The Gaggle of Geese

View prices & book 9.4 77 reviews
Hut and pitches
Hut and pitches
Grass pitches
Pitches
Plenty of space to relax
Garden and barbecue shack
Exterior view
Gardens running up to the orchard
A place to unwind
1/83
Grass pitches
Pitches
Plenty of space to relax

  • Pub site over five acres in the village of Buckland Newton
  • Half an hour's drive from beaches and the Jurassic Coast
  • Homemade meals and local beers, plus barbecue and pizza oven in summer
Walkers, riders, fishing folk, dog owners, family groups… all will want to take a gander at The Gaggle of Geese, a friendly country pub in the little village of Buckland Newton. This is a place that’s mighty well located for all sorts of Dorset days out – it’s in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for all your country pursuits, 20 minutes’ drive from the historic market town of Dorchester and half an hour from the county’s stunning coastline. On top of that, those on family hols may like to note that a drive of less that 45 minutes offers up all sorts of ways to entertain/wear out the small sorts – animal parks, fossil hunting, watersports… It’s not all about location though – the pub’s a rather fine destination in its own right. Five fab acres of peaceful fields, an orchard and a pleasingly sizeable beer garden with a soft play double decker bus, ping pong shack, miniature golf, pygmy goats and a space for football make up the outside space. The inside’s all comfy corners and a warm welcome for all (nippers and dogs included) too. Up for a bit more activity? Skip over to the skittle alley or check the events list to see if there are any quiz nights, wine tastings or live music afternoons scheduled. And you’ll be needing eats and drinks of course... homemade pub classics can be washed down with local beers and ciders; summer nights often see action out at the barbecue shack and wood-fired pizza oven too. Barbecues and campfires are welcome if you’d rather go the DIY route.

Site type

Tent sites 15
Motorhome sites 7
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • 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).
  • Single-sex bookings of 10 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag 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.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Please note that the pub is closed on Mondays.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesMotorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 77 Pitchup.com customers

  • 74%
    10
  • 7%
    9
  • 12%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 0%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

94% would recommend this site to a friend

95% would stay here again

What customers say

Top-rated, family-friendly site with a great on-site pub. Clean facilities, loads of kids' activities (play bus, farm animals). Beautiful location, friendly staff. Some guests mentioned occasional noise & limited pub WiFi.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

The bell tents that we stayed…

Overall

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

Gaggle bell tent (four person)

Liked The bell tents that we stayed in were great, they were well equipped and very clean!

Disliked We were listening to music, on a low volume, around 10pm all having a great time and then we were interrupted by a rude lady, that was a member of staff, who asked us to turn the music off completely, we completely understood that it was late and was happy to turn the music off but her manor was very rude and put a downer on the whole mood

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Sorry to hear that you felt our staff were rude to you. They had to intervene because other campers had complained about the noise your group were making. Out of respect to our neighbours and other campers we do ask for it to be a quiet camp from 10pm. This guidance is explained to all campers on arrival and on the displayed information. Disappointing that despite this, we still had to intervene. And obviously frustrating that you left a poor review - starkly different from the vast majority of others.

Cosy, relaxed campsite with lovely clean facilities and good food

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 4
Matthew P.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Loved the vibe on the campsite from immediately entering the pub to check-in, to being greeted by the lovely border-collie, to having a delicious roast in the pub on Sunday and right through til leaving on Monday. Lovely atmosphere and never too busy while we were there.

Disliked Nothing - all was fab!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Blissful.

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
 8
Tanya B.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Blissful! We had the best break thanks to the fact that our child was so wholesomely entertained. Gleefully playing with other children, safely running between the pitch and the playbus. And to top it all, the site is nestled in the most beautiful rural location.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent! clean facilities, friendly staff and mostly level pitches

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Ian B.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked A very friendly site behind a pub. Excellent facilities for camping well maintained facilities. Even though it was very busy, all campers were very respectful and it became quiet quite shortly after 10 o’clock.

Disliked Nothing really, but if you want an exceptionally quiet sight in the middle of nowhere this might not be the place for you. It is behind the pub which is excellent for us!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place for a short camping trip with family and friends.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Amy H.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked The location is spot on and so much for the children to do; the fun bus, the goats, lots of space to run around, the orchard and spacious tent pitches. Not to mention the pub itself!
The facilities are really nice and clean and not busy.

Disliked N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just fabulous.. we will be back !!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 3
Rebecca B.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Goats
Showers
Pub
Location
Fire pits

Disliked Going home

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the loved location,with nice Pub…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 4
Andy s.

Gaggle bell tent (four person)

Liked Loved the loved location,with nice Pub and great food.
Not too big with friendly atmosphere..took our grand daughter who loved the play bus’s and goats .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Ideal for peace & quiet. Handy to have pub on site.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Peaceful setting. Great pub food & cider.

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Child friendly site with great facilities and good food in the pub

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 9
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked The availability of play equipment and the lovely camping area

Disliked Dogs seemed to be allowed to run free at any time
Ours was always on a lead

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent break away

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Christopher C.

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Excellent service. Clean facilities and we will come back again

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires 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 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

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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Remote location Walkers' paradise

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

Type

Pub campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

The Gaggle of Geese

Buckland Newton

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 7BS

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.8438°N
2.44397°W

Nearest transport

Coach
13 km Greenhill
13 km Coldharbour
13.7 km Queens Head
Rail
9.4 km Chetnole Rail Station
10.8 km Yetminster Rail Station
11.3 km Maiden Newton Rail Station
Ferry
26.2 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
35.2 km Poole Ferry Terminal
35.5 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
43.7 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

Country wanderings aplenty await around here – there are heaps of places for walks both short and lengthy in the surrounding Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A popular ramble from the pub is the four-mile route to the Cerne Abbas Giant (indeed a sizeable chap at 55 metres long – potential pub quiz answer...?) Horseback hacks can be had from several stables within half an hour, and there’s a fab coarse fishery with 10 lakes (10!) five minutes’ drive away. Want a bit more oomph in your outings? Head to Henley Hillbillies (five minutes’ drive) for days zooming about on quad bikes or in hovercrafts or souped-up Minis. Need nipper-pleasing days out? Take your (or more likely their) pick from The Dinosaur Museum (20 minutes), Monkey World (half an hour), the Tank Museum (half an hour), the Sea Life adventure park (40 minutes), Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park (40 minutes)… or head to the coast for beach days in Weymouth (40 minutes), watersports at Lulworth Cove (45 minutes) or fossil hunts in Kimmeridge (50 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Bowleaze Cove 23.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 24.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ringstead Bay 24.5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Central 25.5 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hive 25.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Hardy's Birthplace 13.2 km

Mapperton House & Gardens 19.3 km

The Tank Museum 21.7 km

Montacute House 22.4 km

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 22.8 km

National Trust

Hardy's Cottage 13.2 km

Max Gate 15.1 km

Clouds Hill 19.5 km

Montacute House 22.4 km

Tintinhull Garden 23.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

MINTERNE 2.7 km

Beneath The Feet Of Cerne's Giant 4.5 km

Piddlehinton - Buck Hill - Piddletrenthide - Piddlehinton 7.9 km

BINGHAM'S MELCOMBE 8.9 km

CHANTMARLE 10.3 km

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, 6 September 2025 – Saturday, 6 September 2025)

    Dorchester, England 13.6 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 Gaggle of Geese have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Gaggle of Geese dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Gaggle of Geese? Country wanderings aplenty await around here – there are heaps of places for walks both short and lengthy in the surrounding Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A popular ramble from the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Gaggle of Geese?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  noon –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  5 p.m. –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Gaggle of Geese? From $59.98 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.