Advertisement
Reviews of Downshay Farm Camping And Touring
|
|
|
|
Downshay Farm Camping And Touring
Haycrafts Lane
Swanage
Dorset (Browse area)
BH19 3EB
Tel: 01929 480316
Visit their website Check Digital TV coverage See Weather Forecast
This site has an availability calendar. You can check for availability here
|
Pitches:
Open: 30/03/2024 to 31/10/2024
30/03/2025 to 31/10/2025
Rating: 
   
|
Photos (21)
|
 Tent Pitches |
 Caravan Pitches |
 Motorhome Pitches |
 Small Campervans |
 Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 Electric Hookups |
 No Hardstandings |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 No Rallies |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
|
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 No Laundry |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 No Wifi Access |
 Shop <1 mile |
 Bar <5 miles |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles |
| Activities |
 No Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 Fishing <5 miles |
 No Wild Swimming |
 Indoor Pool <5 miles |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 No Cycle Hire |
 Golf <5 miles |
 Tennis <5 miles |
 Beach <5 miles |
 Watersports <5 miles |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Working Farm |
 Campfires Allowed |
|
 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 No Dog Walk |
|
Reviews:
108 in total, now showing 41 to 50
Previous 10
Next 10
|
|
Jump to Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
|
Write your own Review to win an Outdoor Revolution Screenhouse 4 and £150!
If you've ever visited this campsite please submit a review for your chance to win! Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win an Outdoor Revolution Screenhouse 4 worth £299 AND £150 of Amazon vouchers. Leave as many reviews as you can for more chances - it only takes a few minutes
|
| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating: 
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
 | Facilities:
 | Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
 | Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Nikkitm |
4 reviews from this member |
|
 We have just returned from a fantastic stay here and will be returning.
We called in after Burnbake was full for an event and found this camp-site was relatively quiet. I was a little concerned that this meant the camp-site may not be very good but we had a great stay.
The pitches are sloping particularly if you want the best views but it is worth it, you get a great view of Corfe Castle, the railway and Nine Barrows Down. There is also the walk up and down hill to the toilets and shower block if you want the views, but you can always pick a spot closer if you want convenience over beauty.
The facilities are quite basic but everything that is there is clean and in full working order. There are two sets of toilet blocks, the ones I used had 2 showers, 2 toilets and 2 sinks. There was a slight queue in the morning, but that was mainly because people seemed to be taking ages. The showers were clean and there was hot water both in the morning and last thing at night. The toilets were also spotless with an endless supply of loo roll.
Outside the toilet and shower facilities were two sinks for washing up. The water here was cold but there were cloths, scouring sponges and washing liquid for people to use which I thought was a nice touch.
Camp-fires were not allowed although you can have a fire raised from the ground, as we did.
There is no playground as such although there were football posts up, because of its position lots of children were flying kites, so if you have one bring one.
You pitch when you arrive and pay in the morning, we paid £14 a night for 2 adults, an Outwell Oregon 5, a dog and a car. I think this is one of the cheapest camp-sites in the area. The owner is very friendly. Although there is no shop on site there is a van that comes around about 9am selling all you want. We stocked up at Cleall's in Corfe which is only a few miles away, there is also a small spar in the garage on the main road. 
|
|
| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| | Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Jexy |
1 review from this member |
|
We camped here for 5 nights at the end of July (just before the school holidays, phew!). We know the Swanage area quite well but have never camped around here before.
Our stay at Downshay was relaxing and highly enjoyable, despite the not very summery weather. We'd definitely stay there again and recommend it highly to other tenters. The farmer and his son who came round every morning to collect the pitch fee were friendly, helpful and very relaxed and we were made to feel very welcome.
I've read some of the other reviews which say the toilet and shower facilities were basic but I would say they were more than adequate and always clean and well stocked with toilet paper and paper towels.
We were lucky to be staying out of school holidays as it's a fairly large site so I imagine it could get quite busy and lead to queues for the showers if there were lots of tents but this is often the case wherever you go and timing your shower is the key!
You need to pitch in the top half of the field to get the view of Corfe Castle but it's really worth the trudge down the hill to sit in the evening sun looking out at that view.
If you're not a posh camper but equally appreciate a good hot shower and decent washing up facilities then this will suit you fine.
|
|
| Date of Visit: June 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Dogsimi |
2 reviews from this member |
|
Visited Downshay Farm during the half term holidays after reading the many positive reviews and so glad we did! It is positioned between Corfe Castle and Swanage, with Kimmeridge Bay, Blue Pool, Wareham, Monkey World, Tank Museum all close by. Great family park offering no frills with basic facilities that were always clean. Yes there were only 2 ladies and 2 gents loos along with 2 showers each per field, but to be honest it was enough as long as you didn't try to shower at 8am of 7pm!
The site itself is on a huge slope, but this means great views of Corfe Castle, just be careful where you pitch. There is a huge tree in the main field that kept the kids occupied for hours. The showers and freezer for you ice packs where free and you were able to make a donation for the RNLI when freezing packs (I stress that this was totally voluntary). Each morning a mobile shop came round that sold scrummy doughnuts and basic supplies such as papers, bread, juice, milk and kids sweets.
