Lyons Gate Holiday Park

View prices & book 9.3 185 reviews
Colourful site
Pitches by the lake
Lake on site
Aerial view

  • Peaceful woodland site in Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • Half an hour from Jurassic Coast beaches; 20 minutes from Dorchester
  • Four well-stocked fishing lakes on site, plus woodland trails
A peaceful spot in Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, within easy reach of the famed Jurassic Coast and with lots nearby for history and heritage buffs? Sounds like a lucky catch… and that’s not all to reel you in at Lyons Gate Caravan Park and Fishery, a family-friendly site less than 10 minutes’ drive from the scenic Dorset village of Cerne Abbas. This site is heaven for anyone angling to do a spot of fishing on their hols: there are four well-stocked lakes here where casting a line could land perch, chub, roach, tench, rudd, barbel or 20-pound+ carp – plenty to keep novices and experts entertained for days. When nothing’s biting, hunger can be kept at bay with a cheeky takeaway, and there are a couple of pubs in Cerne Abbas if local eats are on the menu. Not hooked on spending getaways on the banks? Nature trails crisscross the woodland on site, or you can venture out into the AONB to wander the Jurassic Coast, lounge around on sandy beaches, and follow the Thomas Hardy trail to see Dorset as the poet and novelist did.

Campground type

Tent sites 13
Mobile homes for rent 2
RV sites 11
Camper sites 11
Open now
Opens February 2
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).
  • A charge of £0.50 ($0.62) applies for the use of the shower.
  • 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.
  • Fishing is £6 per person per day for up to 2 rods.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sun, Feb 2 to

AA 4 pennants

Campsite types & availability

Other campsite types

Reviews

94%

would recommend this campground to a friend

90%

would stay here again

  • 75%
    10
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  • 17%
    8
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

We will be back over the next few months. Definitely recommend.

Overall 9/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 1
Simon F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: We loved our two night stay here with our dog Maisie. As first time fishing, Phil was extremely helpful im setting up our rode and showing us how its done. We caught twice as much in the hour after his suggestions than we did all day. Extremely friendly

Disliked: The only reason we couldn't give a 10 star was that the shop could be stocked with more as the only other shop was a small village shop 10 minute drive away.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for your great review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again.

It was a blissful long weekend break. Phil, Mandy and team were…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 9
Facilities / Activities 9
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 9
Wifi No rating
VickyandAlex D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Atlas Chorus 2 bedroom mobile home

Liked: It was a blissful long weekend break. Phil, Mandy and team were so welcoming.
The static was just right and set in such a beautiful and quiet spot by the woods. Fishing was great too. Very dog friendly. The site itself was a nice size. We would definitely recommend and go back one-day.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for your great review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again.

Beautiful site, very well maintained, friendly helpful hosts. Caught lots of fish. Peaceful…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 7
Nicki B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (lake view)

Liked: Beautiful site, very well maintained, friendly helpful hosts.
Caught lots of fish.
Peaceful & tranquil

Disliked: Leaving

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for your great review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again.

Fishing…

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

Powered grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Fishing

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for your great review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again.

Liked it, just what we wanted. Fishing and walking on the doorstep

Overall 9/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Hazel P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (lake view)

Liked: The site is clean comfortable and well maintained.

The people that run it are very helpful and polite.

The area has lots to see and do.

Disliked: Needs a few essential items in the shop. Local produce would be good.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thankyou for your great review. We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again.

Freindly, clean quiet

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
Debbie B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (lake view)

Liked: Warm and freindly welcome, lovely pitch plenty of room. Nice and clean facilities, whole site well kept. Mandy and Phil work exceptionally hard to keep it that way. Phil and bailiff often popped by for a chat on their rounds checking everyone and everything is OK. Dog freindly lovely walk through the forest seeing the deer and pheasants. Showers for ladies take 20ps lovely and hot. Men's take 50ps and 20ps. Lovely villages near by if you drive had a great weekend. Hubby enjoyed the fishing we enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Disliked: Had to leave to go home 😁 nothing to dislike we will definitely go back later in the year.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your great review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay at Lyons Gate and we look forward to welcoming you back.

Second visit a must

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

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (lake view)

Liked: beautiful setting. Quiet and very tidy

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to welcome you back to Lyons Gate soon.

Thanks for another lovely stay at Lyons Gate, and see you soon!

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

Powered grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked: Immaculate site, lovely people, welcoming atmosphere and fishing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind review. It is always a pleasure to welcome your family onto the site. Hope to see you again soon.

Apart from cost of pitch all excellent.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Alan Lloyd E. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (lake view)

Liked: Opted for Lake view pitch and were not disappointed. Excellent fishing at reasonable price. Toilets and showers short walk away but clean and heated. Very friendly welcome.

