The Railway Campsite

View prices & book 9.4 223 reviews
Train going past the site
Train going past the site
The steam train running past
View of the site on a cloudy morning
View of the site
View of the field
Party in the woods
Pitches
View of the site
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The steam train running past
View of the site on a cloudy morning
View of the site

  • Eight-acre field with Swanage Railway steam trains passing by
  • A 10-minute drive to Swanage Beach; 35 minutes to Durdle Door
  • Off-ground barbecues and firepits allowed; dogs welcome
If you’ve got little train enthusiasts in your family (or large ones, for that matter…), this is a site that’s likely to please them very much indeed. As the name suggests, The Railway Campsite is located next to the railway – and none other than the famed Swanage Railway. Waving at the steam trains as they puff past is a popular pastime around this dog-friendly site – although there are also some great Dorset countryside views for when there’s no railway action, plus lots of space around the eight-acre open field for whatever you choose to focus your attention on. And presumably you’ll want to take a ride on one of those trains too? That’s easily done, since Harmans Cross station is just next door to the site. All you have to do is choose whether to journey up to Corfe Castle or over to Swanage for a day at the beach (both about 15 minutes by train). When you’re not riding the rails, you can get out to some great coastal corners, including Studland Beach, Kimmeridge Bay or Dancing Ledge – all are within a 20-minute drive. This is a back-to-basics site, but it does have wooden composting toilets, a shower hut and chemical disposal facilities. The on-site snack shack opens its doors on weekends for breakfast, drinks and light evening meals. It's also open on Thursday evenings for Jamaican food. Off-ground barbecues and firepits are allowed in the designated areas (the site has firepits for hire and wood for sale if you need it), so you’re welcome to have a go at making your own dinner. You can source provisions at the small supermarket in the village of Harman’s Cross (five minutes’ walk).

Site type

Tent pitches 30
Motorhome pitches 20
Open now
Opens 3 July
Please note
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 6 or more people (excluding couples) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The site caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 16 or over.
  • This is a quiet site: no music is allowed.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • Raised fire pits are allowed in designated areas only.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 03 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 223 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
  • 11%
    9
  • 16%
    8
  • 1%
    7
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    6
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    5
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Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Peaceful

98% would recommend this site to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Chill, no-frills site with ace views near Swanage Railway. Staff are lekker, pitches are massive, and the food shack's a bonus. Toilets are clean compost ones, showers are hot. Great value, choose your spot. Bit hilly, and can get a bit noisy/smelly when packed, but most loved their peaceful stay and plan to come back.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/07/14

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 23
Arrival date (latest first)

A simple field with facilities- just…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked A simple field with facilities- just what we like - friendly staff - great location!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent place to camp with our…

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
Carla S. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Excellent place to camp with our two dogs and daughter . We even seen a fire fly. Haven't seen one of them in years.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

The location of this campsite is…

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
Cornelia C. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The location of this campsite is perfect, just a short drive from Old Harry Rocks.

They also have food available on site, so we treated ourselves to a full English breakfast and a coffee before heading out. It meant we could take our time, relax, and enjoy a slow morning instead of packing up early and rushing off to find somewhere for breakfast.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay with a convenient food shack on site

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great location and easy to get to Swanage given the bus stops very near the site. Quiet location

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect 🤩

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
Courtenai C. 7 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Really enjoyed my stay here, perfect campsite with great facilities that were always very clean and tidy.. incredible views and very dark skies at night, the stars were amazing. Lovely and peaceful and close to lots of places to visit. Will definitely come back soon.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely tidy campsite with great views…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Ally P. 4 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely tidy campsite with great views and was not busy. Everyone was quiet and respected the quiet hours. Shower was lovely and warm with lots of room but it is an outside shower so might be cold in winter or colder weather. Water points easily accessible. Washing up station. Composting toilets which aren't fancy lol but if you aren't fussy they do the job. Didn't get chance to use the cafe onsite as arrived late and left early but looked nice. Felt very safe as a solo camper. Choice of pitch which is good. Close to popular scenic locations and small town not too far away. Many footpaths and things to do in the area.

Recommend to friends Visit again

upon arriving your made to feel…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Gary T. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked upon arriving your made to feel so welcome .
the site does a single supplement for solo campers
you can pitch wherever you like .