I have read some people complain about the lack of facilities but to be honest, I've been to larger parks with facilities that although plentiful have been really disgusting and you've had to pay to use them, on top of the huge pitch fee.
If you are looking for a site ideally suited to families or group get-togethers this is it. I will definitely be returning.
|
|
| Date of Visit: June 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Jennychap |
3 reviews from this member |
|
Got back yesterday from a weekend here and I have to say its an amazing site. The view of Corfe castle are fantastic as well as beautiful surroundings.You can take lovely walks as well as the steam train that chugs past. Swanage and Corfe are a couple of miles away each way too.
Kid and dog friendly site with adequate toilet/shower facilities which were very clean and well organised. A friendly owner who freely gives answers to any questions put to him! Well looked after pitch areas and I liked the fact caravans were in a different field to tents and camper vans.
The site is sloping so be aware ( there are caution signs ) but it didn't cause us any problems.The site is a short walk to a big play area for the kids,also we saw plenty of dogs around which was nice.Cows in the next field so made my day!
We are going back when the site reopens. All in all I found it great.
|
|
| Date of Visit: June 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Jemjo |
1 review from this member |
|
We arrived at this site after other choices were full (I'm a last-minute camper most of the time!). But what a stroke of luck this was! The site is in a beautiful location with stunning views of Corfe Castle in the distance and the steam train track only a couple of fields away. Another bonus is that Harman's Cross station (for Swanage Railway) is a short walk from the campsite - great for a fun way to access Swanage and Corfe Castle!
The site itself is one of the cheaper ones I've visited (£10 for medium tent, car and 2 people in summer), but the facilities were great for the price. No complaints with the toilets, showers or washing up facilities, a freezer is available and a mobile shop appeared every morning. Some building work was on the go, but this wasn't a problem at all. As a working farm, cows were let into the field next to ours which provided added entertainment.
The site is on a hill, therefore it is very slopey which allows for a great view but make sure you pitch correctly and park your car the right way! There was no play area for the kids (excellent one at the station though!) but I've never had this as a priority for a camp site - there was a great ditch with a group of trees in the middle of one the fields that kids congregated around and this enabled new friendships to be made and wild entertainment to be had.
All in all - for the view, price and location I would definitely recommend this site and will happily return!
|
|
Advertisement
|
| Date of Visit: May 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
 | Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Sjriggers |
5 reviews from this member |
|
Stayed on Downshay for a windy bank holiday weekend.
Things we loved:
The laid back atmosphere: Being able to arrive and pick your own location, particularly as it was such a sloping site.
The spacious feeling to the site
The views, and proximity to the steam train and Corfe Castle.
The price (you get what you pay for here).
Drawbacks:
There were only 4 toilets, 4 sinks, and 4 showers for the whole site. This meant that we were queueing just to wash our hands, having to wait for people to finish cleaning their teeth etc.
The sloping site: Hardly anywhere was flat.
The long walk back up the hill after visiting the facilities!
All in all this was a lovely site for a weekend break, for me the facilities were a bit too basic to recommend it for a longer break away.
|
|
| Date of Visit: August 2010 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Chicaguapa |
9 reviews from this member |
|
I would second the previous review and I think we must have been there at the same time as we also had mixed weather!
It was a fabulous site and I was really pleased to find it. The people were all very friendly and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The farmer who came round every morning to collect the site fees would have a chat and give you a weather forecast. And you could decide when you wanted to leave, no booking in advance or committing yourself to a week's booking if the weather turned bad.
There was a little van that came round every morning with milk and bread and you could freeze your ice blocks in the freezer (but they didn't freeze). There was an area where all the kids played, it was just a tyre on a swing in some bushes but my kids were there all day and loved it.
I agree about there being too few showers but it didn't seem to matter as I don't want anything to change about this site. The views were gorgeous and what camping is all about. Though it was really sloped and I saw a VW camper on 3 blocks to try and get it level so it's worth spending a bit of time looking for a fairly level site!
|
|
| Date of Visit: May 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: JB_one |
6 reviews from this member |
|
Visited on end May bank holiday weekend. Generally a family site set on two large gently sloping fields surrounded by trees. The views and situation are pleasant.
Most pitches slope a little but there are flatter areas. Because of the nature of the fields, generally tents are not rammed together. We had no issues with noisy neighbours during our stay. Facilities were fairly basic but were kept very clean by the owners.
There are 4 male and 4 female showers and at peak times you did need to queue, but as with many sites this can be avoided by planning ahead. Showers were free and electric, hand basins also had hot water.
I wouldn't describe this as an idyllic campsite but it has plenty of space and the owner was pleasant and friendly. The cost per night was £13 for two adults a small tent and a car.
|
|
| Date of Visit: August 2010 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Rainbowfamily |
11 reviews from this member |
|
We stayed for 5 nights (longer than planned) despite mixed weather. The campsite was very pleasant and there is a lot to see and do in the local area.