Disliked: Thought the cost of pitch was rather expensive as not very spacious.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope to welcome you back to Lyons Gate soon,

We recently stayed at this beautiful campsite and it exceeded all our…

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

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked: We recently stayed at this beautiful campsite and it exceeded all our expectations. The fishing lakes are fantastic, well-stocked and perfect for a relaxing day by the water.

The entire site is meticulously maintained, with clean facilities and well-kept areas that made us feel comfortable and at home.

The owners are truly the highlight of this place. They are a super friendly couple who clearly care deeply about their guests’ experience. They went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, lending us glasses, offering to drive us to the pub when we realised we’d forgotten food, and always being approachable and cheerful. Their passion for their campsite really shines through and adds a special touch to the stay.

We also loved the charming little shop on-site and the peaceful, picturesque location. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy nature’s beauty.

Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a more delightful stay. We’ll definitely be returning and highly recommend this campsite to anyone looking for a friendly, well-maintained, and scenic getaway.

Disliked: A Small Modern-Day Frustration

While our overall experience at the campsite was absolutely fantastic, one minor frustration was the lack of local delivery options for takeaway food.

In today’s convenience-driven world, it’s a bit surprising that there weren’t any nearby services that offered delivery to the site. Of course, this is no reflection on the owners or the facilities themselves, they were incredibly accommodating and friendly throughout our stay.

It’s just a little reminder of how modern conveniences can sometimes be limited in more rural or peaceful locations. Still, it didn’t detract from our wonderful time overall!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind comments, they are really appreciated.
Sadly due to the location of the site the delivery companies don't deliver here and where the fast food restaurants are located the food would be cold by the time it reached the site.
We look forward to seeing you again in the future.


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 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 Lake and/or mountain 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 Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal sites

Location

Lyons Gate Holiday Park

Cerne Abbas

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 7AZ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.85569°N
-2.48163°W

Nearest transport

Bus
6.7 mi Greenhill
6.8 mi Coldharbour
7.7 mi Queens Head
Rail
4.1 mi Chetnole Rail Station
4.9 mi Yetminster Rail Station
5.7 mi Thornford Rail Station
Ferry
17.2 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal
23.7 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
23.9 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
28.9 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

Cerne Abbas has been called ‘Britain’s most desirable village’ to live in and it’s easy to see why. Start stays with a ramble around the stunningly pretty village, stopping in at the pubs to sample the local beer and tottering along to Cerne Abbey where the village’s tradition of brewing began. Of course, beer isn’t what Cerne Abbas is most famous for, so a trip to the Cerne Abbas Giant (a chalk hill figure of a happily anatomically correct man) comes highly recommended. There’s a viewing spot in the village and closer looks are a stroll away along a waymarked circular trail managed by the National Trust. If naked desires (sorry) skew more towards grand estates, Minterne House and Gardens are less than five minutes from base – the house isn’t open to the public, but it’s a spectacular backdrop to wanders among Himalayan gardens, designed in the style of Capability Brown. More urban days are within easy reach at Dorchester, 20 minutes away. The town is the birthplace of Thomas Hardy, and visits to Hardy’s Cottage and his home later in life (Max Gate) are absolute musts. It’s not just literary history here either: there’s the Tutankhamun Exhibition, a Roman amphitheatre, a display of Terracotta Warrior replicas, and a handful of museums for everything from teddy bears to dinosaurs.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Hive 15.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bowleaze Cove 15.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Bay (West) 16 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 16 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Eypemouth 16.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Hardy's Birthplace 9.6 mi

Mapperton House & Gardens 10.7 mi

Montacute House 12.1 mi

Fleet Air Arm Museum 13 mi

Haynes International Motor Museum 13.2 mi

National Trust

Hardy's Cottage 9.6 mi

Max Gate 10.5 mi

Montacute House 12.1 mi

Tintinhull Garden 13 mi

Clouds Hill 13.8 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

MINTERNE 1.4 mi

Beneath The Feet Of Cerne's Giant 3.2 mi

CHANTMARLE 5.2 mi

MELBURY PARK 5.2 mi

SHERBORNE CASTLE 6.2 mi

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, September 6, 2025 – Saturday, September 6, 2025)

    Dorchester, England 9.5 mi

  • Glastonbury Festival (Wednesday, June 25, 2025 – Wednesday, June 25, 2025)

    Glastonbury, England 21.5 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.

Offers

Caravan for hire
Swift Elegance 2 bedroom mobile home
  • 10% off 3 nights+
Caravan for hire
Atlas Chorus 2 bedroom mobile home
  • 10% off 3 nights+

Conditions apply - see campsite type section for details

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Lyons Gate Holiday Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Lyons Gate Holiday Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Lyons Gate Holiday Park? Cerne Abbas has been called ‘Britain’s most desirable village’ to live in and it’s easy to see why. Start stays with a ramble around the stunningly pretty village, stopping in at the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Lyons Gate Holiday Park?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  12:30 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Lyons Gate Holiday Park? From $36.60 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.