Disliked it should be open for more than 60 days

Recommend to friends Visit again

Incredible stay thank you so much.…

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
Victoria Louise B. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Incredible stay thank you so much.

Will be back soon!

First time camping alone and I felt really safe.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site shame about the loud blokes

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 1
 Andrea S. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked I loved the location and the views were stunning. The hosts are v nice and they make a great coffee and breakfast great shaded area to sit in this heatwave

Disliked The fact that 9 camper vans complete with dogs only 2 women in the party ruined our stay with late loud talking music and laughter very intimidating so left a day early

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: They all booked separately and parked apart from each other so at first I was unaware they knew each other. It is very hard to Police. They were all friendly and respectful to me. I’m sorry you had an issue. I’m more than happy to reimburse you for the night you weren’t here. I’m so sorry that this spoilt your stay.

Lovely hosts and the snack shack…

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
George H. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely hosts and the snack shack was both delicious and good value. Lots of choice of where to pitch up. Great view of the heritage railway as it comes past too

Disliked Hilly site, don't forget your levellers like we did

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

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 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

D. of E. 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

Budget/backpacker Leave the car at home Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Large (51-200 pitches) Pop-up campground

Accessibility

Accessible parking at pitch Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Railway Campsite

Sunny Glade

Haycrafts Lane

Harmans Cross

Swanage

Dorset

England

BH19 3EB

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50,61958°N
2,0239°W

Nearest transport

Coach
3 km East Street
3 km East Street
4,6 km Bus Station
Rail
10,4 km Wareham Rail Station
10,9 km Holton Heath Rail Station
11,5 km Poole Rail Station
Ferry
8,5 km Shell Bay Ferry Terminal
8,9 km Sandbanks Ferry Terminal
9 km Brownsea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
22,2 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

Famed for its ever-changing shades of blue and green, the Blue Pool (15 minutes’ drive) is surrounded by acres of heath- and woodland laced with trails. Take the easy path skirting the lake (where kids can also hunt for magic fairy doors), or steel yourself for a more challenging uphill route leading to views of the Purbeck Hills. Overlooked by the Georgian Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge Bay (20 minutes) is part of the Jurassic Coast. Rockpooling here may well yield some fossils; if not, you can head to the Etches Collection Museum, which displays fossilised marine creatures dating back millennia. The bay has clear waters for swimming and a summer snorkelling trail. Stay on the Jurassic Coast and move westwards to Durdle Door (35 minutes from the site), an iconic limestone arch stretching out into the sea. You can admire this imposing natural landmark from the dog-friendly beach or from the lookout point up on the cliff (easily reached via the South West Coast Path).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Swanage Central 4,7 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Studland Knoll House 6,2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Kimmeridge Bay 7,6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Shell Bay North 8,4 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Poole Sandbanks Peninsular 9,8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Corfe Castle 3,3 km

Swanage Railway 4,6 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 6,1 km

Brownsea Island 9 km

Lulworth Castle & Park 13,2 km

National Trust

Corfe Castle 3,1 km

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve 5,8 km

Brownsea Island 8,9 km

Clouds Hill 19,4 km

White Mill 20,8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Worth Matravers - Cliffs, Caves and Chapel 2,6 km

Worth Matravers - Winspit - Dancing Ledge 2,6 km

Corfe - Nine Barrows Down - Swanage 3,2 km

Herston - Worth Matravers - Corfe 3,2 km

The Purbecks - Castle and Coastal 3,5 km

Local events

  • Camp Bestival Dorset (Thursday, 30 July 2026 – Thursday, 30 July 2026)

    Wareham, England 13,1 km

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

    Dorchester, England 30,5 km

  • New Forest and Hampshire County Show (Tuesday, 28 July 2026 – Tuesday, 28 July 2026)

    Brockenhurst, England 39,6 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.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Railway Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Railway Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Railway Campsite? Famed for its ever-changing shades of blue and green, the Blue Pool (15 minutes’ drive) is surrounded by acres of heath- and woodland laced with trails. Take the easy path skirting the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Railway Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  Anytime –  Anytime
    Depart by:  4 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Railway Campsite? From R439,58 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.