Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

View prices & book 8.7 156 reviews
Non-electric grass pitch
Non-electric grass pitch
Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Campsite entrance and pathways
Forest view and grass pitches
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Grass pitches
Typoon way area of holmsley
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Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Campsite entrance and pathways

  • New Forest family campsite 20 minutes’ drive from Bournemouth beaches
  • A 15-minute drive to Christchurch, Barton on Sea and Highcliffe Castle
  • Grass pitches on a former airfield with direct access to walking paths
This is a gorgeous location, with pitches on open grassland and surrounded by the ancient ancient trees of the New Forest National Park… and it’s got an intriguing past too. Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site has brought new life to a former World War II airfield and turned it into a splendid woodland base for family camping adventures. Grass pitches here are tucked away among the trees or out in open fields, with spectacular forest views in all directions. When you’re ready to explore, there are miles of stunning way-marked tracks and footpaths leading directly from the site, while cyclists can access National Forest Ride from Holmsley car park (15 minutes by bike) and stop off at a pub in pretty Brockenhurst (half an hour) in the middle of the forest. As well as giving access to the forest, Holmsley is also well placed for excursions to the coastline of Dorset and Hampshire. Bournemouth (20 minutes’ drive) beckons with its sandy beaches, seaside walks await at Barton on Sea and you can look out over the waves from Highcliffe Castle. While maintaining a back-to-nature vibe, Holmsley is well set up when it comes to essential facilities, with electric hook-ups and full toilet, shower and washing amenities all on hand. There’s also a store selling camping essentials and food basics for the self-caterers among you, plus a takeaway service for days when you've worn yourselves out too much to contemplate cooking.

Site type

Tent sites 346
Caravan sites 396
Motorhome sites 396
Rent a tent 10
Open now
Opens 26 March

Tourist board rating

Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Dogs

  • 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).
  • Please do not feed, pet or approach the animals in and around the campsite; they may look friendly but are unpredictable and can bite and kick. Please keep all food sealed and out of reach of the ponies.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, 26 Mar to

This site is a member of Camping in the New Forest group.

View all Camping in the New Forest parks.

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

8.7

Overall rating from 156 Pitchup.com customers

  • 53%
    10
  • 14%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Bush

88% would recommend this site to a friend

85% would stay here again

What customers say

This large New Forest campsite has spacious pitches. Reviewers rave about friendly staff, clean facilities, and the well-stocked shop. Great for nature, see ponies nearby! Can be busy and noisy sometimes, with tricky pitching ground and hot showers.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 25/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 16
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely wknd away with grandchildren and pooches.

Overall

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

Unpowered grass site

Liked Large site in the forest with wild ponies v close by. Very friendly and helpful site staff, and clean toilet blocks. Shop and bike hire and play park for little ones.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful weekend away with our 2 spaniels and greyhound

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
Jennifer W. 1 review

Powered grass site

Liked Massive pitch for our tent
Clean campsite
Lovely forest walks

Disliked Could do with dog poo bins dotted around the site

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of free space to camp…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
 Zoe M. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked Lots of free space to camp and set up, free mobile and battery pack charging lockers, cycle hire was easy - shop was well stocked and take out options were varied daily
Toilets and showers were clean and well maintained and never too busy

Recommend to friends Visit again

What a great campsite, summer holidays…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Roger T. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked What a great campsite, summer holidays so busy as to be expected, but the loos & showers were easily available & very clean, great little shop/takeaway & brilliant staff.

Recommend to friends Visit again

No queues for showers , all…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 7
 Faith M. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked No queues for showers , all very clean and really looked after. Loved being able to pitch where we wanted too . Very well stocked shop won’t do loads of shopping before we come in future. Horses at the gate every morning! Staff so helpful , plenty of space for kids to play. Fantastic play park too ! You really cannot go wrong staying here. Thank you for the best time we will be returning in two weeks

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely stay again!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anneka W. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great site in a beautiful location within the New Forest. The toilets/showers and the campsite overall were very clean and staff were always friendly and helpful. The shop and take-away service were a great bonus and well stocked and reasonably priced.

Disliked Our only disappointment was not being able to re-freeze our ice packs, as it was around 27oc during our stay on a non-electric pitch it meant our cool box couldn’t even keep things like milk and butter cold enough and we ended up having to throw quite a lot of food away! We understand this is due to health and safety regulations as the site prepares food, however a separate freezer for guests to do this would be a great, having said this it would not put us off coming back, we would just be more prepared next time!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A place I would be very happy to return

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Unpowered grass site

Liked I liked the ease of check in, the warm welcome and clear instructions about the rules. During our stay we felt safe, the facilities were decent. The campsite was quite busy when I stayed, everything ran smoothly. In the evening, after 10pm somehow everyone respected the quiet time, which was pleasant. The showers, toilets, kitchen facilities were clean. The shop had decent prices and abundant supply if I compare with other camp sites.

Disliked All sinks in the bathroom and kithen did not have the option to mix the temperature of the water.

