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10 of the best Dorset caravan holiday parks - 2021
Dorset has a choice of more than 25 holiday parks, but we've picked 10 of the best by comparing location, reviews, price and facilities.
Some are in the busier touristy parts of Dorset which have lots of family attractions, such as Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Weymouth whilst others are in West Dorset along the Jurassic Coast in pretty seaside resorts such as Lyme Regis, Bridport, West Bay and Charmouth.
We've chosen a mix of busy family holiday parks which usually have indoor swimming pools and kids' entertainment, as well as quieter caravan parks with fishing, woodland, hot tubs and easy access to beaches.
For our price comparison we looked for the cheapest caravan we could find for a family of 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2021.
Some are in the busier touristy parts of Dorset which have lots of family attractions, such as Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Weymouth whilst others are in West Dorset along the Jurassic Coast in pretty seaside resorts such as Lyme Regis, Bridport, West Bay and Charmouth.
We've chosen a mix of busy family holiday parks which usually have indoor swimming pools and kids' entertainment, as well as quieter caravan parks with fishing, woodland, hot tubs and easy access to beaches.
For our price comparison we looked for the cheapest caravan we could find for a family of 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2021.
1. Rockley Park Caravan Holiday Park (Poole) - busy Haven park, family facilities
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Haven has four Dorset holiday parks, and they're all decent choices for a family holiday in the county. I wouldn’t say there’s an obvious choice as their best park in Dorset.
Rockley Park, Littlesea Holiday Park, Seaview Holiday Park and Weymouth Bay Caravan Park all score similarly on TripAdvisor (4 out of 5). They’ve all got indoor swimming pools (just in case the weather quite isn’t as good as it is in the brochures) and they all have kids' clubs so you might, possibly, get a few minutes peace and quiet. They also all have evening entertainment for adults, although I go to bed about 10 minutes after the children so I’m unlikely to be playing bingo until dark. Rockley Park has slightly more facilities than the other three, including a climbing wall and water sports. However, if you stay at Weymouth Bay or nearby Seaview you can (at the time of writing) use the facilities at both parks, so you’ve got more choice. For younger children, I would be inclined to choose based on location and price. In my short survey, the cheapest week in August 2021 for 2 adults and 2 children was about £950-1100 at all four. You'll find that Haven parks are sometimes cheaper if you are able to start your 7 day holiday on a weekday so it's worth tinkering with the dates a little. |
Haven's Rockley Park is next to a sandy beach...
...and it's got loads onsite, including swimming, climbing and kids' clubs.
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In terms of location, Rockley Park is near to Bournemouth which is a busy seaside resort. Weymouth Bay Caravan Holiday Park, Seaview Holiday Park and Littlesea Caravan Holiday Park are all in the Weymouth area.
Personally, I’d pick Rockley Park as I prefer Bournemouth to Weymouth but the others are more centrally located for exploring West Dorset and the Jurassic Coastline.
Price: £1039 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children in August 2021. All four Haven parks in Dorset were around £950-£1100 for the cheapest accommodation available. Most offer the best prices if you arrive on a Friday or Monday instead of a Saturday.
Personally, I’d pick Rockley Park as I prefer Bournemouth to Weymouth but the others are more centrally located for exploring West Dorset and the Jurassic Coastline.
Price: £1039 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children in August 2021. All four Haven parks in Dorset were around £950-£1100 for the cheapest accommodation available. Most offer the best prices if you arrive on a Friday or Monday instead of a Saturday.
2. Oakdene Forest Park (East Dorset) - large park, indoor swimming pool,
**Oakdene 2021 sale: save 20% off holidays if you book by 31/01/21**
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Oakdene Forest Park isn't by the sea, but it is one of the best value family holiday parks we've found in Dorset.
It's run by a company called Shorefield which has a handful of similar caravan parks/lodge parks around Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest. Reviews are good (8.5/10) and it has plenty to do onsite including an indoor swimming pool with a flume, outdoor swimming pool with splash area, archery, a decent playground, evening entertainment and a gym. The cheaper accommodation is caravans or they have lodges with hot tubs if you want an upgrade. It's in a woodland area near to the Hampshire border, about half a mile from the A31. Family-friendly options for days out include the New Forest (15 minutes drive), Bournemouth beach (25 minutes), Peppa Pig World (25 minutes) or Beaulieu (40 minutes). Price: £807 for a week in August 2021 for a family of four staying in a 'Statement' caravan. |
It's not by the beach but Oakdene Forest Park has woodland walks, good reviews...
...and a large indoor swimming pool
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3. Chesil Family Holiday Park (Weymouth) - indoor swimming pool, busy park
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Chesil Family Holiday Park is also known as Chesil Vista Holiday Park, depending on who you ask. It's a mid-sized holiday park, with lots of onsite facilities and easy access to the amusement arcades and kiss-me-quick hats of Weymouth.
