Hardyes Countryside Camping

View prices & book 9.5 71 reviews
Maintaining the campsite field
Maintaining the campsite field
Grass pitching area
Cloudy skies
Country views
Peacocks at the site
William the indian blue peacock
Amazing sky views
Night skies
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Grass pitching area
Cloudy skies
Country views

  • Rural Dorset site by an old Roman road with open countryside views
  • A 15-minute drive to the Jurassic Coast, Dorchester or Maiden Castle
  • Barbecues and dogs welcome; wheelchair-accessible facilities
Whether it’s the history or the lovely scenery that’s drawn you to Dorset for a break, you’ll be in an excellent spot to take it all in at Hardyes Countryside Camping. This pop-up site has fabulous views over open countryside all the way to the Hardy Monument and it’s in a handy location just off the old Roman road that runs between Maiden Castle and Eggardon Hill. Getting out to explore should be nice and straightforward from here – there’s great access to cross-country walking trails through the Dorset National Landscape, and the road network makes it easy to get to places like the ancient hillfort at Maiden Castle or the craggy cliffs and beaches of the Jurassic Coast (both about 15 minutes’ drive). Dorchester is also about 15 minutes away, with a good collection of interesting museums as well as practical facilities like supermarkets, restaurants and a railway station. Beyond all that, you’ll also be able to hit the sands of Weymouth, tour the subtropical gardens in Abbotsbury, go fishing from Lyme Regis, play golf, visit outdoor sculptures and huge historic carvings… safe to say there should be plenty of options for all tastes. After your outings, you’ll be staying at a small-scale site with a decent list of facilities including purpose-built toilets and showers, a washing-up area, a gas barbecue and microwave for cooking; all facilities are accessible for less mobile guests as well. There’s plenty of space to pitch up in comfort and you’re welcome to bring a barbecue as long as you use it safely and sensibly.

Site type

Tent sites 27
Caravan sites 3
Motorhome sites 27
Open now
Opens 3 April
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • Group bookings of 3 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • 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).
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Reception is unmanned after 6 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.

Languages spoken

English

French

Open from Fri, 3 Apr to

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
0 dogs

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 71 Pitchup.com customers

  • 73%
    10
  • 11%
    9
  • 12%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 1%
    6
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    5
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

97% would recommend this site to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

A welcoming, relaxed spot with great facilities and views. Owners get rave reviews for being helpful and knowledgeable, with lovely extras. Pitches are good. Minor points: water can be a bit temperamental, could do with hand dryers.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

Good guy friendly and helpful!

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
abdullah r. 1 review

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Good man helpful!

Disliked Facilities could be better!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just got back from another enjoyable…

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Just got back from another enjoyable stay.We Have been using this campsite for a few years now and can’t fault it, facilities are clean plenty of room for the kids to play and the owner is very nice and helpful. It’s well situated for days out at the local beaches which we like!

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great welcoming site. We shall return.

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Chris! He couldn’t have been more helpful and such a pleasant host. The sourdough bread and the pastries all made by his wife were divine!

Disliked The facilities were a bit busy at times, queuing for showers and toilets but I think it was a particularly busy time.
No sanitary disposal bins so ladies you need to bring some bags.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Relaxing 2 nights, very quiet and peaceful, we would use again.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
 Allan K. 1 review

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Great location and quiet site. Owner is very pleasant and welcoming. Lots of local knowledge. We were offered a very long lead for the EHU if we wanted to pitch away from the sockets. The pitches on the top field are flat and have good countryside views.

Disliked Not overly keen on the toilet/shower block. It perfectly usable, clean and tidy. Personally not overly comfortable with the unisex setup.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A lovely, small, peaceful site run by friendly people.

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked We booked this site for 3 nights and stayed for a week! It's lovely - peaceful with great views over the countryside. Chris is always around, helpful without intruding, and has great advice about places to visit. Michelle, who helps Chris, is warm and friendly. The only (minor) negative is a slightly quirky shower but once you have the knack, it's great - good hot water. Because it's a small site, the toilets and washing-up area are handily close by.

Disliked Nothing - can't blame Chris for the downpour on our first day in Dorset!

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had a great stay ,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Joy V. 1 review

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked We had a great stay , plenty of space to pitch our tent. Facilities were nice and kept clean throughout, hot showers, clean toilets ,washing up area with microwave and usb charging points. Owner was absolutely fantastic from start to finish of our stay, gave us great recommendations of places to go and see. 10 min drive into town.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Overall a wonderful stay and we'll be back later in the year.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Rachel C. 2 reviews

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Lovely site with plenty of space between campers during our stay and so felt nice and private. Facilities are exactly as you need and the campsite is within a short distance of lots of amazing walks and things to do. Chris couldn't have been more helpful or accommodating - we will certainly be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a great few day in our caravan. We’ll be back soon.

