Haywards Bridge Farm

View from nearby Okeford Hill

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  • Wild camping on the banks of the River Stour in Shillingstone
  • A 10-minute drive to Blandford Forum; half an hour to Poole
  • Access to the North Dorset Trailway; village pub a 15-minute walk
What did you get up to during the lockdowns of 2020? The folk at Haywards Bridge Farm had rather a busy time of it – they started up a sustainable veg and pick-your-own project at their scenic rural Dorset location… and then, as if that wasn’t enough, they opened up a small campsite too. All of this is part of an 8.5-acre rural farm on the banks of the River Stour, with views across the water to Hambledon Hill in the north and Shillingstone railway station (a non-functioning station closed in 1966 but now open with a tasty little café) to the south. This is a handy spot indeed for many reasons: it’s easily accessed by road (via the A357) and on foot (via the North Dorset Trailway, by the site), with a small supermarket just over the road and Shillingstone’s village pub and playground a 15-minute stroll away. Longer walks along the trailway will take you out into the nearby Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for more scenic views or visits to Blandford Forum, five miles away. All efforts have been made to keep this site as sustainable as possible, so it’s all about wild camping here. There’s only a handful of pitches, all right on the riverbank to max out on the views, and guests will have access to toilet facilities but no showers (in fact, there’s no running water so you’ll need to bring drinking water with you). Being an easygoing kind of place, campfires and barbecues are allowed and dogs are welcome as long as they’re kept on a lead.

Site type

Tent pitches 3
Opens

Languages spoken

Czech

English

Polish

Italian

Nearby sites that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Adults only Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point No hot water No running water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Mountain biking nearby

Location

Haywards Bridge Farm

Haywards Lane

Shillingstone

Blandford Forum

Dorset

England

DT11 0QY

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

50.90628°N
-2.2524°W

Nearest transport

Coach
11.7 km The Town Hall
11.7 km The Town Hall
13.1 km Virginia Ash
Rail
14.3 km Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station
15.7 km Templecombe Rail Station
18.8 km Sherborne Rail Station
Ferry
28.6 km Poole Ferry Terminal
28.7 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
32 km Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
32.9 km 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

Keep it local to start with by popping into Shillingstone Station, where the café and museum are open a few days per week and you can see the work that a group of volunteers are putting in to bringing the heritage railway back to life. Only a little further away are hill walks to the Iron Age fort on Hambledon Hill or Bulbarrow Hill, or cycling exploits at Okeford Hill Bike Park. All are within an hour and a half’s amble. You may also like to walk down to Blandford Forum in a little under two hours to visit the Fashion Museum and take a tour of the Hall & Woodhouse brewery (you can also drive in 10 minutes if you prefer…) Looking a little further afield, how about meeting the residents of Monkey World (half an hour’s drive), admiring the physique of the Cerne Giant (25 minutes), picking up a boat trip to Brownsea Island from Poole (half an hour) or hitting the sands of Weymouth (45 minutes)?

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Poole Harbour Rockley Sands 25.6 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Harbour Lake 26.7 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ringstead Bay 31.4 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door East 31.6 km Sea N/AExcellentN/AExcellent
Durdle Door West 31.7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens 18.5 km

Hardy's Birthplace 21.9 km

Stourhead House and Garden 22.8 km

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 23.4 km

The Tank Museum 23.5 km

National Trust

White Mill 17.5 km

Kingston Lacy 18.8 km

Clouds Hill 21 km

Hardy's Cottage 21.9 km

Stourhead 22.6 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Child Okeford - Wessex Ridgeway - Shillingstone 1.4 km

Fiddleford Manor - Hammoon - Child Okeford - Fiddleford 2.7 km

Fiddleford Mill - Sturminster Newton - Fiddleford 2.7 km

Hod Hill Fort - Iwerne Minster - Hambledon Hill - Coombe Bottom 3 km

RANSTON 4.1 km

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 23.8 km

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

    Glastonbury, England 36.6 km

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

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

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Frequently asked questions

  • Does Haywards Bridge Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Haywards Bridge Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Haywards Bridge Farm? Keep it local to start with by popping into Shillingstone Station, where the café and museum are open a few days per week and you can see the work that a group … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Haywards Bridge Farm?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  noon –  7:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more