Marwell Resort

View prices & book 8.9 1,065 reviews
Aerial view of the freshwater carp lake (added by manager 27 Jul 2020)
The site and surrounding area from above. (added by peter_b274924 22 oct 2023)
Sunset at the lake (added by manager 07 jul 2022)
Lake area (added by visitor 16 aug 2021)

  • Lakeside site on the edge of the South Downs National Park
  • A 15-minute drive from central Winchester; 1.5 miles from Marwell Zoo
  • Fishing, archery, quad biking and other adventure sports
Zebras, tigers and bokibokies await in these handsome Hampshire surrounds – taking the kids to see Marwell Zoo's multitude of beasts is likely to make for some very happy hols indeed. Marwell Resort is within walking distance of this much-loved menagerie and is home to plenty of adventurous action in its own right – head here if you like the sound of oodles of outdoor activities in a pretty lakeside setting. The team at Marwell Resort have been instructing for more than 25 years, so they're well qualified to help you try out sports like archery, quad biking and clay pigeon shooting. Please note that many of these activities have a minimum age restriction applied- please check directly with the site. The site lake has a total of nine swims available for anglers (mega-sized carp can be found in its waters, including whoppers weighing up to 45 pounds). Surrounded as it is by trees, it also looks pretty fine (especially at sundown) and is a popular spot with local wildlife. Marwell Resort has strong all-round facilities, including toilets, showers and wifi. There's also an on-site bistro restaurant that serves up nourishing meals seven days a week. You can set up a barbecue and cook your own grub, too (stock up on fresh meat and veg 15 minutes' drive away at Westlands Farm Shop).

Campground type

Rent a tent 6
Camper sites 25
Tent sites 25
RV sites 25
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Facilities/activities including fishing, archery, junior quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, treetop adventure are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.
  • The restaurant is open between 01/02 and 12/31.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • 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.
  • The bar is open between 01/02 and 12/31.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • Please note that the restaurant opening times vary, depending on guest occupancy numbers at the time of stay. Please note these are the age requirements for the activities: minimum age 3 years old: adventure golf minimum age 8 years old: archery, junior quad biking, treetop adventure, air rifles maximum age 10 years old: indoor soft play minimum age 16 years old: clay pigeon shooting The bar and grill will be closed on 07 October from 5pm due to a private event.

Languages spoken

Dutch

English

French

German

Spanish

Campsite types & availability

Reviews

90%

would recommend this campground to a friend

88%

would stay here again

  • 63%
    10
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  • 24%
    8
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    5
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Love love love

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
Natalie N. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass campsite

Liked: Absolutely loved this site 💜 As soon as I arrived I felt very relaxed and happy. Travelling alone with my two daughters I felt very safe and happy! Staff were all amazing each one were happy to help and just happy in there work place.. lovely to see! Facilities amazing & activities spot on! I just wish I could live there! Our roast & brekka was lush! The whole vibe of the place was stunning. I will be returning few times a year now! Love love love!! The owner should be very proud of what they have achieved with this site 💯🫶

Recommend to friends Visit again

Well organised and really big

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: I liked the actual camping itself, really big, lots and activities, the staff has been really present and really amazing. The bar, the restaurant, the soft play for the kids and the playground was absolutely amazing.

Disliked: The toilets are quite far, not enough showers/toilets for that many people, some of the toilets you can’t barely sit without touching the door. I didn't like the constant music from the actual place and from other tents, which should be policed. The fact there’s barbecues but grills are not provided. It was like a concert that lasted until 1am then in the morning my neighbours were chatting really loud from 7am already, as well should be controlled or advised.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent stay in all aspects, will be returning in a couple of weeks!

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: We just came to Marwell Resort for one night over the weekend for a short break - it is in a great location next to Marwell Zoo and the well sign posted. The staff were very friendly and helpful on arrival, taking us to our pitch and answering any questions. There was lots to do at the resort for all ages, including great evening entertainment with a live singer and excellent food and drink options with places to sit inside and outside under the fairy lights. We will definitely be returning in a couple of weeks for longer and will be fishing at the lake and trying some activities such as archery!! Brilliant, stay 10/10

Disliked: No faults - favourite and friendly campsite I’ve stayed on!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with great maintained pitches.

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: A lovely site with great grass, well maintained pitches. Loved the bar and restaurant. Great service and choice of food. The pizza was good. Fab singer on too which was great. The staff around the site were polite and friendly all the time.

Disliked: I think the showers / toilets could have been cleaner. Busy times of the day they were quite dirty and smelly. Not sure how often they were cleaned. This surprised me as the cost of the site in comparison to others is higher. Water pressure in the showers dipped in and out also. The grass pitches are across a road which is busy at times with people in and out of the site to the facilities. An idea could be that they put a zebra crossing in so people can cross safely or pedestrians be the priority around the site. As this is used by outside people able to use the soft play / golf / bar and gym facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site with super facilities and activities. Food was outstanding and all…

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

Powered gravel travel trailer campsite

Liked: Great site with super facilities and activities. Food was outstanding and all staff really friendly.

Disliked: Nothing, 10/10 from us

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quick stop over so didn’t use activity centre

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: Easy, friendly check in. Very good showers, spotlessly clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect for what we wanted 😀…

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked: Perfect for what we wanted 😀

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site with good pitches, friendly helpful staff and fab play park

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: We stayed as a group of 5 families camping in tents with young children and the campsite did an excellent job of ensuring we could all pitch next to each other. The pitches are a good size and I like that there were clear plots to provide a sense of structure to how to organise ourselves. They were also well spaced so you didn’t feel like you were on top of the other guests. This also meant that all our young children had the space to play without the risk of running into a neighbouring plot. Facilities on the site were good with a great play park and reasonable shower block. The staff did a good job of trying to keep things clean, though understandably due to the rain when we stayed, keeping on top of all the mud being tracked in would’ve been tricky. They also provided detergent and scourers at the washing up station which was a nice bonus. Overall an excellent stay and the group are thinking of making this an annual reunion.

