Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site

View prices & book 9 638 reviews
Non-electric grass pitch
Non-electric grass pitch
Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Caravan at holmsley
Campsite entrance and pathways
Forest view and grass pitches
External view of the bell tent
Camper at holmsley
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Tent nestled in the trees at holmsley
Tree lined pitches at holmsley
Caravan at holmsley

  • 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.

Campground type

Tent sites 346
Camper sites 396
RV sites 396
Rent a tent 10
Open now
Opens April 1

Tourist board rating

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).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • 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. One amendment per booking is free; subsequent amendments are subject to a £10 fee.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Tue, Apr 1 to

This campground 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

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

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

No availability here for your search criteria

Other options

Reviews

9

Overall rating from 638 Pitchup.com customers

  • 65%
    10
  • 1%
    9
  • 23%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 5%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    4
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    3
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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
 6
Forest

92% would recommend this campground to a friend

89% would stay here again

What customers say

Spacious pitches, great staff, and clean facilities at this large, well-kept New Forest campsite. Ideal for forest walks and wildlife spotting. Can get busy and noisy during peak season, but overall a good family option.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 64
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely place

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Gordon W.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Everything

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

The facilities are really great for…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
olivia R.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked The facilities are really great for a campsite! There are a variety across site which are all easily accessible. The site itself is vast and has lots of options for pitching up in more private areas or in more open spaces- great for adults and families alike! There are beautiful walks around the site and off site- the walk to the river is by far the best! And not to forget the local horses and cows that greet you over the fence every morning.

Disliked N/a

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a lovely visit and loved…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Had a lovely visit and loved our experience would definitely recommend and come again! Loved how there was no pitch numbers and could go where you wanted. Was also very clean and lots of facilities. Staff were all lovely also and great shop.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great camp site! It’s such a…

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
 10
Anonymous

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Great camp site! It’s such a beautiful spot. You won’t need to drive anywhere else and you can just walk into the New Forest from the camp site. Lots of family but you don’t feel noisy or crowded. Staff is very friendly and helpful too. There is a little shop where you can get lots of basic things for camping. Lots of shower rooms and toilets. Very very clean! We have booked another weekend while we were leaving as you can get 20% off! It’s our new favourite campsite! Thank you

Disliked Nothing we disliked about this campsite.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a great stay at Holmsley would recommend.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked The toilets, sinks and showers were good and clean. Facilities were convenient overall.

Disliked It would be convenient to have a dry changing area after your shower, that way it is quicker for anybody waiting and easier all together.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The lady at reception was pleasant…

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 3
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 3
Child friendliness
 3
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 No rating
sarah b.

Primitive cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked The lady at reception was pleasant enough

Disliked Everything. It may be a nice site, but it felt like they’d tried to cram so many people in. It was too busy and resembled a gypsy site rather than a camp site. Everybody seemed quite unfriendly too. Nobody said morning. Toukets dirty, hair left lying all over sinks. Not a nice experience . Would have left if we’d arrived early enough. Only stayed one night despite paying for two. Will never come back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We like holmsley camp site toilets…

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
Roger H.

Primitive grass campsite

Liked We like holmsley camp site toilets and showers are always very clean along with the site itself all the staff are very helpful and the shop is well stocked for your needs

Disliked Having to go home after a great stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

Big site, walks right on the…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Big site, walks right on the door step, decent shop not overpriced, relaxed atmosphere, kids park decent

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely go back!

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked The welcome on arrival, the little shop inc the coffee machine! Clean shower and toilet area, the playpark. The location!

Disliked Children left unattended in playpark using foul language- but thats on the parents not the campsite!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to camp

Overall

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

Primitive cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Great layout, well kept facilities, polite and helpful staff.

Disliked The shop could open earlier and close later. Poor WiFi connection.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs 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 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 Scouts 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

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/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 Horseback 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

Bus
3.2 mi Post Office
3.2 mi Post Office
3.3 mi Bradbeers
Rail
2.8 mi Hinton Admiral Rail Station
2.9 mi New Milton Rail Station
3.8 mi Sway Rail Station
Ferry
5.1 mi Mudeford Quay Ferry Landing
5.3 mi Hengistbury Head Ferry Landing
5.6 mi Christchurch Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
6.1 mi Bournemouth International Airport
18.3 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

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.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Highcliffe 3.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Highcliffe Castle 3.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Bay 4.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Friar`S Cliff 4.3 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Christchurch Avon Beach 4.6 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Highcliffe Castle 3.8 mi

Adventure Wonderland 6.7 mi

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway 7.7 mi

The Bournemouth Balloon 9.1 mi

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 9.2 mi

National Trust

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery 10.3 mi

Brownsea Island 13.5 mi

Newtown Old Town Hall 13.8 mi

Kingston Lacy 14.8 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 15.1 mi

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) 1.9 mi

AVON TYRRELL 1.9 mi

The Naked Man - New Forest 2.5 mi

RHINEFIELD HOUSE 4.3 mi

Rhinefield Ornamental Drive - Blackwater Arboretum 5.2 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.

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 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 $36.33 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.