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This was our second visit having previously stayed for a week in October 2007.
We stayed in Four Acres this time and had a larger pitch but on reflection we would choose and book a pitch in Orchard as it's quieter. Four Acres is nearer to the dog field and children's playground.
We arrived on the Bank Holiday Monday and the site was relatively quiet and peaceful. But it soon filled up on the Friday. This was probably due to the weekend and the gloriously warm weather we had during our stay! The noise levels also went up although this was not excessive and it was quiet after around 11pm.
We felt the shower block in Orchard was not as well kept as it was on our first visit. My hubby noticed that there was no handwash/soap in the Gents for the first 2 days and someone had left a porti potti in the chemical disposal point which was still there when we left on the following Sunday!
We didn't use many of the facilities although we did have a meal at The Woodside Inn (onsite pub) and a takeaway on the last night of our stay. The food was fine although portion sizes could have been a little larger (for the pub meal).
If eating out we prefer the 1/2 mile walk up the road to 'The Fighting Cocks'. We walked up following the road (turn left when leaving the site entrance). However, chatting to one of the pub staff we found there was a short cut which we followed on our way back which took us along a track bringing us out directly by Orchard Shower Block. This only takes about 10 mins but we wouldn't recommend walking this way after dark!
Sandy Balls is ideally located for many of the attractions in and around the New Forest - it's only about 30-40 mins to Christchurch and Bournemouth.
This is a site that we will keep coming back to although I think our next visit will be later in the year or out of season when it's a little quieter.
Yet another successful weekend away at Sandy Balls (May day weekend)-and I must say even better than last year. All the Building work has now finished and the court yard, with Bistro, new cycle centre and Guest services are lovely. If you have never been to Sandy Balls I could only describe it as a mini Centre Parcs but much cheaper! (but not soo many sporting activites- more for kids though).
In the court yard Sunday we had a Farmers Market, Maypole dancing, large games! and punch & Judy. Had a lovely day and spent 4 hours in the court yard!
Last year we stay in Northfield 03(no Dogs area) and we thought our pitch was large, this year after as mix up from me we stay in the next field Orchard 03 (dog field), so glad I made a mistake! this pitch was even bigger- I think it is the biggest pitch I have ever stayed in! Although we did take our water pipe etc for the fully servied pitch only to find the hose wasn't long enough! (you can hire equipment but we didnt bother).
Also if you have a long TV ariel wire take it ! We had sky channels and it was great for the kids.
Play areas are very clean, well maintained and to suit all ages ( we have a 5 year old & a 2 year old).
Showers very clean, but water was too hot, ended up taking the 5 year old back and washing her down in the caravan.
Pool lovely and I notice changing mats for babies, which not alot of places have.
Bit dissapointed about the sauna-after changing into my costume and entering the pool, a note on the Sauna door says please book at reception! - did want to walk back thorough to receoption in my cossi so didn't bother.
Bluebell wodds walk to the river jsut fab- but you do need a 3 wheeler pram not an orinary buggy !
All in all a top weekend but book early for bank hols- I booked before Christmas 2007 for May 2008!
We went on one of the guided walks run by Sandy Balls to the bluebell woods nearby - after many years of going to Sandy Balls and doing lots of walks in that area this was completely new to me, there are still surprises to be had.
We found the on site shop great for fresh French bread every day, but a bit on the expensive side, preferring to do the short trip to Fordingbridge to the large Co-Op supermarket which also has a deli counter.
The new plaza area is great and has been well thought out. There are two boules pitches and you can hire the boules if you haven't taken your own.
I also made use of the internet sessions in the Guest Services building - £2 for 30 mins. Your log-in lasts for 7 days, so if you want to you only need use a few minutes at a time and go back another day to use it up. Slight moan here, I would have liked to print out a couple of things and would have been happy to pay, but the computers were not connected to a printer.
We found a great pub for meals out, less than 10 mins drive away, The Old Beams Inn at Ibsley, it's on the main road A338. It was refurbished 12 months ago. Not cheap, but not hugely expensive either. The food was fantastic, they have a couple of special nights each week, i.E., 2 x steak meals and a bottle of wine £25. Also important to our family was the disabled wheelchair access from the rear car park, the staff were also extremely helpful.
We went this weekend (25th/27th April 08) for the first Time. Me/wife/mother and my son Richard 10yrs. I must say what a clean well thought out site. We was Caravaning with out own Tourer. The Pitich's are as big as Sites we have when in Europe. All Facilties are as told on sites Website. Tolets are spotless with plenty of Hot water . The Pool is great as it the Club. We had a great Time on the Saturday nights Disco where the DJ was Top Dollar, not forgetting us older Kids.
The only thing we found was the site Shop though well stocked was very exspensive, however as Ringwood was only 7 miles away a vist soon saw us re-stocked with what we needed for our stay.