Recommend to friends Visit again

great time

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 kristin m. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked Very good site and was lovely to be welcomed by the team at the entrance

Recommend to friends Visit again

Overall a great site

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Lump D. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked Location, respect of evening quiet times

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great playground for the children and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Rebecca W. 1 review

Unpowered grass site

Liked Great playground for the children and ability to camp in whichever space you want to (non electric).
Great facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

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 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

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Very large (over 200 sites)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point Seasonal sites

Location

Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

Forest Road

Christchurch

Dorset

England

BH23 7EQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.79085°N
1.69527°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.2 km Post Office
5.2 km Post Office
5.2 km Bradbeers
Rail
4.5 km Hinton Admiral Rail Station
4.7 km New Milton Rail Station
6.1 km Sway Rail Station
Ferry
8.1 km Mudeford Quay Ferry Landing
8.5 km Hengistbury Head Ferry Landing
9.1 km Christchurch Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
9.8 km Bournemouth International Airport
29.5 km Southampton 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

The outdoor activities of the New Forest National Park are well documented – come along here and you’ll have access to all sorts of walking and bike trails (including some leading directly from the site). There are also several riding centres nearby offering lessons and forest trail rides, or you could go fishing at Orchard Lakes (10 minutes’ drive). Staying here on the southern side of the national park also means easy access to the coast – including the long sandy stretch in Bournemouth (also a handy place for rainy-day attractions like the Oceanarium) and wilder areas like Hengistbury Head (both 20 minutes’ drive). Seafront Highcliffe Castle (15 minutes) is a fabulous place to visit, or you could pick up the Solent Way trail in Barton on Sea (15 minutes) for a long walk through a lovely nature reserve. On the way home, how about something totally different? Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (10 minutes) is likely to enthral anyone with an interest in engines, and is well worth a visit to see the 500 rare bikes from around the world.

Food and drink

  • The Conqueror 2.1 km
  • Old Station Tea Rooms 2.3 km
  • Old Farmhouse 4.1 km
  • The Indian 4.8 km
  • The Kitchen 4.9 km
  • Royal Spice 5.1 km
  • Bombay Night 5.1 km
  • Poppins Restaurant 5.1 km
  • Red Chilli 5.3 km
  • The Raj 5.3 km

Groceries

  • Co-op Food Supermarket 3.1 km
  • New Forest Cider Off-licence 3.7 km
  • Morrisons Supermarket 5 km
  • Marks & Spencer Food Supermarket 5.2 km
  • Old Milton Food & Wine Off-licence 5.3 km
  • The Gourmet Grocer Supermarket 5.5 km
  • Lidl Supermarket 5.5 km
  • Tesco Supermarket 5.7 km
  • ALDI Supermarket 5.9 km
  • Co-Op Food Supermarket 6 km

Parks and play

  • Tiptoe Green park 4.4 km
  • New Milton Recreation Ground park 4.9 km
  • Nea Meadows Local Nature Reserve park 5.4 km
  • Ashley Recreation Ground park 5.6 km
  • Highcliffe Play Area Playground 5.6 km
  • Highcliffe Recreation Ground park 5.7 km
  • Adventure Playground 5.8 km
  • Hordle Recreation Ground park 5.9 km
  • Golden Hill park 5.9 km
  • Hordle Playground 6 km

Family days out

  • The Kingdom Of Waywood Visitor attraction 2.5 km
  • Burley Villa School of Riding Visitor attraction 2.8 km
  • Naked Man Visitor attraction 4 km
  • Ballard Water Meadow Visitor attraction 4.3 km
  • PYO Visitor attraction 4.4 km
  • Highcliffe Castle 6 km
  • 'Goliath' Giant Sequoia Visitor attraction 7.8 km
  • Giant Sequoia Visitor attraction 7.8 km
  • Ducking Stool Visitor attraction 8.4 km
  • Constable’s House Visitor attraction 8.4 km

Public transport

  • Black Lane 0.7 km
  • Heathfield Farm 1.2 km
  • School Road 1.6 km
  • Thorney Hill Cross Roads 1.9 km
  • Willow Lane 1.9 km
  • Beech House 1.9 km
  • Walkers Garage 2 km
  • Holmsley Tea Rooms 2.4 km
  • Wedgewood Gardens 2.4 km
  • Bransgore Gardens 2.6 km

Beaches

  • Avon Beach 7.5 km
  • White Pits 9.3 km
  • Brockenhurst Beach 9.6 km

What’s nearby

  • Burley Golf Club Golf course 3.6 km
  • Hoburne Holiday Park Bashley Golf course 4 km
  • Chewton Glen Hotel Executive Course Golf course 5.3 km
  • Highcliffe Castle Golf Club Golf course 6.1 km
  • Dudmoor Farm Golf Course 7.2 km
  • Barton on Sea Golf Club Golf course 7.2 km
  • Ringwood Fishing 7.3 km
  • Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club Golf course 7.7 km
  • Christchurch Golf Club - Stour Course Golf course 9.2 km
  • Solent Meads Driving Range Golf course 9.3 km

Local services

  • Boots Pharmacy 3.1 km
  • Bransgore Medical Centre Doctors 3.1 km
  • Twin Oaks Medical Centre Doctors 3.1 km
  • Loaders Garage Fuel station 3.2 km
  • Dawson Engineering Fuel station 3.8 km
  • Esso Fuel station 4.1 km
  • Park View Surgery Doctors 4.2 km
  • Lloyds Pharmacy 4.7 km
  • The Arnewood Practice Doctors 4.7 km
  • Kamsons Pharmacy 4.9 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Highcliffe Castle 6 km

Adventure Wonderland 10.7 km

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway 12.4 km

The Bournemouth Balloon 14.7 km

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 14.8 km

National Trust

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery 16.6 km

Brownsea Island 21.7 km

Newtown Old Town Hall 22.2 km

Kingston Lacy 23.8 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 24.3 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Burbush Hill - Dur Hill - Whitten Pond - (New Forest) 3 km

AVON TYRRELL 3.1 km

The Naked Man - New Forest 4 km

RHINEFIELD HOUSE 6.8 km

Rhinefield Ornamental Drive - Blackwater Arboretum 8.4 km

Local events

  • Southampton Boat Show (Friday, 18 September 2026 – Friday, 18 September 2026)

    Southampton, England 23.5 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.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site? The outdoor activities of the New Forest National Park are well documented – come along here and you’ll have access to all sorts of walking and bike trails (including some leading directly … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site? From $65.30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.