Watercress Lodges Campsite

View prices & book 9.4 85 reviews
Poppies looking lovely over at the campsite
Poppies looking lovely over at the campsite
Safari tent exterior
Safari tent exterior
Safari tent exterior
Safari tent exterior
Interior
Amazing views
Amazing surrounding green area
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Safari tent exterior
Safari tent exterior
Safari tent exterior

  • Family-run site by the Watercress Line: see the trains from your pitch
  • A minute's walk from steam engine events of Ropley station
  • Spotless amenities and friendly vibe 20 minutes from Winchester
Do you have a Thomas the Tank Engine fan or mini trainspotter in the family? They might just go up in a puff of excited smoke at Hampshire’s Watercress Lodges Campsite, so close to the historic Watercress Line that you’ll be able to see the trains’ steam from your tent pitch. Engine-ious. No need to be out of puff when tracking other activities in the area either, as the line’s Ropley station and its railway bridge are both a minute or two’s walk from the site, and it has regular events for all ages including Thomas the Tank Engine and Wallace and Gromit days, dining evenings, real ale trains and Santa bookings. Just the ticket then for a well-conducted family hol… The site is on land the Graham family has farmed for four generations and opened as a campsite in 2014, pulling out all the stops to make this a friendly site with a family vibe. Facilities including the new shower and toilet block are spotlessly kept by Hannah and her team, who are on hand if guests have any problems or questions. Off site, once kids have let off steam at the railway, the small town of New Alresford is three miles away for supplies, shops and pubs, and the city of Winchester within a 20-minute drive.

Campground type

Tent sites 30
Rent a tent 2
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 6
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No cars/motorcycles at the site. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Reception is unmanned after 6 p.m.. Please inform the park while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 85 Pitchup.com customers

  • 70%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 21%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 4%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

96% would recommend this campground to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

This clean, well-kept campsite has excellent facilities & a peaceful vibe. Its prime spot by Ropley station & steam trains is a huge plus. Guests loved the friendly staff, level sites, & views. Minor notes: temp fluctuations in showers, parking off-site, & foxes. Most want to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 9
Arrival date (latest first)

Nice sight,great to be close to the Ropley steam trains. Easy access…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Chris S.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Nice sight,great to be close to the Ropley steam trains. Easy access and parking, good facilities

Disliked The showers need a good jet wash

Recommend to friends Visit again

Freundliches Personal, Stellplätze direkt neben dem Zelt

Overall

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

Bell tent

Liked Ruhiger Campingplatz mit
Geräumigem Safarizelt

Disliked N/a

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent level pitches with additional unique train experiences!

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Ease of arrival. Good space for pitching a small tent with room to play in front for kids. Excellent bonus of having the steam trains going past. Good playground for kids.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean and tidy site friendly staff and right behind Ropley station

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
ollie j.

Bell tent

Liked Was an amazing stay staff were really friendly and the camp site was right behind Ropley station absolutely perfect for us as we’d come up for the MHR diesel gala
The Bell tent was clean and tidy upon arrival

Disliked The only problem we had was that after 10pm it was to be a quiet campsite we felt we had to walk off site in order to have a proper conversation in fear of being too loud

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely stay with family in the tipi tent

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
 No rating
Paul W.

Bell tent

Liked Location, quiet, peaceful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really nice camp site, clean facilities, really quite and relaxing no issues…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 6
Sarah P.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Really nice camp site, clean facilities, really quite and relaxing no issues from us

Disliked Not much in the area

Recommend to friends Visit again

Convenient, quiet, pretty much everything!…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 10
Mel P.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Convenient, quiet, pretty much everything!

Disliked Shower looked a bit grim.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great location on the boundary of the south downs. Quiet and peaceful.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 2
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked A great location on the boundary of the south downs.
Quiet and peaceful. Good facilities, clean and well maintained.
I'll be back, for sure.

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent campsite, couldn't fault it.