Disliked: While overall it was a very positive experience and we would definitely stay again, there were a few minor points that would’ve turned the stay into 5 stars: 1. There is a clear challenge with the water pressure. Essentially it is extremely high, so when you wash your hands in the basins there is no way to avoid being showered (literally!). However, based on the way the water system must work, the more toilets, taps and showers running, the more the water pressure drops, so during peak hours you end up showering in a trickle. I’m not sure this is something the campsite can resolve given the infrastructure. Whether there would be a way to change the tap fittings to make it easier to adjust the water pressure? As for the showers, my work around was to ensure I showered at an “off peak” time. Then the water pressure was great! 2. For a family friendly site, they didn’t cater for lower sinks for little ones. Added to the fact that the water pressure (as to point above) was so high, my kids were coming out like they’d just been rained on. They provide some benching in the shower blocks, which people did use to help the smaller kids step up to reach the sinks, but then this is not ideal if you want a place to rest a towel or your wash bag. I would suggest some kid friendly step stools to compliment the benches and a few extra hanging hooks for towels would elevate the space. 3. The drinking water tap by the washing up station had a hose that allowed you to fill up any Jerry cans or water carriers. However it wasn’t secured so often would be found trailing in the mud. Is there a way this could be fitted better to avoid it being dropped and trampled?

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful site with great, clean facilities. Friendly and safe

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked: The campsite was welcoming and the staff were so friendly. The pitch was really big so we had plenty of space to set up. Our kids ran off and played immediately with all the other children playing. It felt so safe and friendly we were able to relax. So many activities on offer plus a bar and restaurant. Even entertainment that we loved. We will return next summer it was such a lovely holiday

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great place to stay. Clean, friendly and nothing too much trouble.

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked: This is an amazing place. So much to like. The staff are all lovely. Nothing too much trouble. Shower block kept amazingly clean. Even though some guests tried to be super messy.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

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 Soft play area TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit 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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal sites

Location

Marwell Resort

Hurst Lane

Owslebury

Hampshire

England

SO21 1EZ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.98572°N
-1.27669°W

Nearest transport

Bus
5.4 mi Broadway Guildhall
6.3 mi Southampton Uni Interchange
6.3 mi Southampton Uni Interchange
Rail
3.4 mi Shawford Rail Station
3.4 mi Eastleigh Rail Station
3.8 mi Hedge End Rail Station
Ferry
8.4 mi Southampton Vehicle Ferry Terminal
8.4 mi Southampton Passenger Ferry Terminal
9 mi Hamble-le-Rice Ferry Landing
Airport
4.4 mi Southampton Airport
28.2 mi 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

Marwell Zoo (five minutes' drive) has over 140 different species to admire – you can also leave the car back at base and stroll over (about 20 minutes) for a pedestrian safari. Paultons Park (25 minutes' drive) is another perennial fave for family-oriented days out – here you can meet Peppa Pig, crash down log flumes or opt for wanders through a dinosaur-filled forest. The South Downs National Park has some truly splendid hiking trails, including the 100-mile-long South Downs Way (the trail starts 15 minutes down the road in Winchester). Mountain bikers also have plenty to choose from around these parts – an exhilarating bike track through the woods is on hand in the nearby village of Bishopstoke (10 minutes). The gorgeous New Forest National Park (25 minutes) is also within easy reach, and one of the best ways to get around is by open-top tour bus. There are three routes to choose from – it all comes down to whether you prefer vistas of heather-covered heathland or coastal explores. Speaking of the sea, beaches like Lepe and Highcliffe Castle (both 40 minutes) are very much worth the journey (make sure to pack jelly shoes and a towel if at all tempted).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Hillhead 12.1 mi Sea N/A Good Good Good
Calshot 12.3 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Lee-On-Solent 13.1 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Lepe 14.3 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Cowes 15.1 mi Sea N/A Good Good Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

INTECH Science Centre & Planetarium 5.1 mi

Winchester Cathedral 5.5 mi

Southampton Maritime Museum 8.3 mi

Mid-Hants Railway 'Watercress Line' 8.6 mi

Mottisfont Abbey Garden, House and Estate 12 mi

National Trust

Winchester City Mill 5.4 mi

Hinton Ampner 6.7 mi

Mottisfont 12 mi

Uppark House and Garden 16.9 mi

Newtown Old Town Hall 19.6 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Upham - Woodcote - Green Hill - Upham 1.9 mi

Upham - Street End 1.9 mi

Shawford - Highbridge - Marwell - Shawford 3.3 mi

CRANBURY PARK 4 mi

COMPTON END 4.1 mi

Local events

  • Wickham Festival (Thursday, August 1, 2024 – Thursday, August 1, 2024)

    Fareham, England 6.9 mi

  • CarFest (Friday, August 23, 2024 – Friday, August 23, 2024)

    Basingstoke, England 16.1 mi

  • New Forest and Hampshire County Show (Tuesday, July 30, 2024 – Tuesday, July 30, 2024)

    Brockenhurst, England 16.7 mi

  • Farnborough International Airshow (Monday, July 22, 2024 – Monday, July 22, 2024)

    Farnborough, England 29.7 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?

  • Does Marwell Resort have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Marwell Resort dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Marwell Resort? Marwell Zoo (five minutes' drive) has over 140 different species to admire – you can also leave the car back at base and stroll over (about 20 minutes) for a pedestrian safari. … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Marwell Resort?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Marwell Resort? From $35.55 (for 1 night, 8 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.