Herston Caravan and Camping

View prices & book 6.7 403 reviews
Pitches
Pitches
Old Harry Rocks, three miles away
Bell tents
Aerial view of the site
Night time at the site
Bell tents
Electric grass pitch
Well-spaced pitches
1/194
Old Harry Rocks, three miles away
Bell tents
Aerial view of the site

  • Holiday park one mile from the beach in Swanage
  • Half an hour's drive from Monkey World and Durdle Door
  • Visitor information, shop and takeaway on site; dogs welcome
Three cheers for this one on Dorset's Jurassic Coast: Herston Caravan and Camping is a family-friendly site only five minutes' drive away from the town of Swanage and its sandy beach. Everyone should find a full programme of stuff to do and see in this neck of the woods: perhaps rides on the steam-powered Swanage Railway, windsurfing down at Swanage Bay or clifftop walks on the South West Coast Path. The popular attractions of Corfe Castle, Old Harry Rocks and Durdle Door are all under half an hour's drive away too. Facilities on site include a mini market that also functions as a visitor information centre, and a takeaway for grabbing food when you're hungry. The spacious and clean toilet blocks have plentiful hot showers, family bathrooms, disabled facilities and washing-up areas. Dogs are also welcome at the park as long as they are kept on a lead and cleaned up after.

Campground type

Camper sites 164
RV sites 164
Tent sites 46
Rent a tent 57
Open all year
Opens
Please note

Admission

  • 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).

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

6.7

Overall rating from 403 Pitchup.com customers

  • 25%
    10
  • 4%
    9
  • 21%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 12%
    6
  • 5%
    5
  • 7%
    4
  • 2%
    3
  • 9%
    2
  • 6%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 5
Peaceful

60% would recommend this campground to a friend

62% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite offers easy walking access to Swanage. Guests often praise the friendly staff and clean, convenient private shower/toilet units. While some reviews note tired facilities and maintenance issues, many found it a good base for exploring and would return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 9/22/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 41
Arrival date (latest first)

Good hard and grassed areas…

Overall

3 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
 Colin W. 1 review

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (large)

Liked Good hard and grassed areas

Disliked Not enough gents showers or toilets
Not enough signs for directions at the site entrance.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loads of space around, easy to…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 9
 Sharon M. 4 reviews

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Loads of space around, easy to walk down to the town centre

Disliked Toilets weren't very clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the field Toilets were fairly…

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
Alexander G. 1 review

Powered grass campsite

Liked Loved the field
Toilets were fairly well maintained. One had a broken seat but other wise quite pleasant

Recommend to friends Visit again

The only thing we thought was…

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 1
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 10
 Edwin B. 2 reviews

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (large)

Liked The only thing we thought was good was the showers and cafe

Disliked We thought it was quite untidy the gravel paths to showers were very dangerous bid stones everywhere it was a dangerous drive from the main road to the camp, to far to walk to bus stop and dangerous the camp need revamping very disappointed

Recommend to friends Visit again

Not a positive experience. Messy, untidy & very tired site.

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 3
Value for money
 3
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 3
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 3
Wifi
 No rating
Melanie A. 1 review

FHU cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite (large)

Liked Showers: clean, good water pressure & nice to have individual, private areas.

Disliked Entry into site; pulling a caravan got caught on a tight bend by a woman who didn’t have a clue & tried to keep going until she couldn’t! My husband had to get out to tell her what to do!! Not a good start.
Entered reception & the receptionist was talking to her daughter on the phone. She was quite happy to tell us that: Not a professional way of promoting Herston campsite.
Tiredness of site: Grass not cut, weeds.
Stones on floor are dangerous. Very large stones make it extremely challenging to walk safely.
The man driving the Range Rover pulled out from beside the reception & drove across the front of us making us stop our vehicle despite it being our right of way. There was no acknowledgement from the driver. This was a Herston member of staff.
The shop & launderette are closed & look an absolute mess.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location and lovely walk into Swanage. Good for dogs.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Powered grass campsite

Liked Location. Pitches were good with plenty of space.

Disliked The toilet facilities could do with a bit of attention. Only thing that spoiled it sadly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Large site & good location. Friendly…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Abi W. 1 review

Powered grass campsite

Liked Large site & good location. Friendly staff

Disliked Too many speed bumps. Could do with a barn bar rather than a tent. Toilets/shower need a little TLC but handy having them as huts.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location, on site services…

Overall

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

Powered grass campsite

Liked Location, on site services

Disliked Electric pitches are quite small. Fine when not fully booked but can imagine it gets squeezy in the summer!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location ….. friendly staff ….…

Overall

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

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Great location ….. friendly staff …. Clean facilities …. Easy walk into Swanage

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site great location

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Brian 2 reviews

FHU cement/asphalt and grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Location

Disliked Club house

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 Local produce 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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Hikers’ paradise Leave the car at home Luxury Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery 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 Public transportation nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

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 Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Gray water hook-up for caravans Seasonal sites Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Herston Caravan and Camping

Washpond Lane

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3DJ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.61816°N
1.97913°W

Nearest transport

Bus
1 mi Bus Station
3.6 mi East Street
3.6 mi East Street
Rail
7 mi Poole Rail Station
7.4 mi Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station
7.6 mi Hamworthy Rail Station
Ferry
4.5 mi Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
4.7 mi Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
5 mi Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
12.8 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

