The Island at Durweston Mill

9.3 3 reviews
Our unique star bell tents. (added by manager 04 May 2022)

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Our unique star bell tents. (added by manager 04 may 2022)
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  • Grass sites on an island in the Stour, near Blandford Forum in Dorset
  • A 10-minute drive to Blandford Forum; 45 minutes to the Jurassic Coast
  • Bell tents, wild swimming and kayaking on site; near walks and pubs
The Island at Durweston Mill really is an island – a five-acre island in fact, surrounded by the River Stour at the base of Hod Hill – a waterside campsite in a wonderful setting for nights under canvas. The camping experience here is simple, off-grid and off the beaten track, just the ticket for anyone who’d rather swim in rivers than swimming pools. It takes all of two minutes to walk from your tent to the private, three-tiered weir, where you can relax and have a splash in the Stour, or stroll to the North Dorset Trailway. Given the wild nature of this place, a big part of the attraction is getting out and exploring. It’s a great location for fishing and photography – or launching boats, kayaks and canoes onto the Stour (bring your own please) and paddling up or down stream. In late summer, you can forage apples and cherries from the trees lining the Trailway, or blackberries in the bushes leading to the pub (a good excuse for a visit to the pub). Stourpaine (five minutes’ walk) has a pub and deli selling local produce and handy essentials, and the local farm shop (five minutes’ drive) sells locally sourced, free-range meats, fruit, and veg. Don’t fancy cooking? Blandford Forum (10 minutes’ drive) has plenty of takeaways and restaurants too. And at the end of the day, you get to retreat back to your little patch of peaceful wilderness on the Island. If you don’t mind foregoing a shower for the weekend and prefer to bathe in a river instead, then you’ve come to the right place. The pitches measure 400 metres squared and have room for up to 10 people. There are no additional charges for setting up additional tents and structures, plus well-behaved canines are very welcome.

Site type

Rent a tent 6

Languages spoken

English

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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

Disabled facilities

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

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Nearby farmers' market

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Pop-up campsite

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

The Island at Durweston Mill

Mill Lane

Durweston

Blandford Forum

Dorset

England

DT11 0QD

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

50.88055°N
-2.2016°W

Nearest transport

Coach
13.9 km The Town Hall
13.9 km The Town Hall
17.7 km Virginia Ash
Rail
17.8 km Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station
20.3 km Templecombe Rail Station
20.7 km Holton Heath Rail Station
Ferry
24.1 km Poole Ferry Terminal
24.2 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
27.5 km Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
28.4 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

Local attractions and activities: - North Dorset Trailway: accessed from site - Stourpaine (neighbouring village): five minutes’ walk - Blandford Forum: 10 minutes’ drive - Gorcombe Extreme Sports (quad biking, paintballing): 15 minutes - Hambledon Hill: 15 minutes - Sturminster Newton (historic town): 15 minutes - Lulworth Cove (Jurassic Coast): 40 minutes - Sandbanks: 45 minutes - Studland: 45 minutes - Durdle Door: 45 minutes

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Poole Harbour Rockley Sands 21.2 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Poole Harbour Lake 22.3 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Poole Canford Cliffs Chine 28.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Poole Shore Road Beach 28.2 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Poole Branksome Chine 28.2 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Kingston Lacy House and Gardens 13.9 km

Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre 20.4 km

The Tank Museum 20.8 km

Hardy's Birthplace 21.3 km

Stourhead House and Garden 26.5 km

National Trust

White Mill 13 km

Kingston Lacy 14.2 km

Clouds Hill 18.5 km

Hardy's Cottage 21.4 km

Max Gate 24.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Hod Hill Fort - Iwerne Minster - Hambledon Hill - Coombe Bottom 2.3 km

STEPLETON HOUSE 2.7 km

RANSTON 3 km

Child Okeford - Wessex Ridgeway - Shillingstone 4.4 km

Ibberton Hill – Coombe Bottom – Ibberton Hill 7 km

Local events

  • Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally (Friday, 19 July 2024 – Friday, 19 July 2024)

    Dorchester, England 16 km

  • Tankfest (Friday, 28 June 2024 – Friday, 28 June 2024)

    Wareham, England 21 km

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, 7 September 2024 – Saturday, 7 September 2024)

    Dorchester, England 23.6 km

  • Camp Bestival Dorset (Thursday, 25 July 2024 – Thursday, 25 July 2024)

    Wareham, England 27 km

  • Glastonbury Festival (Wednesday, 26 June 2024 – Wednesday, 26 June 2024)

    Glastonbury, England 41.1 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.

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating based on 3 reviews View breakdown

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

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would stay here again

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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

My first time camping at 77 with my daughter and grandchildren and…

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

Bell tent

Liked: My first time camping at 77 with my daughter and grandchildren and greatgrand children. It was brilliant why have l waited so long .we laughed and played the family all went in the weir and some also swam .No tv so everyone talked and laughed. I took loads of pics so we can laugh at them.

Disliked: Walk to the toilet was long at my age but I did it .

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very clean site with good facilities

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

Bell tent

Liked: The campsite was absolutely stunning. Bell tent’s beautiful and facilities were as they stated. The weir was amazing and the whole family loved it. So much space and the fact you could pitch additional tents around the bell tents was an absolute bonus for us. We hired 2 bell tents as there was 12 of us and we all had our own space as well as all together. Fire pits were so cosy in the evenings and I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone.

Disliked: The grass was so long so if that was regularly cut it would have made pitching easier and the smaller children running around would not have got so soaked in the mornings with the heavy dew. There was a broken tent pole stuck in the grass (on the football pitch) and when we played on there, my daughter cut her foot severely on this. The hand washing water run out in the toilets so had to wash hands at the drinking water taps which is not hygienic or convenient especially with the small children. These are not complaints, just recommendations that could be helpful to make the camp experience so much more enjoyable.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really lovely place and the bell tent was immaculate. The owners were…

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

Bell tent

Liked: Really lovely place and the bell tent was immaculate. The owners were very helpful and couldn’t do enough for us. Highly recommend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

  • Does The Island at Durweston Mill have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Island at Durweston Mill dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Island at Durweston Mill? Local attractions and activities: - North Dorset Trailway: accessed from site - Stourpaine (neighbouring village): five minutes’ walk - Blandford Forum: 10 minutes’ drive - Gorcombe Extreme Sports (quad biking, paintballing): 15 … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Island at Durweston Mill?
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more