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Reviews of Holmsley Camping In The New Forest
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Holmsley Camping In The New Forest
New Forest, Forest Road
Thorney Hill
Bransgore
Christchurch
Dorset (Browse area)
BH23 7EQ
Tel: 01425 674502
Visit their website Check Digital TV coverage See Weather Forecast
   
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Pitches: 600
Open: 07/04/2024 to 31/10/2024
07/04/2025 to 31/10/2025
Rating: 
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Photos (24)
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 Tent Pitches |
 Caravan Pitches |
 Motorhome Pitches |
 Small Campervans |
 No Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 Seasonal Pitches |
 Electric Hookups |
 Hardstanding Pitches |
 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 |
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| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 Laundry On Site |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 No Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar <5 miles |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 No Fishing |
 No Wild Swimming |
 No Indoor Pool |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 No Cycle Hire |
 No Golf |
 No Tennis |
 Beach <10 miles |
 No Watersports |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 No Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
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Reviews:
218 in total, now showing 61 to 70
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Mikey Pat |
9 reviews from this member |
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 We were prebooked and found our permit waiting at the gate, so were able to park up once we found a free pitch with electricity. As these hookups were at a premium we were concerned that should we go off site, someone would pinch our pitch. Fortunately my fears were unfounded.
The Toilet block was always clean and with plenty of hot water. They wee also well placed for us but for many, quite a trek.
The site does have some tent pitches on quite a gradient - don't know how they slept!
The shop was well stocked and prices as you would expect. 
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Leonsmith |
11 reviews from this member |
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We regularly stay in the New Forest, at least twice a year, and often use the Forest Holiday sites like Ashurst and Hollands Wood. They've always offered good locations, clean facilities, albeit at a slightly higher cost. We'd never stayed at Holmsley so thought it worth a try.
It's a big site. It's situated on an old airfield, so as others have said, there's a lot of old concrete around, albeit well disguised by plenty of greenery, but not many trees so it has quite an open feel to it. You will need rockpegs with you in most areas or you will come home with a lot of bent pegs!
There are a number of sections to the site. Some with EHU pitches and others without. The biggest concrete area in the middle of the site has most of the EHUs so tends to attract the caravans and the bigger families who feel the need for EHU. This seemed like the busiest and noisiest place so we avoided it.
We went to the back field (Plain Heath) where there are no EHU pitches and it's all a bit greener, although you are a few minutes walk from the toilets. We had booked in advance but as is normal on Forest Holiday sites, you still have to find your own place to pitch. We arrived at 12 on a Saturday and it was packed! Irritatingly, campers seemed in no rush to pack up by 12, which is the site rule, so we were left hanging around waiting for a pitch to be free'd up. It should be noted that by Sunday morning the site was considerably emptier, so that might be a better arrival day.
Eventually, we found a decent pitch for a group of us and although there is a 6m distance pitching rule, it doesn't seem to be enforced as tightly as on other Forest Holiday sites so probably a decent place for camping in groups.
We happened to be on the site during the August flash flooding that happened in Bournemouth, just a few miles away. The site took a lot of rain over 24 hours. As others have said, the site does flood in a number of places during very heavy rain. We were ok, having pitched on a high area of grass but others weren't so lucky and some literally woke up in small lakes! Be careful when you pitch if the weather isn't looking good! Having said that, the ground drained very well and by the next day it was mostly dry again.
The facilities are normal for Forest Holiday sites - to a good standard and kept very clean even with a lot of campers using them. The showers always have lots of hot water although the cubicles are barely big enough!
We didn't use any of the other site facilities like the shop or take-away but they were there and open! Christchurch is only 10 minutes away and has a big Sainsburys for all your shopping needs.
We picked this site for its proximity to good cycling routes and weren't disappointed. The New Forest is a great place for cycling with many signposted routes and plenty of flat(ish) rides to be had, both on and off road. Holmsley provided an excellent base for these and is surrounded by lovely open Heath land with decent paths throughout. We can recommend the Queens Head Pub in Burley for a decent meal at a decent price. You can cycle most of the way there along an old railway cutting too.
But of all the New Forest sites we've stayed in, this felt by far the least 'intimate'. Not the usual forest haven that we've become fond of; finding a quiet spot between a few trees and watching the horses trot by. A far busier site for the masses who prefer to have a few extra home comforts like EHU and shops and take-aways on-site. For that reason, I can't see us going back.
