Sweet Hill Farm

View prices & book 9.1 305 reviews
Sea views from the pitches (added by manager 25 Jul 2022)
Lovely visitors
Camping field
Views to portland bill lighthouse.

  • 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).

Site type

Motorhome pitches 63
Tent pitches 63
Open now
Opens 9 February
Please note
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, 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 £1.00 (€1.17) 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 site 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

94%

would recommend this site to a friend

91%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Lovely friendly campsite with fine sea views.

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
James B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Great sea views, quiet friendly campsite, level grass pitches

Disliked: Nothing - all good.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Highly recommended

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Beautiful scenery, close to bus network, peaceful, lovely cafe/bar on site and live entertainment on Saturdays. Just a really lovely, relaxing break away from it all. The area itself is lovely, local pub a short walk and lots to see and do in Portland, particularly liked going to the top of Portland Bill and seeing the views from the Olympic rings on the north of the island. Facilities are basic but do the job, the showers are great! Will definitely return!!

Recommend to friends Visit again

The campsite is very basic, We only stayed for two nights so…

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: The campsite is very basic, We only stayed for two nights so that wasn’t a big problem for us but we wouldn’t choose it for a longer stay. Beautiful views from the campsite to the sea and the surrounding area at Portland. Lovely staff and nice atmosphere in the campsite, with a live band and bbq on Saturday night. Clean and well maintained facilities.

Disliked: The campsite is very basic. We visited during August bank holiday (peak holiday time) and there was not much space between pitches. I appreciate this wouldn’t be a problem if visiting outside the school holidays. Because of its location you are VERY exposed to the elements, especially the wind. Make sure you have a sturdy tent and earplugs. To make matters worse the ground is very hard (you are in Portland after all, where Portland stone comes from), making it very challenging to pitch (we bent around 5 pegs trying to secure the tent in high winds). There is regular cleaning to the toilets but inevitably they do het dirty as there aren’t that many on the site. With all this in mind, I think it is overrated price wise

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent eco conscious site with great views

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
Becky C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Great location, friendly staff, wonderful views

Recommend to friends Visit again

Der Platz ist toll und die Betreiber sehr nett ! In nicht mal…

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Der Platz ist toll und die Betreiber sehr nett ! In nicht mal 10min am Leuchtturm.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with great views and friendly staff

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Location - stunning views of the sea and woke up next to fields of horses. Drinks hut on site - handy for morning coffee and always had lovely staff to chat too. Staff - all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Equestrian centre on site - booked on to an hours hack for £30 which was great value. Massage tent - need I say more

Disliked: Eco toilets - not as well maintained as other sites. Sawduat buckets didnt seem to be refilled, the only negative but didn't take away from a fantastic stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good entertainment and facilities. Able to purchase logs and kindling until late…

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
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Good entertainment and facilities. Able to purchase logs and kindling until late as well as having a bar and live music when we were there. Lots of space for camping and very reasonable price. Great location.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with sea views and low key facilities.

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Relaxed, low key site in beautiful surroundings. Loved seeing ravens and peregrine falcons nearby. Friendly staff and a little cafe if you want it - away from the camping fields so not intrusive. Compost toilets and showers were well-built and clean. Everything you need and nothing you don’t. If you want fancy facilities, it’s not for you. If you’d like a simple camping experience with sea views, campfires and coastal walks, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Disliked: A bit too busy (but it was mid-August).

Recommend to friends Visit again

The composting eco toilets, the free outdoor cold shower, the benched seating…

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

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: The composting eco toilets, the free outdoor cold shower, the benched seating area and outdoor pullup/dip bars feature which I sadly didn't use and the view of the sea. Sheep roaming free. Cold drinking water and free washing up liquid. Walkable from bus stop coming from Weymouth, and walkable to climbing crags.

Disliked: The length of time needed to walk from the entrance to our field. Noisy families at night. Sometimes there was pee on the wood around toilet seats and the sinks being out of washing up liquid.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Zur einen Seiten Blick auf die Pferdekoppel und die Leuchttürme. Netter Empfang.…

Overall 2/10
Location 4
Value for money 2
Accommodation 2
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 4
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 4
Wifi 2
Anja S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Zur einen Seiten Blick auf die Pferdekoppel und die Leuchttürme. Netter Empfang.

Disliked: Nur Plumpsklos, diese auch nicht immer sauber. Waschbecken draußen, die gleichzeitig als Spüle dienen. Wir sind nicht anspruchsvoll aber das Geld hätten wir uns lieber gespart und gleich freigestanden.

Recommend to friends Visit again


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 pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette 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 Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Large (51-200 pitches)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

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

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 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 touring
    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 €28.62 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.