Donkey Down Campsite

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.6 142 reviews
Views of Weymouth Bay (added by manager 11 Jan 2022)
Views of weymouth bay
A donkey down bell tent
Saturday night music and bar
A row of bell tents
Camping at donkey down
Camping at donkey down
Weymouth bay in the distance
Western view
1/484
Favourite
A donkey down bell tent
Saturday night music and bar
A row of bell tents

  • Peaceful 10-acre site with views of Weymouth Bay and Portland harbour
  • On the South Dorset Ridgeway with access to the South West Coast Path
  • Weekend pop-up bar with food and live music on Friday and Saturday
There’s plenty of space for you to pick your own pitch at Donkey Down Campsite, a 10-acre park on an organic livestock farm in Sutton Poyntz. Just make sure to avoid the neolithic tumulus… That’s one of the many ancient burial mounds covering this part of the South Dorset Ridgeway landscape, so you’re in for a historical holiday as well as a scenic one during a stay here. And to be perfectly honest, ‘scenic’ is an understatement when describing this site – it’s got spectacular views across Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, as well as the surrounding Dorset National Landscape. Alongside the park are seven acres of open access land – fab for flying a kite or exercising your dogs (which are welcome at Donkey Down) – and you can also link up with the South West Coast Path, which opens up 630 miles’ worth of walks. Peckish post-amble? Campfires and barbecues are permitted on site, so grab supplies in Preston, five minutes’ drive away, then bound back to base for some grilled fare. If you don’t fancy doing the cooking, the town has a couple of takeaways and a pub is closer by in Sutton Poyntz, a 10-minute walk away. On the weekend, there is a pop-up bar and food catering on site, as well as live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Site type

Tent sites 200
Rent a tent 13
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (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.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating based on 142 reviews View breakdown

Spectacular scenery

Voted 84% of visitors View breakdown

97%

would recommend this site to a friend

96%

would stay here again

  • 84%
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    8
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    6
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Second time we've been to this campsite. Great views, clean facilities, very…

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
Oliver P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: Second time we've been to this campsite. Great views, clean facilities, very spacious, friendly staff, lovely walks. No complaints.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming, the toilets are compost toilets…

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming, the toilets are compost toilets but kept clean and stocked with toilet roll and hand sanitiser. Nice to have a small bar on site and teas and coffee in the morning as well as hot food option. Showers were nice and hot.

Disliked: One big issue with had was that the grass hadnt been cut at all, so it was super long which meant walking anywhere was a pain. As the campsite allowed dogs we had taken ours, and they got covered in grass seeds constantly due to the length of grass. Also early morning/ late at night the grass was very wet so going to the toilet or sink meant we got wet. Would be ideal to have cut walkways to amenities please.

Recommend to friends Visit again

very good experience staying at this camp site and will be returning

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Charlie D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: Warm welcome by staff who were very helpful on where everything was and were was best to pitch for our needed , separated area for early risers , local band playing live music , on site pop up bar and bbq to buy food from so there was ample of entertainment thought the evening Camp site location is only 15 minutes away from Weymouth beach and town centre and equally as close to supermarket for supplies

Disliked: Pitch ground was abit rocky and mostly on a slope , bring heavy duty tent pegs if sleeping in a tent

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything…

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: Everything

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely return

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
Tristan F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Bell tent

Liked: Couldn’t fault the campsite, easy check-in, big clean tent, amazing views. Adequate facilities, plenty of toilets and showers. Also the bonus of a bar, tea and coffee shop, bbq, breakfasts and weekend evening entertainment all available.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Breathtaking place , made us feel like home 🏡.,very clean 👌

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: It was our first camp trio and it was out off this world, we liked everything on your camping site ,felt very welcomed , safe , happy , great felicity's and on the top off if life music and amazing food that was the icing on the cake, we will definitely come back and bring the rest off our family. Thank you from the bottom off our hearts.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Our favourite campsite.