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Friends |
3 reviews from this member |
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We stayed over August bank holiday and the site was full. Despite this there were enough loos and showers for everyone, we never had to wait. They were well cleaned.
The ground is hard, as others mentioned, but we were able to buy a mallet which was up to the job in the campsite shop.
The site was quite noisy for our first night with dogs barking and babies crying; everyone was camped fairly close. By the second night the site emptied so there was lots of space and it was much quieter.
It is a great location for visiting the forest and the coast. Recommended are Highcliffe Castle Beach and the ornamental drives in the New Forest.
There are lovely walks in the Forest from the campsite as well. The site had some boggy areas due to a large amount of rain the previous week but we were able to avoid these.
Most of the site is stony, firm ground and is mostly level. We were able to find a spot under trees which was lovely.
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Steveandstu |
4 reviews from this member |
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We visited this site for 2 days mid-week having pre-booked through their website.
We had a great time. The shower/toilet blocks seem to cope with the sheer quantity of people on site & they were kept very clean. It is quite a trek to get to them if you are in the far field.
There is a small playground that is way too small for the amount of kids around & the busier the site gets the less space for kids to play around the site. May be worth the building another playground & using a bit of land for a play field.
The on site shop has a reasonable selection but at high prices, £1 for a pint of milk is ridiculous. But if you have a car their are supermarkets within 10 minutes near Christchurch (Sainsburys) or Milford on Sea (Tesco).
There are plenty of walks & cycle routes around the area & you can find yourself in the middle of nowhere within minutes.
The only issue we had was that as the ground isn't very flat, it does flood badly when it rains. Fine if you have good quality sewn in groundsheet but if you don't you will get flooded. It takes quite a while for it to drain/soak away.
We will try some of the other Forest Holidays sites over the next couple of years & would not rule out returning to Holmsley.
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Smc1612 |
7 reviews from this member |
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This was our 2nd time at Holsley. It was great, we pitched in the Heath field towards the back where it was mainly Tents and still close to the
Toilet/Shower block and Washing up block etc. The facilities were very good with the sinks having proper taps for washing up as to the push down type.
All the toilets and Showers were routinely cleaned and in my opinion I felt all the Staff work very hard! also helpful.
This is on the edge of the New Forest and Christchurch, so Sainburys is nearby in Christchurch
When I came to this site 3 years ago which was a 1st for family camping I must of bent nearly all the pegs which came with my then Millets cheap tent, now I have a large frame tent a good selection of all Pegs for different ground.
This time was easier in the plain heath but still needed Rock Pegs!
SO ADVICE IS BUY A COUPLE OF BAGS OF ROCK PEGS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE - they were selling in the shop at 0. 90p each which doesn't sound much but if you go to a camping shop or as I did Ebay you can get 8 to 10 for about £4
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Trailer Tent |
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| Reviewer: Nudgebar |
1 review from this member |
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Set in lovely surroundings despite the vast amount of concrete on site. Pleasant staff. Facilities are fine, they were regularly cleaned-those people who complained that they were not clean should remember it is the visitors who leave it in a mess and is not the sites fault!Another toilet/shower block is required in busy periods but otherwise ok. Shop fab, great variety!Playground great. Area perfect for days out and beach visits. In v busy periods it was not easy finding a premium pitch, marking them out would be better. The ground is quite bumpy too so doesn't leave you with loads of choice when choosing your ptich. If your looking for a quiet holiday I would not advise it but if noise and lots of children don't bother you then defo make a visit.
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Sar02 |
3 reviews from this member |
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We have just returned from Holmsley, had a lovely time. Arrived 11. 45am on Fri checked in Staff very friendly. We were meeting friends so found them on the Plain Heath area, (I brought rock pegs but didn't need them in this area, no electric hook ups) backing on to the cycle path. Lovely big flat area, a bit of a walk to the wash block but not a problem. Got very busy by Fri eve and Sat afternoon but all gone by Sunday afternoon. We left Tues and it was nice and quiet and lots of room.
Wash blocks and washing up areas, lots of toilets about 6 showers in the ladies, only waited 5-10mins at busy times for a shower. Got messy at peak times but were cleaned between 3-5pm and were fine, coped well with amount of people.
Lots of room for kids to run about and ride bikes, play park, take away, shop a bit pricey but convenient. Went into Burley Saturday eve for dinner 14 of us had a lovely meal at The Queens Head pub.