I went to Sandy Balls with my family for my dads birthday! I have a very large family (not including me (19yr) and my brother (16yr) we had 7 children in two families! :) My grandma couldn't stay in a tent so stayed in a caravan which was lovely because they couls still be part of the holiday (also my brothers girlfriend didn't like the tent so they went to the caravan too)
We all had an amazing time despite the fact that it snowed the Saturday night and we woke to snow on Sunday, by the time the kids had played in it and we were bored of it the sun had melted it. RESULT! This is where pitching on gravel became incredibly handy as it meant the water / snow ran away from the tent into the grass!
We were very close to the toilet block which was great and the showers / toilets were all clean and the water was warm. The showers even had a bathroom which was ideal as one of my sisters was ill saturday night and a warm bath was exactly what she needed!
The cycle hire was great and made sure we all had bikes which were comfortable and to our requirements, they then recommended bike routes and we thought we'd do their 8 mile bike route which they said was 'leisurely' I must say with 4 children (who rode with us) it was a bit intense and pushed us a bit too far, so I wouldn't recommend the 8 mile bike ride if your not a very strong bike rider or not very fit!
The arcade was really good and kept the kids amused for hours on end, only problem was they kept asking for money to spend in there.
We ate in the woodside inn one night and was a very reasonable price for the number of us that ate there and the food was lovely and filled us all up on one course. The inn was homely and friendly and resonably priced.
The spar shop supplied everything including a pick and mix and camping supplies! It was priced as expected in such location and had all the nececesities, my only critisism is that on a saturday night the shop shut at 6pm! We went to buy some beer to drink with tea at the tent at 7pm and couldn't which was very dissapointing!
The swimming pool was good although the sauna jacuzzi should be included in the price, £2 for the sauna and £1 for jacuzzi bubbles, the armband timed system meant that it was never overcrowded.
The easter special water ball thing was fantastic and £3.50 was a great price and the kids all loved it and tired them out before the drive home!
All in all, a fantastic holiday and has given us the camping bug despite snowy weather! :) The shop should open later though as it's the only shop!
Actually stayed here January 2008 but that option is now available. Have progressed from tent to motorhome and can venture out in the winter months now. Stayed at Sandy Balls just for one night to get used to the van but will definitely return. The site is excellent and obviously very quiet at this time of year.
Excellent facilities, toilet blocks were very clean and well maintained. The shop is more like a mini supermarket and had most of the things you would need. The cycle shop on site hires anything you may have forgotten, as well as bikes obviously, which enables you to explore the wonderful New Forest. The restaurant and pub were both open and serving lovely food, together with well priced takeaway. They have an ice rink (synthetic ice) set up until the end of January with patio heaters around the rink and a kiosk selling lovely hot chocolate and snacks. The pool and gym were open, didnt use them but had a look and the pool is large and was quiet when we checked and free to residents.
The staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful. This is a large site with statics and would imagine that it is very busy during the school holidays but it is an excellent site in a lovely location.
Stayed here for October Half Term, all facilites fully operational. Site very busy only time we could get into the pool was before 9.Am. The bistro we never managed to get in.We tried a couple of times to book for dinner but already fully booked. We sat in there once but was totally ignored so walked out.The activities for the kids was brilliant they put on so much to entertain them.I guess the weather helped and we had a fantastic week. Will book again for next year.Toilets/Showers all cleaned regulary. The staff in the shops and guest services very nice.
Very nice site good facilities,restaurant & bar both good food staff polite and helpful. Very good toilet blocks clean and well maintained, good walks for the dog into the forest, and down by the river,if your a fisherman nice river. The site is well looked after all round.There end of september so very quiet entertainment wise but there is dancing & music. I will return !
Visited this site for the first time after reading the reviews. Stayed on Four acres On first impression site seemed very well maintained, showers & toilet blocks nice and clean. Dog walking field good, have a teenager who did not get bored, that was a bonus as made friends with other campers kids. Not to keen on the food served at the wood-side inn quite basic, but nice pubs -restaurants locally.Lovely walk down to the river, great for picnics. Lots of lovely cycle routes where we found pony's and lots of donkeys running free. Everything was going well until on our day of departure staff had allowed the next family that had booked our pitch in and waiting, before our kicking out time which put a little stress on the packing up procedure. Apart from that we all had a good stay.
What a fantastic place! We stayed for a week at the end of August and will definitely be back again. We were on Fouracres and the pitch was a good size and had hedges on each side giving us some privacy. In the courtyard there is a restaurant (does great coffee), shop, cycle hire centre, bar and shop and leisure centre (it's a bit like centre parcs). The swimming pools were clean and well managed. The kids entertainment was great and they also have an activity programme throughout the day so plenty going on for all ages. There are also numerous children's parks around the site so they're never bored. The shop is well stocked but a bit pricey but there is a co-op in Fordingbridge.
There is a lovely riverside walk leading from the site which you can also cycle. The area is fantastic and there are plenty of thatched cottages, new forest ponies and donkeys to be seen. It's worth getting some recommended cycle rides from the cycle centre. The stables tearooms are well worth a visit. The site is also close enough to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Portsmouth if you want a day out. We would definitely rate this site in our top ten!
