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New Forest Anyone?

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BernadetteChurch
BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
in Social Groups
I'm contemplating a camping trip in the New Forest towards the end of June. I've had a look online and found a couple of campsites that sound and look great but, as always, they come with a really mixed bag of reviews to add to the fun.

Does anyone have any local knowledge or recommendations for me?

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  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    We go to Roundhill campsite. Hoping to go again this year in the school holidays.
  • stressedmum73
    stressedmum73 Posts: 28
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    We have stayed at Holmsley which is a former WW2airfield but they can pack them in when its busy. Have also stayed at Red Shute. ?.pub is popular with Bikers and Lytton Lawn which was too commercialised for me.
    Where are you looking at? Have you looked at ukcampsite.co.uk for reviews?
    We are caravanners but only live in Salisbury but New Forest is lovely
  • nykdem
    nykdem Posts: 119 Member
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    We live in the New Forset but have also camped there too. Ashurst Campsite is very clean and tidy, spotlessly clean toilet facilities and is a regular walkway for cattle and ponies. You can pitch where you like as there are no set pitches (except for a handful of hardstanding pitches). There is no electric hookup but reception will freeze your coolbox ice packs for you. Lytton Lawn is also very clean and tidy but has very regimented pitching places (all in a line and very close together)
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    I have nothing sensible to add, but there is a holiday centre there called Sandy Balls, which never fails to make me laugh.
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    Haha Dan. Might have to check that out in the Summer!
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I have nothing sensible to add, but there is a holiday centre there called Sandy Balls, which never fails to make me laugh.

    yep, stayed there a many years ago, nice spot
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Sandy Balls is definitely worth a photo if nothing else!

    But on a more serious note, I've narrowed it down to Ashurst, Hollands Wood, Holmsley and Roundhill. Homlsley was the frontrunner but a lot of the reviews I read were terrible so that's put me off a bit. Ashurst and Hollands Wood, on the other hand, had generally good reviews. Roundhill's were average.

    We'll be in tents. We like showers, toilets and washing up facilities but don't need electricity or hardstanding or anything fancy.

    Thanks for the comments so far, good people. Happy to hear more!
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    Roundhill is open camping with loos, showers and washing up rooms with sinks in. I wouldn't say they are immaculately clean but it is a camp site and I do't have a lot of basis for comparison bearing in mind I've camped in some gross makeshift facilities at car shows.

    We were tenting and not using any power. We had the ponies, the donkeys and the cows passing through.
  • stressedmum73
    stressedmum73 Posts: 28
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    Holmsley facilities were really clean and they had a large shop and they had an on site chippy which was open when we were there but we went one weekend during term time so not sure what school holidays would be like.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Thanks for the extra input, stressedmum73 and ms_leanne. Give me a bit more to go on.

    We'll be there at the end of June so hopefully it won't be too crowded then.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    We ended up at Hollands Wood and I have to say it was one of the best sites I've stayed in. Admittedly it was fairly quiet when we were there, being outside of school holidays, but we had plenty of space around us and could pitch wherever we liked. The staff were all really friendly and helpful and the amenities were all nice and clean with plenty of hot water, etc. There's also direct access into the forest for walking and cycling and it's only a short walk into Brockenhurst, the nearest town.

    Highly recommended, but do watch out for the ponies which are quite happy to poke their noses into your tent and pinch any food you haven't locked away!
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    We're going own again on 12th August. I might get Neil to check out the prices at Hollands Wood as its nice to be that close to Brockenhurst.
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    We've booked Hollands Wood this year. :smile:
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    I'll be interested to hear what you think!

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