Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.4 77 reviews

Bell tents (added by manager 04 Aug 2022)

Choose your own pitch or hire a bell tent

Flat and spacious with views across the north dorset countryside

Spacious site over three acres of a working farm with great views
A 10-minute drive from Dorchester and 15 minutes from Weymouth
Weekend pop-up bar and food; live music on Friday and Saturday nights

With ancient burial sites and some top-notch views to its name, Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree is the sort of place where you’ll certainly be keen to roll out of bed and go for a wander. The spacious site is spread over three acres of relatively flat grassland, next to Came Woods, with excellent views over the north Dorset countryside on one side and glimpses over Weymouth Bay and Portland on the other. There’s a fair bit of history at this working farm, in the form of several Neolithic tumuli in the main pitching field. And there’s more in the surrounding area too, which you can spot as you take walks along local footpaths to Hardy’s Monument and Osmington White Horse or along the Dorset Ridgeway. Getting in and out should be fairly straightforward here: the farm is a 10-minute drive from Dorchester and 15 from Weymouth, both easy journeys via B roads. Closer to home are the villages of Sutton Poyntz and Preston, which have convenience stores, fish and chip shops and a clutch of good pubs. With so much space to run about in, this site is a fine pick for family holidays and those travelling with dogs. Barbecues and campfires are allowed on site too, although some restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of guests and local wildlife alike.

Campground type

Please note

Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
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.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Campsite types & availability

No availability at present on Pitchup.com

Choose your dates and we'll email when available.

See nearby bookable parks

Bell tent

6 people maximum

Bring all camping equipment minus the tent (linen, sleeping bags, pillows, cooking equipment, etc.)

1 room

Open space 6 x Bring your own bed

No toilets in the unit: shared facilities available.

No showers in the unit: shared facilities available.

Features

Car 1 included, 3 max.

Car parking by site/unit

Other restrictions

Bed linen not provided

Extras

Boat space (1 max)		£5 (£5) per night
Bring a gazebo (1 max)		£15 (£15) per night
Dog (4 max)		£3 (£3) per stay
Extra car (2 max)		£5 (£5) per stay
Trailer (1 max)		£5 (£5) per stay
Travelling without a car? (1 max)		-£5 (-£5) per night

You will be able to choose extras on the booking page.

Arrival days

No availability on our site

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

10 people maximum

Ground type: Grass and earth

Site size: Min 10.0m width x 14.0m depth (32.8ft width x 45.9ft depth) Calculated area: 140.0m² (1506.9ft²)

10 people maximum

One Tent or Trailer tent allowed per site

Additional units require additional sites - quick book via 'Make another booking like this' after making your booking.

Site size

Min 10.0m width x 14.0m depth (32.8ft width x 45.9ft depth) Calculated area: 140.0m² (1506.9ft²)

Ground type

Grass and earth

Twin-axle vehicles accepted

Suitable for

Tent, Trailer tent

Features

Bring an awning 1 included, 1 max.

Bring a shelter tent 1 included, 1 max.

Car 1 included, 4 max.

Car parking by site/unit

Extras

Boat space (1 max)		£5 (£5) per night
Bring a gazebo (1 max)		£15 (£15) per night
Dog (4 max)		£3 (£3) per stay
Extra car (1 max)		£5 (£5) per stay
Firepit (1 max)		£5 (£5) per stay
Trailer (1 max)		£5 (£5) per stay
Travelling without a car? (1 max)		-£5 (-£5) per night

You will be able to choose extras on the booking page.

Arrival days

No availability on our site

Reviews

would recommend this campground to a friend

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Waiting in the cold for hours and still didn't get a tent!

Overall	2/10
Location	10
Value for money	6
Accommodation	2
Facilities / Activities	6
Customer service	6
Child friendliness	6
Cleanliness	4
Wifi	2

Paul B. Sep 2024

Bell tent

Liked: The views were lovely, the site was flat and that they have options for dinner/ breakfast is useful.