We stayed at Sandy Balls for four nights, had a great time, the site has extremely good facilities, there's something for everyone. The surrounding area is very beautiful, the New Forest is right the door step. Fordingbridge is only a stone throw and well worth a look. There are a couple of grumbles though! Its a bit tight getting a long tourer on to some of pitches and there were quit a few works vans being used as campers, if I wanted to have a yellow transit van parked next me I would stayed at a building site! The hawthorn hedges dividing the pitches were also seriously over grown which apart from being unsightly was quite hazardous for our young children, other than that I would recommend this site to anyone who wants everything close to hand. An ideal place to go and just chill.
Just returned from 'The Cornfield', the SB 'August only' tent site. Overall we were very happy with it. I'd echo others' remarks about the site being clean and modern. They've spent a lot of money! The Cornfield was quite busy, almost full in fact but had 3 mobile ablutions blocks with 8 WCs and 6 showers apiece (but no 'wash cubicles'- not really an issue as the permanent blocks were within an easy walk). The WCs were reasonably and acceptably clean considering the number of visitors! Because most reviewers have already written positive things I'll just have a bit of a moan- the sites on The Cornfield are first come/ first served. They're all marked out but not numbered. This might be a real issue if like us you're camping with another family and need to be nearby so the single mum can have a drink outside your tent of an evening yet be near enough her own to hear her kids and see her tent. We had to do that really annoying thing and 'reserve' her pitch with a windbreak and a couple of chairs. They do ask at the booking stage if you're with others but what's the use of that if they can't camp near you? Next, we thought the food at the Woodside Inn's 'take away' was really quite average. They WERE busy I agree but the meal we had (of similar style 'kids menu' stuff) at The Fighting Cocks 5 minutes walk away was way superior and has a good childrens' playground. The 5 minute drive away 'Tudor Rose' pub in Burgate was excellent if a little bit pricey but you got value for money and the 4 children were made very welcome! Speaking of kids, there are some very pleasant child-friendly walks nearby such as to Castle Hill and along the river. The indoor pool was fine if a teensy bit murky, but it was pleasantly warm and the 'timed armband' system they use ensure it's not horribly overcrowded. But when all is said and done we would return to this site. It is pleasantly 'chav free', the main 'disturbances' being kids on bikes! Loads of 'em!
We stayed on the cornfield and had booked to stay with friends. First impressions of the cornfield were a bit disappointing as the pitches had not been clearly marked out and they seemed very small. I had rung to ask if we would fit our khyam xxl and annexe on the pitch and was told it would be no problem. However on pitching we had to leave the annexe off as we would not have fitted the car on the pitch as well, and there was nowhere else to leave it. Even then we were probably only about 3-4 metres away from neighbours which worried me. If one tent had caught fire I think the whole field would have gone up. We did find it a bit too noisy at night, but it was usually quite by midnight. The temporary toilet blocks were almost always dirty and could not cope with the amount of people using them. The doors made a load bang when they shut which was very annoying in the night. The proper toilet facilities were lovely and clean, and definitely worth the walk to use them! The pool was very busy and a band systems had to be used which meant we had very disappointed children at times. You are best to avoid the afternoons. We found that it was fine at 9.30am. We had a very nice meal in the woodside inn. On the whole we did enjoy our stay and would return, but would not stay on the cornfield again.
Booked in January, Northfield 47 no dogs pitch, already not many pitches left. 22nd July for 5 nights in pretty bad weather, had the cycles. 20p for 5 mins tumble dryers and every shower block has a laundry area, handy for swimming towels or getting wet clothes dry after getting caught in the rain on the bikes! Gravel pitch no problem if you have rockpegs and ideal if wet weather. Nearest pub walking distance out of site turn left, beer bit pricey but lovely food and a proper pub, not commercialised. Fordingbridge is nearest town with Cop-op and Tesco Express, just 10 min drive. Indoor pool ok, 10p lockers, showers fine, lots of hair in the water though. Woodside Inn the onsite bar and entertainment hall is very good for food and we had a few good evenings there, nightly entertainment is laid on. A large well kept clean site, that would probably be too busy for us in August, worth a visit.
Great site,lots of room, good kids playground, swimming pool although the weather has to be really good for the outdoor pool to be usable. The shower blocks and washing up facilities have all been upgraded as well as the "guest services" building and bike hire shop have all been re-sited into new buildings. Its very friendly and the lack of yobs is a refreshing change from everyday life in the UK. Great place but it does get VERY busy in August lots to do locally around here and guest services will give you all the help and assistance you need. All in all highly recommended BUT you need to book early for the summer holidays. Have a great time
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Common Questions
Is Sandy Balls Holiday Village child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Sandy Balls Holiday Village have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Sandy Balls Holiday Village? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
Holiday Homes for Hire 
Holiday Homes for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
No Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
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 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
Games Room 
Evening Entertainment 
Fishing <10 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool On Site 
Outdoor Pool On Site 
Horse Riding <1 mile 
Cycle Hire On Site 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
Beach <10 miles 
Watersports <10 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
No Dog Walk 
This was our second visit having previously stayed for a week in October 2007.