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

Bell tent

Liked: We enjoying live music every time we staying here. We love this campsite for its view over the Weymouth. It is such a big joy to sit in the night next to the open fire looking at Weymouth lights from the top of hill.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Music and tent space with view…

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

Bell tent

Liked: Music and tent space with view

Disliked: Someone came into our tent (hire) and took the touch and urine on the bed. Unfortunately no one was around to complain too in the night and again in the morning when leaving. Toilets smelt terrible

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Dear Andrew So sorry to hear you had an intruder. I hope it was a dog rather than a person! We do our best to keep an eye on things, especially uncontrolled dogs, but sadly cannot be everywhere all of the time. There is a member of staff, usually me, on site all of the time we are open, including at night. There are staff telephone numbers displayed at reception when we have to close it to attend to site work. I do hope this unfortunate incident did not spoil your weekend too much.

Location, facilities, views m, 10 min driving to Weymouth…

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: Location, facilities, views m, 10 min driving to Weymouth

Disliked: Everything was perfect

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely beautiful scenery, facilities were good, staff friendly

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked: Friendly staff, beautiful views, good facilities

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

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

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 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 Peaceful Spectacular scenery

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

Farm Very large (over 200 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Donkey Down Campsite

Plaisters Lane

Sutton Poyntz

Preston

Dorset

England

DT3 6LQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.65799°N
-2.42952°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.5 km Marks and Spencer
5.7 km South Station
22.8 km Red Lion
Rail
2.8 km Upwey Rail Station
5.1 km Weymouth Rail Station
5.7 km Dorchester South Rail Station
Ferry
5.7 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
31.3 km Poole Ferry Terminal
31.9 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
44.2 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

Strolls along the South Dorset Ridgeway and the South West Coast Path are to be had straight from this site, so make sure to pack the walking boots. Look out for the Osmington White Horse, a hillside figure carved into limestone, while you wander. For beach days, the dog-friendly Overcombe (a five-minute drive) and Ringstead bay (15 minutes) are some of your closest stretches of seaside, while Weymouth is also close by (10 minutes) for visits to the SEA LIFE Centre, Nothe Fort and boat trips from the harbour. Thrill-seeking sorts can also jetski here, plus there’s kayaking for a gentler time on the water. Dawdle to Dorchester (10 minutes) for historical sightseeing in an old market town that’s home to the Maiden Castle hillfort and Roman Town House remains, or amble to Abbotsbury (20 minutes) for access to an abbey, castle and some fab fossil foraging at Chesil beach. Other Jurassic Coast destinations in the area include the horseshoe-shaped Lulworth Cove and the arched rock formation of Durdle Door (both 25 minutes). If animal antics are what you’re after, you can peer at the protected primates in the Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre (20 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Bowleaze Cove 2.5 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 3.7 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Weymouth Central 5.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Ringstead Bay 6.3 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Portland Harbour Castle Cove 7.2 km Sea N/A Excellent N/A N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 3.8 km

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 5.2 km

Hardy's Birthplace 8.5 km

Abbotsbury Swannery 12.1 km

Lulworth Heritage Centre 13.3 km

National Trust

Max Gate 5.7 km

Hardy's Cottage 8.4 km

Clouds Hill 14.1 km

Corfe Castle 26.3 km

White Mill 30.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

LODMOOR (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 25/11/2004) 3 km

Lodmoor Nature Reserve - Littlemoor - Preston 3.5 km

Nottington - Lorton - Radipole 3.8 km

Nottington - Southill - Chickerell 3.9 km

Nottington - Upwey - Broadwey 4 km

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 7.2 km

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

    Dorchester, England 13.9 km

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

    Wareham, England 15.8 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 sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Donkey Down Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Donkey Down Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Donkey Down Campsite? Strolls along the South Dorset Ridgeway and the South West Coast Path are to be had straight from this site, so make sure to pack the walking boots. Look out for the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Donkey Down Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more