The Railway Campsite

View prices & book 9.4 248 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.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • 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 248 Pitchup.com customers

  • 68%
    10
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    9
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    8
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    7
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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

Spacious, friendly site, great views near Swanage Railway. Clean, basic facilities (compost loos, hot showers), handy food shack. Staff are welcoming. Freedom with pitches, late check-out a plus. Mostly peaceful, minor noise noted.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/07/28

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 25
Arrival date (latest first)

Fabulous

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Katie M. 5 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Had a lovely couple of nights and chose this site due to it overlooking the Swanage Heritage Steam railway so enthusiastically waved to every train! Good basic facilities which were kept clean and well stocked throughout my stay. Friendly staff. Little cafe which also featured a pop up Jamacian BBQ which was delicious. Location great for Corfe Castle, big hikes and Swanage. I caught the train to Corfe Castle and then walked back. Highly recommend.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site, amazing location, good food, can’t fault it

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
Deb R. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Everything, perfect location on Swanage railway we caught the steam train a couple of times into Swanage and Corfe castle. It’s a big spacious site, good showers, the snack shack is fantastic, amazing breakfast, proper coffee, evening meals. Lovely family run, well attended site, well looked after. We loved it so much we stayed longer and will be back.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will return soon

Overall

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

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Great site. Good reasonable fees. Quite Near train and bus stops, lovely showers and food cooked to order am and pm.each day. Steam train next to field. Lovely helpful owner

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing

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
Joanna S. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Family friendly, we love it all.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet and relaxing within easy reach of plenty to do and see.

Overall

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

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked A lovely large undulating quiet field with freedom to pitch wherever you like.
Right next to Swanage railway with Harmans Cross station across the road.
Water points and composting toilets and a basic shower block.
An onsite food shack serving hot breakfast and evening snacks is nice.

Disliked The only criticism is a lack of a water point adjacent to the Elsan point to allow easy swilling out of motorhome/caravan toilet cassettes.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: There is a tap 2 1/2 m from the Elsan point with a hose that is long enough to reach the point for swilling . I will put a sign next to it so it’s more obvious.

Fantastic stay and would definitely go again.

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely basic campsite, great location and lots of space. Showers were great, and although there were only 4 we never had to queue very long, if at all. Nice chilled and relaxing.
The trains so close by was just brilliant.

Disliked Not sure I'll ever get used to a compost toilet, but they were better than most portaloos 🤣

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful relaxed campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
 Jo R. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Lovely capsite.
Basic, back to nature.
Compost toilets/showers very clean.
Plenty of space
Train Station a few minutes walk away and enjoy seeing the trains go by.
Nice breakfast at the cafe.

Disliked Didnt dislike anything!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great setting, tidy campsite with well…

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
Justin D. 1 review

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great setting, tidy campsite with well maintained amenities. Will visit again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Snack shack onsite was convenient. Some…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Andrew K. 3 reviews

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Snack shack onsite was convenient. Some level ground. Location good for local attractions.

Disliked No guidance as to location of facilities on arrival. Composting toilets had doors with gaps that you could see through. Not enough room inside. Flies due to open pits. Seemed very busy with no guidance for distances between units.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: As the owner I would’ve been in the snack shack8.30-111am and 5-9pm. If you needed any guidance all you had to do is ask. If I wasn’t there, one of my kids would’ve been and they would’ve been more than happy to help.
They are eco-friendly drop Loos so I’m afraid there will be the odd fly or two especially in this heat!
Some of the doors have shrunk slightly due to the dry weather we are resolving this ASAP.
If people were close together, it would’ve been as they were in the same group.

Highly recommended

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
Helen T. 1 review

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked The views, the facilities, the warm welcome from Annabelle. One of our best campsites!!

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

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 R443,50 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.