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PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Ponderosa Campsite
Valley Road
Harmans Cross
Swanage
Dorset (Browse area)
   
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Pitches:
Rating: 
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 No Tents |
 No Caravans |
 No Motorhomes |
 No Campervans |
 No Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 No 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 |
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| Facilities |
 No Toilets |
 No Showers |
 No Washing Up Area |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 No Laundry |
 No Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 No Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 No Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 No Wifi Access |
 No Shop |
 No Bar |
 No Restaurant |
| Activities |
 No Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 No Fishing |
 No Wild Swimming |
 No Indoor Pool |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 No Horse Riding |
 No Cycle Hire |
 No Golf |
 No Tennis |
 No Beach |
 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 |
 No Dog Walk |
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Reviews:
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| Date of Visit: August 2017 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: Webmaster |
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 Please note we have been advised that this site has closed, and no longer offers camping, motorhome or caravanning pitches. If you know that this situation has changed in the future, please could you let us know. Many thanks 
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Lovely |
8 reviews from this member |
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We visited this campsite for the August bank holiday weekend. On the good side: the views are amazing, you can pitch where you like and although there are a lot of slopes hills etc its quite easy to find flat parts to pitch on. Even on the bank holiday everyone was spaced out and there was plenty of room.
The steam train runs through the campsite which the kids loved to watch. When you arrive you have to open and shut the gates to cross the railway line however there is a back exit/entrance to use after your initial arrival. There is a little wood to the side of the campsite which kept the kids entertained for hours.
There are very basic toilets in one of the camping fields which were clean and always had a supply of toilet roll.
On the bad side; there is one household size bin in the block where there are two sinks adjacent to the toilets. The rest of the large bins are near the showers so you have to cross the railway line, not very good or safe for the size of this huge site not to mention the long walk if you are pitched on the far side of the camp site.
The washing up sink of which there is only one for the whole site is a tiny concrete room with a dodgy light that dims and brightens at will, you will also need 20p pieces for the hot water to wash up! I have to say paying to wash up was a first for me!
There was also a festival in the field next door which went on till 1. 45am and started again at 4am on the sat night/Sun morn, although you cant blame the campsite for that I am sure if campers had of been told they would of pitched on the opposite side of the site. We were half way across the site and it was loud, so for those right next to it, it must have been awful.
And now for the showers! (I can only speak for the ladies showers on this)these are located over the railway line which for most is a long walk. There are two showers one was cold water only and the hot one needed 20p pieces. These toilets were a tiled base with a curtain and quite frankly looked awful! This I found to be more than inadequate for, firstly a site this size and secondly I don't know who could run a site with a facility like this! I think this site would be better to say they don't have showers than advertise these as an amenity. I have been on a lot of sites with basic facilities for a similar tariff but I have never seen any this bad! None of our party showered that weekend, thankfully we were only there for 2 nights as I like to shower every morning.
Would I return? No. I am sad to say that, as this with basic facilities could be a wonderful site.
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Campo17 |
7 reviews from this member |
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What a lovely campsite! We are a family of 5 (3 kids 6 and under). It is located close to Swanage but is also convenient for exploring the whole of the glorious Isle of Purbeck. We were greeted by friendly staff on arrival and were allowed to pitch where ever we liked allowing loads and loads of space. The site is two sloping fields but there are numerous level areas, with plenty of space for kids to play. The view from the top of the second field is stunning and worth the extra distance to the basic toilet, washing up and shower facilities. The site was quiet so there may be some queuing at the height of the season. The atmosphere around the site was relaxed and chilled out. A real peaceful and restful place. We will be returning.
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Scooper75 |
1 review from this member |
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We came across this little gem by accident, and were pleasantly surprised for our first ever camping experience.
Toilet blocks and showers were clean, and toilet roll was provided. Remember 20p for the showers, on average 40p per shower!
The site has two fields, which do slope in most places, although there are plenty of relatively flat pitches to be found.
There are no supermarkets, although local shops offer provisions at a slightly higher cost.
Site is in easy reach (by car) to all local areas, Swanage, Corfe Castle etc.
There are two entrances to the site, one is more adventurous as can only be reached by crossing a railway track!