Disliked: We had booked a bell tent and arrived just after 3pm to check in. They had an issue with the bookings so they didn't have any tents available. Told me to come back in a hour and it would be sorted. Came back an hour later and the tent still wasn't available, got asked to wait in an adjoining field. Waited for a very cold/ windy further 3 hours to find out they had put up other bells tents and given them to other people but ours still weren't ready. Ended up asking for a refund and finding somewhere else to stay for the evening.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: So sorry for the bad experience! Unforgiveable! We had an issue with Pitchup software not syncing as it should with ours so were completely unaware that the problem was brewing until people arrived. We moved heaven and earth to source more bell tents but I am personally very sorry we failed to meet your very reasonable expectations on this occasion. I have messaged you directly.

Nice with location with lovely views. All facilities as advertised. Great live music…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	8
Accommodation	8
Facilities / Activities	8
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	8
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Sep 2024

Bell tent

Liked: Nice with location with lovely views. All facilities as advertised. Great live music and food on Friday and Saturday night. All staff really friendly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice place with great views and live music. Good to have a…

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

Karolina T. Sep 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Nice place with great views and live music. Good to have a small bar on site. Showers were nice and hot. Really enjoyed the stay and would definitely recommend it to my friends!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location with good facilities

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	2

Abina G. Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: We visited this campsite for the second time and it was a brilliant experience with level pitches, good facilities including but not limited to hot water, drinking water, showers, fire pits, live music, etc The staff are friendly and welcoming. They also loaned us extra large pegs to hold our tents against strong winds.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Leaky bell tent

Overall	4/10
Location	8
Value for money	6
Accommodation	2
Facilities / Activities	4
Customer service	6
Child friendliness	6
Cleanliness	4
Wifi	2

Anonymous Sep 2024

Bell tent

Liked: Views and lovation

Disliked: Bell tent leaked. Had no reply from owners. Showers incredibly drafty (not in a block)

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: So sorry you had a bad experience. The bell tents are made of cotton canvas and water will wick through into the tent if anything inside is touching it. We always try to deal promptly with such issues. I was not made aware of this particular issue at the time and apologise if my staff have failed to deal with the matter to your satisfaction. Please feel free to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.

The pitches were a fab size, the staff working there were lovely…

Overall	10/10
Location	8
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	8
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Mish Samways S. Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: The pitches were a fab size, the staff working there were lovely and were a Happy to answer questions and offer advice. Compostable toliets are not everyone's favourite thing, but I prefer them over port-a-loos any day.

Disliked: I may have missed some extra info but the site was a little tricky to find. You can't quite go off the post code or the first result in Google maps. You need to put in the whole name - donkey downs camping at cilliford tree.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks for your feedback. It is really helpful. I must admit that I was not aware of the issue with finding the site. I will update the Google maps location.

This site was really welcoming, from the moment we arrived at the…

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

John C. Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: This site was really welcoming, from the moment we arrived at the reception with full info of the site and surrounding area. The showers and toilets were really clean. The staff made made sure of this. Hot water. Great. The site laid on music free of charge on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening with some great musicians. The site was very clean and our departure was not rushed. We will be back and I would recommend it to all

Disliked: None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, great that they have evening food/drinks/live music/breakfast van. Great vegan…

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

Anna G. Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Lovely site, great that they have evening food/drinks/live music/breakfast van. Great vegan options on food. Dog-friendly site. The showers were hot, toilets clean, everyone really friendly. Great location to have as a base.

Disliked: Quite exposed where we were directed to set up so when rainy or windy it was hardcore in a tent - next time we’d pitch up elsewhere for some protection. The field was plenty big enough.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Highly recommend

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

Anonymous Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Lovely relaxed vibe, spacious pitches, not at all over crowded. The showers and toilets were regularly cleaned and having running hot water was great. Loved the live music and rustic bar on the Friday and Saturday.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fairly quiet lots of space…

Overall	6/10
Location	8
Value for money	6
Accommodation	6
Facilities / Activities	2
Customer service	6
Child friendliness	8
Cleanliness	4
Wifi	2

Anonymous Aug 2024

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Fairly quiet lots of space

Disliked: The toilets smell awful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

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 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 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

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities 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

