The Gaggle of Geese

View prices & book 9.3 53 reviews
Hut and pitches
Hut and pitches
Pitches
Grass pitches
Plenty of space to relax
Garden and barbecue shack
Exterior view
Gardens running up to the orchard
A place to unwind
1/51
Pitches
Grass pitches
Plenty of space to relax

  • Pub site over five acres in the village of Buckland Newton
  • Half an hour's drive from beaches and the Jurassic Coast
  • Homemade meals and local beers, plus barbecue and pizza oven in summer
Walkers, riders, fishing folk, dog owners, family groups… all will want to take a gander at The Gaggle of Geese, a friendly country pub in the little village of Buckland Newton. This is a place that’s mighty well located for all sorts of Dorset days out – it’s in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for all your country pursuits, 20 minutes’ drive from the historic market town of Dorchester and half an hour from the county’s stunning coastline. On top of that, those on family hols may like to note that a drive of less that 45 minutes offers up all sorts of ways to entertain/wear out the small sorts – animal parks, fossil hunting, watersports… It’s not all about location though – the pub’s a rather fine destination in its own right. Five fab acres of peaceful fields, an orchard and a pleasingly sizeable beer garden with a soft play double decker bus, ping pong shack, miniature golf, pygmy goats and a space for football make up the outside space. The inside’s all comfy corners and a warm welcome for all (nippers and dogs included) too. Up for a bit more activity? Skip over to the skittle alley or check the events list to see if there are any quiz nights, wine tastings or live music afternoons scheduled. And you’ll be needing eats and drinks of course... homemade pub classics can be washed down with local beers and ciders; summer nights often see action out at the barbecue shack and wood-fired pizza oven too. Barbecues and campfires are welcome if you’d rather go the DIY route.

Campground type

Tent sites 15
RV sites 7
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • 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).

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Occupancy

  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Single-sex bookings of 10 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.

Vehicles

  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Please note that the pub is closed on Mondays.

Languages spoken

English

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
0 dogs

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 53 Pitchup.com customers

  • 66%
    10
  • 13%
    9
  • 13%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Peaceful

96% would recommend this campground to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

This family-friendly campsite with lots of kids' activities (soft play bus, goats, mini golf) gets rave reviews for its clean facilities, attached pub, and helpful staff. Some guests noted soggy pitches or noise, but overall it's a great spot for short family getaways.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/11/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 6
Arrival date (latest first)

Fantastic location with great facilities and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Barbara J. 4 reviews

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Fantastic location with great facilities and helpful, friendly staff.
Great location for star gazing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great pub, lovely campsite. Good facilities.…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great pub, lovely campsite. Good facilities. Had a lovely vibe

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 RainbowBee 1 review

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Food was decent, staff were amazing even whilst busy with a wedding function, facilities were clean, plenty for children to entertain themselves with.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great campsite, loads on site for…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great campsite, loads on site for the kids to do

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site Friendly staff Great pub…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
 Rebecca B. 2 reviews

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great site
Friendly staff
Great pub
Beautiful location

Disliked No designated drinking taps
No WiFi

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for the nice review. Fab that you could visit and stay again

Just for the benefit of future readers - drinking water is freely available in the wash-up shack. And wifi is available in the pub.

Lush pub and garden. Really great…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
 Clare S. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Lush pub and garden. Really great facilities. The perfect stop on our way home.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great facilities, kids loved it. Goats,…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great facilities, kids loved it. Goats, play bus, mini golf, etc.

Toilets clean and modern.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location. Owners helpful. Clean toilets. Clean…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Location. Owners helpful. Clean toilets. Clean showers. Not too many tents. Lots for the children to do. Firepits available. Activities offered.

Disliked 10-00 pm curfew not adhered to. One large group were talking very loudly and laughing well after this time making it impossible to get our grandchildren asleep. Family in tent next to us were getting very annoyed also. Firewood was the most expensive firewood we have ever bought on a campsite and we are regular campers all over the country. It was ridiculous. It fitted in a tiny tray !!! The pub was great to have nearby with friendly and helpful staff but the menu was a major letdown with a limited menu which was a shame. The food we had was lovely but would have liked more choice. Dogs barking was annoying too and dogs on leads walking around the back of our tent we were not keen on. But a lovely site

Recommend to friends Visit again

This was our second visit at this campsite. It was ok. Might return.

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 4
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Malgorzata D. 2 reviews

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked - nice campsite in a lovely area
- pub on site
- clean toilets with tp/soap topped up frequently
- activities for children even in poor weather - bus / sheltered ping pong

Disliked - due to a wedding event organised on site, our access to the bar and marquee was limited/unavailable and we felt like we were intruding on the wedding party by being there
- decking area and steps outside toilets were very slippery after a rainy night, there was no signage or attempt to remove standing water and my husband slipped and fell on the stairs bruising his back and ribs - luckily there was no serious damage as far as we're aware, but it could have ended in a hospital
- some staff were very tense and 'militant'

Recommend to friends Visit again

We'll be back 😊

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Pub food was delicious and staff very welcoming.

Disliked Could do with a water stand pipe rather than filling up at the sink.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

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 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

Budget/backpacker Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location

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

Pub campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

The Gaggle of Geese

Buckland Newton

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 7BS

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.8438°N
2.44397°W

Nearest transport

Bus
8.1 mi Greenhill
8.1 mi Coldharbour
8.5 mi Queens Head
Rail
5.9 mi Chetnole Rail Station
6.7 mi Yetminster Rail Station
7 mi Maiden Newton Rail Station
Ferry
16.3 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal
21.8 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
22.1 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

Country wanderings aplenty await around here – there are heaps of places for walks both short and lengthy in the surrounding Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A popular ramble from the pub is the four-mile route to the Cerne Abbas Giant (indeed a sizeable chap at 55 metres long – potential pub quiz answer...?) Horseback hacks can be had from several stables within half an hour, and there’s a fab coarse fishery with 10 lakes (10!) five minutes’ drive away. Want a bit more oomph in your outings? Head to Henley Hillbillies (five minutes’ drive) for days zooming about on quad bikes or in hovercrafts or souped-up Minis. Need nipper-pleasing days out? Take your (or more likely their) pick from The Dinosaur Museum (20 minutes), Monkey World (half an hour), the Tank Museum (half an hour), the Sea Life adventure park (40 minutes), Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park (40 minutes)… or head to the coast for beach days in Weymouth (40 minutes), watersports at Lulworth Cove (45 minutes) or fossil hunts in Kimmeridge (50 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Bowleaze Cove 14.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 15.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ringstead Bay 15.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Central 15.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hive 15.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Hardy's Birthplace 8.2 mi

Mapperton House & Gardens 12 mi

The Tank Museum 13.5 mi

Montacute House 13.9 mi

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 14.2 mi

National Trust

Hardy's Cottage 8.2 mi

Max Gate 9.4 mi

Clouds Hill 12.1 mi

Montacute House 13.9 mi

Tintinhull Garden 14.8 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

MINTERNE 1.7 mi

Beneath The Feet Of Cerne's Giant 2.8 mi

Piddlehinton - Buck Hill - Piddletrenthide - Piddlehinton 4.9 mi

BINGHAM'S MELCOMBE 5.6 mi

CHANTMARLE 6.4 mi

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 8.4 mi

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

    Glastonbury, England 22.7 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.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Gaggle of Geese have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Gaggle of Geese dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Gaggle of Geese? Country wanderings aplenty await around here – there are heaps of places for walks both short and lengthy in the surrounding Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A popular ramble from the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Gaggle of Geese?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  5 p.m. –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Gaggle of Geese? From $40.59 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.