Definitely recommend this site.
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| Date of Visit: August 2013 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Kal202 |
1 review from this member |
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If you want a basic campsite then this is for you but we were appalled by their lack of ability to cope with Bank Holiday numbers (not that it was overly busy!) We came home a day early because the facilities just weren't up to scratch and the website makes you think they will be better than they are. The other massive issue, the final nail in the coffin, was the Purbeck Folk Festival that we weren't warned about in advance and should probably be mentioned on the website. In was in the next field and the very loud music (not folk but rather rave!) seemed to stop at just gone one before starting again at 4 in the morning waking our entire party up. By the second night of very disturbed sleep we packed up and left.
The owners need to use the profits from this weekend on their showers and electricity because despite listing these facilities on their website we struggled to find them suitable - there was no electricity - the sockets had been taped over, something I only found out after I'd finally managed to have a wash in the one working ladies' shower they had (they kept 'tripping out' according the owners). Also, on the first night the power tripped out at 10:30 just as we arrived at the toilet block to clean our teeth and use the toilets, we had to walk all the way back to our tent and get a torch to have a wee in the dark.
The Ship Inn down the road was very good for food and drink but walking back at night was quite dicey along the main road with no footpath. The location of the site is good for trips around Purbeck but it's dual site, split in half by a frequently used rail road might be fun for the kids to watch but crossing it regularly felt unsafe.
It's a shame we had to come home early because of the poor facilities and the awful festival in the next field; especially as we had to pay for 3 nights due to it being the Bank Holiday.
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Rogerzilla |
5 reviews from this member |
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A far less crowded site than the others we saw in the area, although it is very cheap. There may be two reasons for this: there are very few, if any, really flat pitches and there are very basic facilities. However, it's good value and we enjoyed our time there.
Positives:
- Never crowded despite it being peak time
- Never any queues for the facilities (but see below)
- One field is right next to the steam railway line and you have to go over a level crossing to get to the showers. How exciting is that?
- Ground is good for tent pegs
- Proper toilets, toilet roll provided
- Tends not to attract the sort of campers that make late night noise. There was one large group playing music in the other field but the stereo went off by 9. 30pm.
- There is no shop but there is a petrol station with a Londis just over the main road (there is a pavement to get there)
- Owners are helpful
Negatives:
- Ladies' toilets are OK but gents' can get pretty grubby between daily cleanings depending on who's staying. The toilets are built from cinder block with no tiling or plaster and are very dark when the door is shut.
- 20p for only two minutes' hot water in the showers (although in practice you usually get 3 to 4 minutes depending on what mood the coinbox is in) or the washing-up area. Budget for 40p per shower unless you are lightning quick.
- Grass is long by August so you'll need Crocs or wellies for the early morning dew.
Overall we'd give it a thumbs-up, mainly for the space and the lack of queueing.
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| Date of Visit: August 2010 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Tomstone |
2 reviews from this member |
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We found this camp-site by accident, it is suited on a hill, and the site is generally pretty sloped but there are quite a few level pitches available on-site and the passing steam trains make it all very special! the loos and showers are basic, they are in a concrete block built builds but well kept. The hot water is pretty cheap at 20p. There was loads of space for us to pitch and tonnes of spaces available in the 2 fields!
There is no shop on-site but there is a garage a couple of minutes walk away and a van comes in the morning with supplies if you need them
The local pub the ship is brilliant if you love real ale! it holds 3 very local beer and the food is spot on!
In all it is a pretty basic but well run site and is really like a camp-site should be like!
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| Date of Visit: June 2010 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Vix770 |
5 reviews from this member |
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I really liked this site- it was great seeing the Swanage steam train going past all the time- the kids loved it! A word of warning- you do have to cross the line to get to the shower block! It didn't bother us- but its worth being aware if you have young kids. You also need a supply of 20 pence pieces as they charge for showers. The site is fairly sloping especially the first field but we pitched in the field near the toilet blocks which was flat. I can't remember how much we paid now but it was fairly reasonable for a family of 5. There is a garage over the road where you can buy milk etc. But nothing much on site. Very close to Swanage. All in all, a lovely site I would return.
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