Reviews are very good (4.5 out of 5 when I checked). You could get away with spending at least a couple days onsite. There's an indoor pool and 'bubble pool' (parp), as well as a sauna and gym. For children, there's entertainment from 'Vic the Sea Monster' (not a character I'm familiar with), as well as indoor soft play for the shorter visitors and an outdoor playground for slightly taller ones. There's also football, basketball and evening entertainment for adults. There's quite a big range in prices for accommodation, but the cheapest caravan I could find for 2020 was a six berth which was about £1100. For the purposes of our price comparison, we looked at the lowest price for a family of 4, which was an apartment. Price: £1099 for 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2021 in a Chesil View apartment. |
Customers give Chesil Vista very good reviews...
...and it has a good choice of apartments and caravans for 4-8 people
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4. Sandhills Holiday Park (Christchurch) - quiet park, near to the beach
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Sandhills Holiday Park makes our list because it gets consistently strong reviews and because of its prime location between Christchurch Harbour and Friars Cliff Beach.
It's a slightly quieter option than some of the caravan holiday parks on this list with more basic facilities. However, there is an outdoor pool from March to September (not sure why you would want to use an outdoor pool in December anyway), as well as an adventure playground, a bar and a small gym. Sandhills Holiday Park is in East Dorset, so it is well located for visiting The New Forest in Hampshire as well as the busy stretch of coastline around Bournemouth. It's quite a drive to West Dorset (a three hour round trip to West Bay), but not too far to Swanage or Poole. There are apartments at the site as well as caravans of varying grades. The apartments don't allow dogs. Price: £1454 for 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2021 in a silver plus apartment (which was the cheapest available when we searched). |
Sandhills Holiday Park has a club house and outdoor swimming pool...
...and it's right next to a beach
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5. Warmwell Holiday Park (near Weymouth) - big park, loads of family facilities
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Warmwell Holiday Park is one of three Parkdean Holidays sites in Dorset and it tends to be the most popular with customers (averaging 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor when we checked in 2020). The other holiday parks run by Parkdean Resorts in Dorset are Sandford Holiday Park (Poole) and West Bay Holiday Park (Bridport)
Warmwell is a big park with a really wide range of things to do on site, so it's one to consider if you are looking for endless entertainment rather than if you want somewhere to get away from it all. It's a little way inland, but is well placed half way between busy Bournemouth in East Dorset and West Bay and Lyme Regis in West Dorset. Onsite facilities include: a ski slope (yes, really), an indoor swimming pool, amusement arcade, pool tables, mini ten pin bowling, crazy golf, fishing lakes (I suspect that's the clincher for some men...), gym, sports court, archery, adventure playground, soft play, children's clubs, restaurants and evening entertainment. Warmwell is close to several of the larger attractions in Dorset, including Weymouth Sea Life Park, The Tank Museum and Monkey World. It's a 15-20 minute drive to the Jurassic coast at Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove or Weymouth. There are caravans and lodges, including some which are wheelchair accessible. There are also pet friendly caravans. The more expensive accommodation are lakeside lodges. You can also book accommodation at Warmwell Holiday Park by hiring a lodge privately via Airbnb. Price: £1099 for 2 adults and 2 children in August 2021 in a one bedroom Wareham lodge (with two people sleeping in the lounge). |
The huge range of activities at Warmwell Holiday Park include skiing...
...and an indoor soft play area
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6. Hoburne Park (near Christchurch) - indoor swimming pool, posh caravans
**Winner: best value Dorset holiday park**
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Another highly rated option in East Dorset is Hoburne Park, which was averaging 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor when I checked.
There is lots to do on site at Hoburne, including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, children's activities, a gym with sauna, indoor soft play area for toddlers, adventure playground and amusement arcade for older children, café and restaurant (although they call it a brasserie, which sounds fancier), tennis court and crazy golf. Location wise, it is well placed for visiting Bournemouth and The New Forest, but is a bit of a trek to West Dorset. You could also attempt a day trip to my beloved Isle of Wight from nearby Lymington. Most of the caravans have grand names like 'superior' and 'platinum' and the posher ones have verandas. Hoburne Park is a dog friendly park. You can either book via Hoburne or you can hire a lodge from an owner via Airbnb. Price: £863 for 4 people in a 'Classic Caravan' for a week in August 2021 |
Highly-rated Hoburne Park is about 20 minutes walk to the beach...
...and it has a lot onsite to keep you entertained
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7. Swandown Lodges (West Dorset) - posh lodges, indoor pool
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This one isn't the cheapest holiday park in Dorset, but Swandown Lodges is a more luxurious option than the knobbly knees and flumes you will get at some parks.