The walks and cycle paths around the site are lovely. Had a lovely stay but if you are looking for a allocated plot this is not the site, but quite relaxed and big would go again.
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Trailer Tent |
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| Reviewer: Lisad123 |
3 reviews from this member |
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We went over the bank holiday weekend, but stayed on for the week.
This site is terrible. It was busy, to the point most tents were less than 6 away but the guide ropes crossed over too!
Its pitch anywhere which caused no end of problems. There is loads of concrete on the site and not enough grass, to have a nice pitch.
We had noisy neighbours, one who brought a projector to watch films till gone 11pm and some that kicked their kids out of the tent at 5. 30am-6am! Staff did nothing.
Showers were nice and warm and plenty of them, but big queue at peak times.
The shop is over priced and didn't even have bread and milk some days. The takeaway was shut for 3 days solid.
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Saffydude |
2 reviews from this member |
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We stayed here from the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend. We prebooked a Premium pitch through the Forest Holiday's website before we went. A Premium pitch basically means you get EHU for an extra five pounds per night, there is nothing special about the pitch itself.
Anyway, as we arrived early (10. 30am instead of the advertised 12 noon check in) we thought we would chance our luck and see if we could get in early. For a 3. 00 charge we could, which we were pleased to pay as being a BH we figured it would be busy after noon.
Driving around we were lucky to find a hardstanding area for the caravan, with the awning pitched on what was left of the grass. To be honest I think we were lucky in finding the plot we did as it was lovely, with a nice sheltered tree filled area right infront of us for the kids to play in.
I agree with others who have reviewed this site - take rock pegs as the ground is solid, even after the floods Dorset experienced a few weeks back.
Looking around the site we were glad we no longer camped in a tent, as the standard pitches with primarily tents looked to be ontop of one another. Yes, it was probably one of the busiest weekends of the year, but I really think Holmsley would benefit from marking out and assigning pitches to people who have booked in advance. It was one of the things that made me hesitate and subsequently nervous about booking it.
We were located a minute walk away from a toilet/shower block which was handy with a 5 and 3 year old as we only use the toilet in the van for nighttime emergencies. On the first morning I was horrified to find (at 8am!) a 5 deep queue for a shower which had increased to 8 deep when we came out. I must say though, after the BH weekend had gone the campsite seemed to empty out and for the rest of the week we had the pick of the showers.
The water was always piping hot. There is a rail in each where it looks like a shower curtain should be. I wish there had been curtains or screens as although there are plenty of hooks for clothes/bags most people ended up throwing their towels and clothes over the doors to stop them getting wet.
My only gripe is that each toilet block is closed for 2 hours at a time for cleaning. I don't see how it can take 2 hours to clean a block of toilets (some of which seemed permanently locked anyway) and 6 showers.
The location is lovely - there are plenty of New Forest ponies right outside the gate, but I liked the fact they couldn't come onto site as I've heard on other Forest Holiday sites they can get quite aggressive and scavenge for food.
At nightime the site was quiet and pitch black, meaning our kids slept from around 8pm to 8am - fantastic in my book! I like not having night time entertainment on campsites, so it's perfect if you want to chill with a glass of wine outside your caravan at night whilst the kids sleep.
The laundrette is a useful addition, especially with a young family and I used it twice when there. The shop was useful for last minute things such as bacon and eggs, although the choice was limited. A little overpriced too, but to be expected on a campsite shop.
Our kids liked the playground, but rarely used it as there was enough space to run around the trees and caravan. The amount of concrete didn't bother me unlike in some reviews.
I would stay here again but for the fact you can't prebook a pitch I would probably only do so in the off-season when it is quieter.
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| Date of Visit: July 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Stuart6867 |
11 reviews from this member |
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Site is located in a lovely part of the New Forest and used to be an Old WW2 airfield which is why some parts still have the concrete taxi ways. Can it make it tough on your pegs when trying to pitch a tent.
Pitches are not marked out so at peak times it does get very crowded with other units pitching up very close to you. This is a little disappointing especially as some people are not overly considerate.
Toilet and washing facilities are very good, plenty of hot water and the staff do a good job at keeping them clean.
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Common Questions
Is Holmsley Camping In The New Forest child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Holmsley Camping In The New Forest? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Holmsley Camping In The New Forest dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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