Farm Large (51-200 sites) Pop-up campground

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree

Chalky Road

Whitcombe

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 8NL

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.66769°N
-2.4268°W

Nearest transport

Bus

2.9 mi South Station

4.1 mi Marks and Spencer

14 mi Red Lion

Rail

2.2 mi Upwey Rail Station

2.9 mi Dorchester South Rail Station

3.1 mi Dorchester West Rail Station

Ferry

4.2 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal

19.2 mi Poole Ferry Terminal

19.6 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing

Airport

27.2 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

What exactly is the Osmington White Horse (25 minutes' walk)? In the shape of King George II riding his steed, this limestone figure is carved into a smugglers’ landscape. Hardy's Monument (two hours' walk/20 minutes' drive) is a stone monument and a fine reward for a slightly more challenging hike. If you’re keen to see more historical bits, The Tank Museum (20 minutes) houses an impressive collection of war tanks and the Swanage Railway (40 minutes) keeps alive a steam railway from the 19th century. Dorchester (10 minutes) is another good bet, with a dinosaur museum, teddy bear museum and the Tutankhamun Exhibition’s mummy artefacts. Of course, you’re not far from the Jurassic Coast either – big sights there include Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door (20 minutes), Chesil Beach (20 minutes), Portland Bill Lighthouse (half an hour) and Abbotsbury Swannery and Subtropical Gardens (25 minutes). As for classic seaside amusements and other family-friendly days out, count on Fantasy Island amusement park (10 minutes), Bournemouth (45 minutes), Monkey World (20 minutes) and Weymouth (15 minutes). Weymouth has a gorgeous sandy beach, the Sealife Centre and boat trips to fish for mackerel or visit Portland.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
Bowleaze Cove	2.2 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Weymouth Lodmoor	3 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Weymouth Central	3.8 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Ringstead Bay	4.2 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Portland Harbour Castle Cove	5.1 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	N/A	N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 3 mi

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 3.9 mi

Hardy's Birthplace 4.6 mi

Abbotsbury Swannery 7.6 mi

The Tank Museum 8.3 mi

National Trust

Max Gate 2.8 mi

Hardy's Cottage 4.6 mi

Clouds Hill 8.4 mi

Corfe Castle 16.3 mi

White Mill 18.6 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

LODMOOR (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 25/11/2004) 2.6 mi

Nottington - Lorton - Radipole 2.8 mi

Lodmoor Nature Reserve - Littlemoor - Preston 2.9 mi

Nottington - Southill - Chickerell 2.9 mi

Nottington - Upwey - Broadwey 2.9 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.

Policies

Booking terms and conditions

Changes to your holiday

Bookings cannot be amended within 7 day(s) of arrival.

Admission

Admission is only permitted after registering at reception.
At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Arrivals and departures

Late arrivals must notify the park as soon as possible. Your booking will be held for 24 hours. After this period the management reserves the right to relet your unit.
No refunds/discounts for inclement weather, late arrivals or early departures.

Dogs

Dogs are prohibited from main facilities and amenities.
Dogs must be kept on leashes and supervised at all times.
Guide dogs are allowed on site free of charge.
The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.

Extras

Motorcycle(s) can be brought instead of the car(s) included.

General

Bookings are nominative and non-transferable.
In the event of a complaint, please speak to reception immediately. Complaints which are not brought to the management's attention during your stay cannot be dealt with once you have left the site.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
Quiet hours must be respected between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m..
Radio, music and TV players must be kept at a low volume. Car doors and trunks must be closed quietly.
The management reserves the right to deny access or terminate the stay of those guests whose behavior is deemed unsuitable. No refunds will be offered.
The park is not liable for any refund in the event of force majeure.

Hired accommodation

No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.

Occupancy

No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Safety

Barbecues are permitted but must be raised off the ground and attended by an adult at all times.
Firearms are not permitted.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
Open fires are prohibited.

Sites

Please note, pup tents are to be used for storage purposes only. Guests may not use them for sleeping.
You must follow management instructions when setting up your tent/rig and related equipment.

Taxes

This area is not subject to city tax.

Payment terms

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Frequently asked questions

Does Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree have a swimming pool? No View all features
Is Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near Donkey Down Camping at Culliford Tree? What exactly is the Osmington White Horse (25 minutes' walk)? In the shape of King George II riding his steed, this limestone figure is carved into a smugglers’ landscape. Hardy's Monument (two … Read more