The site was pretty busy - I counted over 50 tents in just the smaller of the two fields so there must have been well over 100 in total - although there was still plenty of room to play due to the heavily sloping areas of the site which no-one would choose to camp on. Because of this it didn’t feel too crowded. There was a very relaxed family ambience and I felt perfectly safe allowing my two daughters to wander freely and play with their new friends, even when out of view. Other campers were very polite and there was no litter or other inconsiderate behaviour.
The toilets and showers were impeccably clean but there were not enough of them. In the ladies, there were just two toilets, two washbasins and two showers at the bottom of each of the two fields – so 4 of each in total (I don’t know about the mens, but I assume similar) and it was rare not to have to queue even to brush your teeth at peak times. For this many campers, I would think at least double would be necessary. However, despite being under quite some pressure, there did seem to be limitless hot-water and plenty of loo roll, soap etc and I took to going for my morning shower very early, before the queues had a chance to build! Being at the bottom of the sloping site, it would be quite a walk from your camp to the facilities if you had pitched at the very top!
There were also around 4 washing up sinks and a shed with a freezer for ice-packs (though it didn’t seem to be very cold – my ice packs were only well chilled rather than frozen even after a whole night). In the shed there was also a couple of power points, useful for hairdryers, charging phones & games consoles etc. There was also a washing machine but I don’t know how much it cost to use.
There is no official play area but all the kids seemd to congregate in the small clump of trees in the centre of the left hand field.
The views from the site are incredible – an amazing view of Corfe Castle in the distance, framed in the hills (it was fun to try to spot the campsite from the Castle when we visited!). The icing on this beautiful cake is the Swanage Stream railway which runs between Corfe and Swanage late into the evening – it was lovely to see the little puff of steam in the in the distance, and to lay in bed at night and hear it chugging past.
The site owners were super-friendly and the cost - £14 for a family of 4 - seemed very reasonable. There’s a lot of choice of similar campsites in the area – no advance bookings and only open for the summer holidays – but this must be amongst the best? We’d certainly return.
One tip -
We found food a little hard to come by in the area - there are petrol station shops nearby which are just adequate at best, and the old-fashioned grocers shop in Corfe was not brilliant either - there are a Budgens and a Co-op in Swanage but with limited opening hours - and a small Sainsburys in Wareham. So if you have specific ideas for camp cooking, either bring ingredients with you, or stop at the Sainsburys on the way! We ended up dining out quite a lot becuase of this, so it felt like an expensive break - but the Greyhound in Corfe Castle does deserve a special mention for being very good.
|
|
| Date of Visit: August 2010 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Coxfamily6 |
2 reviews from this member |
|
Downshay was our second option to camp at as our first option was a bit water logged. We were so pleased that this happened.
We loved Downshay Farm. The views, the space and the peaceful setting suited our family perfectly. We have 4 children aged 10 and under and they all had a great time.
We would recommend taking a while to select where you pitch as the slope can be steeper in some areas. BUT the slope means that the views are spectacular. One tip is (if you have luggage space) is to take a firepit, we did and it kept us lovely and cosy at night and every night we had kids round to toast marshmallows which was wonderful.
Its very cheap too and the informal atmosphere was very welcoming. There is no reception so you just drive in and pitch wherever. The farmer did put full sign up at one point but it wasn't packed and my eldest (football mad) had the size of a football pitch to play on.
All the facilities were great and the morning van was very exciting for kids. Definitely returning next summer.
|
|
Previous
108 Reviews in total, now showing 41 to 50
Next
|
Write a Review of this Site to Win an Outdoor Revolution Prize and £150
 |
Common Questions
Is Downshay Farm Camping And Touring child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Downshay Farm Camping And Touring? There is a shop within 1 mile View all facilities
Is Downshay Farm Camping And Touring dog friendly? YES View all facilities
Other Sites Near Swanage Other sites within 10 miles - All Sites in Dorset
Latest News, Discounts and Competitions see all...
| Follow us on Facebook! |
 |
You can now follow UKCampsite.co.uk on Facebook! Keep abreast of the latest news and updates much more easily.
Simply click here then click on the Like button! |
|
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
|
8887 Visitors online !
Free UKCampsite.co.uk Window Sticker - Recommend to Friend - Add a Missing Campsite
[Message Forums]
[Caravan Sites & Camping]
[Company Listings]
[Features / Advice]
[Virtual Brochure]
[Shop!]
[Reception]
[Competitions]
[Caravans & Motorhomes For Sale]
[Event Diary]
[Contact Us]
[Tent Reviews]
Please note we are not responsible for the content of external sites & any reviews represent the author's personal view only. Please report any error here. You may view our privacy and cookie policy and terms and conditions here. All copyrights & other intellectual property rights in the design and content of this web site are reserved to the UKCampsite.co.uk © 1999 - 2024 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