A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll beach (10 minutes' drive) or Lulworth Cove (40 minutes) to hire your craft and see the place from sea level. The 630 mile-long South West Coast Path passes through town: pick it up and head eastwards to the Studland and Godlingston Heath Nature Reserve to see the wild and nature-filled Wessex that inspired Thomas Hardy (or hire a steed from the trekking centre for extra historical detail). Going west, the path goes past the splendid sights of Stair Hole and Durdle Door (40 minutes), while descents of varying steepness lead down to quiet and cove-like beaches like Winspit (accessible only on foot from Worth Matravers, 10 minutes away) and Kimmeridge (half an hour). For a spot of time travel, pick up the Swanage Railway for a nine-mile steam trip to Wareham, perhaps stopping off en route for a clamber round the ruins of Corfe Castle (10 minutes). Younger visitors should have a ball among the play barns, pedal go-karts and pettable animals at Salt Pig the Farm - Putlake, five minutes away. Further afield, there are pony rides, deer safaris, tractor trips and bouncy castles at Farmer Palmer's Farm Park (30 minutes), and at a similar distance the heavy hardware in The Tank Museum and the charming residents of Monkey World should keep everyone's monkeys out of mischief.
(within 6.2 mi)
Castle, Aquarium, Theme park, & Zoo (within 10 mi)

Food and drink

  • Coastal Crust Pizza Restaurant 0.4 mi
  • Golden Bengal Restaurant 0.5 mi
  • The Globe Inn Pub 0.6 mi
  • The Royal Oak Pub 0.6 mi
  • The Village Inn Pub 0.7 mi
  • The Crows Nest Inn Pub 0.9 mi
  • Black Swan Inn Pub 1 mi
  • The Corner Restaurant 1 mi
  • Sea Breeze Restaurant 1.1 mi
  • The Narrows Restaurant 1.1 mi

Groceries

  • Courthill Stores Off-licence 0.8 mi
  • Co-op Food Supermarket 1 mi
  • Budgens Supermarket 1.1 mi
  • The Dorset Cider Farm Off-licence 3.5 mi

Parks and play

  • King George's Play Area Playground 0.8 mi
  • Days Park 0.8 mi
  • The Chadwick Playground 1.1 mi
  • West Burton Field Playground 3.1 mi
  • Natural Play Area Playground 5.1 mi
  • Blue Pool Play Area Playground 5.4 mi

Family days out

  • Punch and Judy Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Putlake Adventure Farm Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Santa-Fe Fun Park Theme park 1.1 mi
  • Swanage Lockup Visitor attraction 1.1 mi
  • Funworld Amusements Amusement arcade 1.1 mi
  • Shep's Hollow Visitor attraction 1.2 mi
  • Playland Amusements Amusement arcade 1.3 mi
  • Norman's Quarry Visitor attraction 1.6 mi
  • Spyway Barn Visitor attraction 1.7 mi
  • Durlston National Nature Reserve Visitor attraction 1.8 mi
  • Burngate Purbeck Stone Centre Visitor attraction 1.9 mi
  • Agglestone Rock Visitor attraction 1.9 mi
  • Dancing Ledge Visitor attraction 2.1 mi
  • Oceanarium Aquarium 8.1 mi
  • Bournemouth Aviary Zoo 8.3 mi

Public transport

  • Herston Cross 0.5 mi
  • Swanage School 0.6 mi
  • Steer Road 0.6 mi
  • Holmes Road 0.7 mi
  • Cecil Road 0.7 mi
  • Ulwell College 0.7 mi
  • Washpond Lane 0.8 mi
  • Mill Cottages 0.8 mi
  • Three Acre Lane Bottom 0.8 mi
  • Howard Road 0.8 mi

Beaches

  • Swanage Beach 1.1 mi
  • South Beach 2.3 mi
  • Knoll Beach 2.6 mi
  • Studland Naturist Beach 3.5 mi
  • Sandbanks Beach 5.1 mi
  • Shipstal Beach 5.6 mi
  • Shore Road Beach 5.9 mi

Other nearby

  • Kirkwood Park Golf course 0.6 mi
  • Swanage Golf Games Golf course 0.6 mi
  • Isle of Purbeck Golf Club Golf course 1.2 mi
  • Isle of Purbeck Golf Course 1.5 mi
  • Shell Bay Marine Marina 4.3 mi
  • Royal Motor Yacht Club Marina 5.1 mi
  • Salterns Marina 6.2 mi

Local services

  • Texaco Fuel station 0.5 mi
  • Pod Point Charging station 0.8 mi
  • Cardtronics UK Ltd Cashpoint 1 mi
  • Swanage Medical Practice Doctors 1 mi
  • Well Pharmacy 1.1 mi
  • Pod Point Charging station 1.1 mi
  • Nationwide Cashpoint 1.1 mi
  • Well Pharmacy 1.1 mi
  • NatWest Cashpoint 1.1 mi
  • Swanage Hospital 1.2 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Swanage Railway 1 mi

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 3 mi

Corfe Castle 3.8 mi

Brownsea Island 5 mi

Dorset Cruises 8.1 mi

National Trust

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 2.2 mi

Corfe Castle 3.7 mi

Brownsea Island 4.9 mi

White Mill 13.4 mi

Kingston Lacy 13.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 0.3 mi

Swanage to Corfe Circular Walk 1.8 mi

Durlston Castle Historic Landscape 1.9 mi

Studland - Old Harry - Ballard Down - Studland 2.2 mi

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 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.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Herston Caravan and Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Herston Caravan and Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Herston Caravan and Camping? A five-minute drive gets you into Swanage for sandy walks, sandcastle building, splashing about and more serious watersports. To kayak round the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic Coast, make for Knoll … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Herston Caravan and Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Herston Caravan and Camping? From $66.94 (for 2 nights, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.