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
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked We loved this campsite, clean facilities with heating, freezer, water taps situated liberally, bins for rubbish and recycling. Loved the sound of the steam engines on The Watercress line just over the hedge too. Bus stop down the rd too. There's a shell garage in walking distance which stocks most things.

Disliked Nothing to dislike.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, recommended, we will Come back soon

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
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Brilliant one night stop off at this campsite. Lovely well maintained camping field, great facilities, the train line was an additional gem. Hannah was super helpful and we had a peaceful nights sleep after a quiet evening around the fire.

Disliked We don’t know why people feel the need to bring music camping! It wasn’t loud, but the low beats are annoying when you are there to enjoy the peaceful countryside. It was great one they turned it off :)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No 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 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 Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Watercress Lodges Campsite

Dean Farm

Bighton Hill

Ropley

Alresford

Hampshire

England

SO24 9SQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.08875°N
1.10031°W

Route directions

You can also arrive in style on a steam train which links to rail mainline services at Alton. Steam rail services do not run every day: please check train times.

Nearest transport

Bus
9.3 mi Broadway Guildhall
9.3 mi Dragon Street
9.3 mi Dragon Street
Rail
7.3 mi Alton Rail Station
9 mi Petersfield Rail Station
9.5 mi Micheldever Rail Station
Ferry
18.4 mi Hamble-le-Rice Ferry Landing
18.5 mi Warsash Ferry Landing
18.9 mi Southampton Vehicle Ferry Terminal
Airport
14.8 mi 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

Puff along on the Watercress Line or walk along the River Itchen to sightsee at Georgian New Alresford, or go in the other direction along the 10-mile route to its other terminus Alton, home of historic buildings, art gallery and the Curtis Museum. The ancient market town of Petersfield is about five miles to the east of Watercress: head here for markets, museums and scenic walks/pedals into the South Downs (Petersfield is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is in the South Downs National Park and on the South Downs Way). Winchester and its museum and castle is about 10 miles away: if the kids aren’t suitably awed by the 900-year-old cathedral (tsk), take them to Marwell Wildlife at Owslebury near the city to marvel at the 1,200 or so-strong menagerie of animals from all over the world, or to the simply super INTECH Science Centre and Planetarium on Winchester’s Morn Hill.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Hillhead 19.8 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Lee-On-Solent 20.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Eastney 21.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southsea East 21.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Calshot 21.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Mid-Hants Railway 'Watercress Line' 2.7 mi

Jane Austen's House 5.7 mi

INTECH Science Centre & Planetarium 7.4 mi

Winchester Cathedral 9.4 mi

Birdworld 13 mi

National Trust

Hinton Ampner 3.9 mi

Winchester City Mill 9.2 mi

Uppark House and Garden 13 mi

The Vyne 14.9 mi

Hindhead Commons and The Devil's Punch Bowl Caf� 16 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

OLD ALRESFORD HOUSE 2.5 mi

Battle of Cheriton, 1644 2.8 mi

BRAMDEAN HOUSE 3 mi

Abbotstone Down - Abbotstone - Old Alresford - Abbotstone Down 3.6 mi

Cheriton and the Civil War Battlefields 4.1 mi

Local events

  • CarFest (Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, August 22, 2025)

    Basingstoke, England 11.3 mi

  • Farnborough International Airshow (Monday, July 20, 2026 – Monday, July 20, 2026)

    Farnborough, England 19.2 mi

  • Reading Festival (Thursday, August 21, 2025 – Thursday, August 21, 2025)

    Reading, England 26.3 mi

  • Arundel Festival (Saturday, August 16, 2025 – Saturday, August 16, 2025)

    Arundel, England 28.7 mi

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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Hampshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Watercress Lodges Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Watercress Lodges Campsite dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Watercress Lodges Campsite? Puff along on the Watercress Line or walk along the River Itchen to sightsee at Georgian New Alresford, or go in the other direction along the 10-mile route to its other terminus … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Watercress Lodges Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Watercress Lodges Campsite? From $34.71 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.