Overall

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

Powered grass and gravel caravan site

Liked Good access. Friendly host. Excellent facilities.

Disliked Weather (nobody’s fault)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Super back to basic campsite, attentive and friendly staff

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Michael G. 3 reviews

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Well I’m not sure 4000 letters is enough for us to list all the things we liked!
We were looking for a quiet, family friendly back-to-basics campsite to enjoy a quiet family holiday and it couldn’t have been more perfect for us. From the moment we arrived we were given a fantastically warm welcome, Chris and Michelle couldn’t have been more friendly, helpful and welcoming. We were allowed to choose our pitch - all were really well sized and spaced out, although we were coming towards the end of the season with not great weather so we may have just been lucky with not many other campers about! Chris was so knowledgable about the local area and was able to give us brilliant recommendations, combined with the suggestions pinned up on the notice board in the communal area.
The following morning we followed other campers recommendations and ordered some of the homemade pastries from Chris’ wife - they were incredible and well worth ordering when you visit!
Throughout our stay Chris the owner was attentive without ever feeling intrusive, friendly and always had a helpful suggestion about local areas to visit, best places to park etc.
The facilities were always clean and well looked after, if we were to suggest one tiny improvement it would be hand drying facilities, either a hand towel or hand dryer - but this is such a small thing it didn’t affect our enjoyment of the campsite or appreciate the hard work the owner goes into keeping it so special.
Thank you for a very special holiday - we will definitely be back!

Disliked Having to come home again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

The camp site was good size.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Martina M. 1 review

Powered grass tent or motorhome site

Liked The camp site was good size. Pitch was perfect size for our 8 man tent and a gazebo plus a car. Chris the owner was there to help from the moment we arrived. Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Facilities very good and clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

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 Picnic table 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

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

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

Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 85 cm)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Hardyes Countryside Camping

Higher Hogleaze Farm

Town Hill

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 9ET

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.72596°N
2.5547°W

Nearest transport

Coach
8.5 km South Station
14.7 km Marks and Spencer
14.7 km Coach Station
Rail
6.1 km Maiden Newton Rail Station
8.1 km Dorchester West Rail Station
8.5 km Dorchester South Rail Station
Ferry
15.1 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
39.7 km Poole Ferry Terminal
40.2 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

You’ll probably stop off in Dorchester (15 minutes’ drive) at some point for some shopping, but while you're there it’s worth looking out places like The Keep Military Museum, The Tutankhamun Exhibition and Dorset Museum & Art Gallery. On the outer edges of the town are the ancient hillfort Maiden Castle and National Trust - Hardy's House Max Gate, the author’s former home. For a bit of ancient art, visit the National Trust - Cerne Giant (20 minutes) and Osmington White Horse (half an hour); more contemporary art is on display at Sculpture by the Lakes (25 minutes). Heading down to the coast, you may like to see the subtropical gardens and swannery at Abbotsbury (15 minutes), play on the long sandy beach in Weymouth (25 minutes) or go mackerel fishing from Lyme Regis (40 minutes). Lulworth Cove (35 minutes) in the east and the Seaton Tramway (45 minutes) to the west are also both good places to check out.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Hive 12.3 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 13.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bowleaze Cove 13.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Central 14.3 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Bay (West) 15 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Abbotsbury Swannery 8.1 km

Hardy's Birthplace 11.6 km

Mapperton House & Gardens 13.1 km

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 13.5 km

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 14 km

National Trust

Max Gate 9.4 km

Hardy's Cottage 11.5 km

Clouds Hill 21.3 km

Montacute House 27.4 km

Tintinhull Garden 29.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

BRIDEHEAD 3.1 km

South from Little Bredy 3.6 km

Hardy Monument Circular 4.4 km

A Chess Piece Visit 4.8 km

Eggardon Hill and Powerstock 6.8 km

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, 5 September 2026 – Saturday, 5 September 2026)

    Dorchester, England 9.1 km

  • Tankfest (Friday, 26 June 2026 – Friday, 26 June 2026)

    Wareham, England 22.2 km

  • Camp Bestival Dorset (Thursday, 30 July 2026 – Thursday, 30 July 2026)

    Wareham, England 26.4 km

  • Sidmouth Folk Festival (Friday, 31 July 2026 – Friday, 31 July 2026)

    Sidmouth, England 48.2 km

  • Glastonbury Festival (Wednesday, 23 June 2027 – Wednesday, 23 June 2027)

    Glastonbury, England 48.3 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 Hardyes Countryside Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hardyes Countryside Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Hardyes Countryside Camping? You’ll probably stop off in Dorchester (15 minutes’ drive) at some point for some shopping, but while you're there it’s worth looking out places like The Keep Military Museum, The Tutankhamun Exhibition … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hardyes Countryside Camping?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  8:30 a.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hardyes Countryside Camping? From $56.20 (for 1 night, 5 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.