessible toilet is available on request.

Site type

RV sites 7
Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens January 3
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 3 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • Reception is unmanned after 5 p.m.. Please inform the park while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time, so that the team can provide information about your unit/pitch.
  • Lake open-water swimming is not included in the rate and is charged at £7 per person for a day ticket . Swimming is only available Wednesday to Sunday. No swimming while divers are in the lake. The lake must not be used after hours or when no staff are on site, as it's a deep diving training lake and can be dangerous. Dogs are not allowed in the lake at any time.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jan 3 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesTravel trailer sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

8.7

Overall rating from 339 Pitchup.com customers

  • 61%
    10
  • 2%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 9%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 4%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 8
Peaceful

87% would recommend this site to a friend

84% would stay here again

What customers say

Lovely lakeside spot, peaceful with good swimming. Friendly, helpful staff. Clean facilities. Some noise from traffic & a bit of a walk to amenities, a few pitches could be better. Great for a relaxing break, close to pubs and walks.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 34
Arrival date (latest first)

Great camping spot will definitely go back and highly recommend

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
 8
Wifi
 8
Louise B.

Powered grass and gravel RV campsite

Liked Lovely site with man made lake that you can swim in. Cafe serving tasty food and delicious drinks . Showers & Toilets opened 24/7

Disliked Sometimes showers could be a bit muddy due to the swimmers & divers using the showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing!…

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

Powered grass and gravel RV campsite

Liked Amazing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Staff happy for us to move…

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
Hugh S.

Powered grass and gravel campervan campsite

Liked Staff happy for us to move next to our friends. Great peaceful location and pub in walking distance. Facilities new and clean. Will come again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little site

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great location, great facilities. Small site and friendly staff. Great cafe.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great value for money, clean facilities..

Overall

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

Primitive grass and gravel RV campsite

Liked Andark is in a good location for the south coast and walks down the river Hamble - recommend. The site is unique because of it's lake in the middle used for outdoor swimming and learning to dive. Nice cafe and excellent toilets and showers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Disappointed

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 5
Emma J.

Powered grass tent campsite

Liked Shower block and area around lake lovely little shop , lots of seating
Very peaceful at night

Disliked Very bad un even camp pitches struggled to find a flat bit , awful facilities for washing dishes not hot water , the water ran into a dirty bucket then into the bushes disgusting as was right next to our pitch lots of flies and mosquitoes from the dirty water

Recommend to friends Visit again

Go to place for Hampshire/south coast

Overall

9 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
 6
Michael D.

Powered grass and gravel RV campsite

Liked Relaxed site with open water swimming, great showers, great coffee, great staff

Disliked Wi-Fi can be a bit iffy dropping off at strange times e.g. midnight

Recommend to friends Visit again

Stayed now for at least the 4/5 times dad was a bsac member. Showers?

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 4
Lawrence C.

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The site, so easy to get wherever you want to, if you intend to be in that area nothing is more than 30 minutes away.

Disliked Honestly, showers, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, and pressing the button every 10 seconds becomes a game in itself.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic, scenic and friendly campsite would thoroughly recommend.

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel RV campsite

Liked This is difficult because if I told you how idyllic this place is and how very friendly and helpful the staff are you would all want to go there and then I might not be able to get a spot on my return. This campsite definitely grows on you in the first couple of days to the point where you do not want to leave. The views over the lake and the wild life including dear in the camping field when it is quiet. This was our second time and we tried the cold water swimming in the Lake which was actually (23 degrees C) so not so cold. Sitting in the mornings over looking the lake enjoying a coffee and full English breakfast from the onsite café was fabulous. Will definitely be returning again. They also do a full moon swim on certain nights in the summer where they light up around the lake with candles and torches. Oh did I mention it also has a Sauna at the side of the lake and if you want a bit of a change one evening then go to one of the two near by pubs for meal or a acholic beverage both of which are within walking distance. The nearest being The Ship Inn (at the end of the driveway up to the campsite) and the other The Jolly Sailor that if you can be bothered to drag yourself away from this fabulous friendly campsite.

Disliked There is a slight downside, and that is in the gents loos and changing rooms. There is a slight dip in the floor near the sinks which tends to hold a slight puddle of water which is a shame but not a game changer.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We really loved the campsite, helpful…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked We really loved the campsite, helpful staff and facilities. Admittedly, we thought the swimming in the lake was included. As no prices were shown. We look forward to staying again with you. Absolutely breathtaking mature oaks and woodland. Thanks again. Tris

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site cafe On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycling nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Andark Lake

Oslands Lane

Lower Swanwick

Southampton

Hampshire

England

SO31 7EG

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.88013°N
1.29099°W

Route directions

The site is at the top of Oslands Lane, an unmade track. The access road is opposite the Old Ship pub (Bridge Road). The road runs between Andark Shop and the Carsa Car dealership.

Nearest transport

Coach
8.2 km Telephone House
8.2 km Telephone House
8.2 km Terminal 1
Rail
1.1 km Bursledon Rail Station
1.8 km Swanwick Rail Station
2.9 km Hamble Rail Station
Ferry
2.9 km Hamble-le-Rice Ferry Landing
3 km Warsash Ferry Landing
7.7 km Hythe (Hants) Ferry Terminal
Airport
9.2 km Southampton Airport
39.8 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

Wetsuits at the ready – if you’re into your watersports you’ll have plenty to pick from around here. Swanwick Marina is 10 minutes’ walk away for sailing training, and there’s paddleboarding, windsurfing and kayaking on the Hamble 15 minutes’ drive away. Kitesurf kit hire and lessons are 40 minutes away on the other side of the river. Take a break from the big blue for a wander around Holly Hill Woodland Park, five minutes away by car, or a sea-view stroll through Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, 20 minutes away. SeaCity Museum, Solent Sky Museum and the Tudor House and Garden in Southampton are worth a visit too, and there are shops, restaurants and a cinema at the city’s West Quay. Cross the River Hamble to hit the New Forest National Park, 25 minutes’ drive away, for a walk, bike ride or horse ride or a trip to meet the furry and feathered residents of the New Forest Wildlife Park. It’s also worth trundling along to the classic car collection at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum (35 minutes away).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Calshot 8.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hillhead 8.7 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Lee-On-Solent 10.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lepe 11.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Cowes 12.5 km Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Southampton Maritime Museum 8.2 km

Beaulieu National Motor Museum 13.1 km

Portchester Castle 13.3 km

Osborne House 14.3 km

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 15.7 km

National Trust

Newtown Old Town Hall 20.1 km

Winchester City Mill 20.1 km

Hinton Ampner 20.6 km

Mottisfont 24.8 km

Bembridge Windmill 25.6 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Grace Dieu 1.4 km

ROYAL VICTORIA COUNTRY PARK, FORMERLY ROYAL VICTORIA MILITARY HOSPITAL 3.6 km

TOWNHILL PARK 7.6 km

CENTRAL PARKS, SOUTHAMPTON 8.2 km

SOUTHAMPTON CEMETERY 9.6 km

Local events

  • CarFest (Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, August 22, 2025)

    Basingstoke, England 37.7 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 Andark Lake have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Andark Lake dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Andark Lake? Wetsuits at the ready – if you’re into your watersports you’ll have plenty to pick from around here. Swanwick Marina is 10 minutes’ walk away for sailing training, and there’s paddleboarding, windsurfing … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Andark Lake?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Andark Lake? From $37.30 (for 1 night, 5 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.