The lodges are light and swanky, and the site itself is part of the Cricket St Thomas Estate (Somerset/Dorset border) which means you have access to the local hotel's leisure complex. There's an indoor pool, spa treatments and a nearby golf course. There's also the option of fishing and bike hire. The main downside, in my view, is that it is half an hour's drive to the nearest beaches at Lyme Regis and West Bay. That's not a problem if you don't plan to go every day but an hour's round trip might be a bit much after a while. Swandown Lodges are on a huge 1000 acre estate with places to walk and cycle, so you might find there is enough to do onsite. Reviews were glowing when we checked (5/5 on TripAdvisor). If you fancy a day out, Stonehenge is an hour's drive away. Price: £1525 for 4 people for a week in August 2021 in a Blackdown Lodge with a woodburner |
It'll cost you a bit more, but Swandown Lodges offer hot tubs, woodburners...
...and a small indoor swimming pool
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8. Seadown Park (Charmouth) - quiet park, cheap caravans
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We've included Seadown Holiday Park in Charmouth in our guide to Dorset's best holiday parks as it is one of the best value sites we've found in the county. Facilities are basic, but if you are looking for a cheap holiday park in a lovely location then it's worth considering. Customer reviews are 4/5 on TripAdvisor.
Its trump card is probably its location which is only a short walk from the beach at Charmouth, on the so-called Jurassic Coast. It's a good spot if you also want to explore East Devon during your holiday. The cheapest accommodation we could find was a relatively basic looking caravan, but there is Wifi if you're willing to pay for it, which should stop the children from complaining. Some of the caravans are dog friendly, so you won't need to pay kennel fees or leave the dog with the in-laws for the week. You can find advice on things to do in the area from Visit West Dorset. Price: £690 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children in August 2021. That was for a Horizon caravan which could actually accommodate 6 people, so about £115 each for the week in high season. |
Seadown Park is a good value and simple caravan park...
...with lots of six berth caravans for hire
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9. Golden Cap Holiday Park (West Dorset)- beachside location, basic facilities, fishing
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If access to a decent beach is your priority from a Dorset holiday park then I would consider Golden Cap Holiday Park which is in my personal favourite part of the county. Beaches at Lyme Regis, Charmouth and West Bay (where Broadchurch was filmed) are all very nearby and have some of the nicest beaches in Dorset.
Some of the caravans have sea views, although those tend to be the more expensive ones, unsurprisingly. Facilities are very basic (shop, play area and a fishing lake which may appeal to some) so it's more of a base for exploring the coastline and perhaps sneaking into East Devon if you don't mind crossing the border. Reviews are very good (averaging 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor when I checked) and the caravans are modern. The website says they are all less than 5 years old, and presumably they didn't write that sentence in 1991. Meanwhile, Highlands End Holiday Park has the same owners and offers a similar holiday in a similar location. It's about 500 metres from the beach with nice views towards the gorgeous coastline around Bridport, West Bay and Seaport. If you're after attractions to keep the children entertained, then you can travel into Weymouth in about half an hour. I'd suggest getting a caravan with a seaview as they aren't always a lot more expensive. Price: £861 for a family of four people in a 2 bedroom caravan at Golden Cap Holiday Park for a week in August 2021. Highlands End Holiday Park was £941 for the dame dates when we checked. |
Golden Cap Holiday Park is near to West Bay, where Broadchurch was filmed
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10. Meadowbank Holiday Park - (Bournemouth) quiet park, basic facilities, fishing
**Winner: cheapest holiday park**
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Meadowbank Holiday Park is one of the few inland holiday parks we've included in our guide, but it does get good reviews and it's well placed if you want to share your time between the beach at Bournemouth and cycling in The New Forest.
There's a games room and play area for children, but I get the feeling that this holiday park is mostly popular with anglers as you can buy fishing permits for the nearby Stour River (the website includes lots of pictures of people grinning and holding massive fish). It's also one of the cheapest Dorset holiday parks we've found. Price: £595 for a family of four, for one week in August 2021 in a 'comfort' caravan. |
Meadowbank is near to busy Bournemouth
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Price comparison of 10 of Dorset's best holiday caravan parks
We looked for the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four, for a week in August 2021. We searched in November 2020. We didn't include any extras or upgrades but just looked for the basic price.
From cheapest to most expensive:
From cheapest to most expensive:
- Meadowbank Holiday Park - £595 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
- Seadown Park - £690
- Oakdene Forest Park - £807
- Golden Cap Holiday Park - £836
- Hoburne Park - £863 **Winner: best value Dorset holiday park**
- Haven's Rockley Park - £1039
- Chesil Family Holiday Park - £1099
- Warmwell Holiday Park - £1099
- Sandhills Holiday Park - £1239
- Swandown Lodges - £1525
Images from Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Hoseasons, Expedia and Shorefield Holidays.
