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This is a really lovely campsite - very relaxed and very friendly. It makes all the difference when you feel as if the owners enjoy having campers there and are not just in it for the money.
You turn up and pitch where you like - we chose the top field which had fantastic views of Corfe Castle, the Purbeck Ridge and the valley with the steam trains chuffing by. Only downside is that this was the furthest walk from the toilets, but a small price to pay! The owner comes round the next morning to take payment, and is always happy to give tips on local places to go. We missed the delivery van when it came, but there are several garages with shops on the main road not far away.
Although it was school holidays the site didn't feel overcrowded and we rarely had to wait to use the facilities. There are 3 separate toilet/shower blocks which is handy. They are fairly basic but kept clean and toilet roll always replenished.
At night time it is very very quiet - all you can hear are the birds (buzzards I think) who roost in the nearby woods. Sat for ages one morning just watching the buzzards fly overhead. You cannot hear any road traffic - bliss! (the main road I spoke of is not a busy one).
Would definitely go back to this area (and this site) as there is so much to see, and if you're into walking, some lovely walks you can do directly from the campsite, over the Ridge and into Corfe Castle, or along the coastal path which is a short distance away.
Downshay is a slice of heaven, an idyllic place which brings back all those child memories of happy camping days. The site is quite high up, and on a slope, but the views across the valley from Corfe CAstle the way along the ridge to a swanage are breathtaking. The steam train line runs along the bottom of the valley, and every hour or so you will hear the whistle as the train runs by. It's lovely to watch the kids playing out in the fresh air, not an ipad in sight, whether it's the tyre swings or 26-a-side football which seems to go on all day, just as me and my sister did back in the 70s. The shower and loo blocks are clean and tidy, there is no on site shop but a mobile shop drives onto the site every morning, announcing its arrival with a very loud hooter, and there's a spar shop down the lane. You just turn up and pitch, Farmer Pike collects the rent every morning and always knows the best places to visit, where to eat, and what the weather will be doing, and can jump start your car with the most well used jump leads in purbeck if needed. We love this place and only ever camp elsewhere when the site is closed, please don't all start turning up though as I don't want to run the risk of not being able to pitch next weekend because it's full.
We popped in here to have a look at what was on offer - What a little gem - Large open fields for camping and about 12 hookups for caravans. Good facilities for showering and they even had bbqs that had been left behind for people to borrow.
We didn't stop here as it was too large for us - and groups were allowed which could make a problem with noise - BUT - a real gem for the younger set ! ( The entrance for caravans is a bit precarious - so mind your aerial on the overhanging trees.
We returned for a second visit and I am glad to report that Downshay Farm is just as we left it in July 2010. The site is in a north-facing slope and has spectacular views across the Isle of Purbeck. The showers and loos are kept immaculately clean and during the 5 nights (17th to 21st )we were there we did not have to queue for either.
To my dismay I realise that I have omitted to leave a five star review for this lovely site. I stayed here with my two dogs plus two friends who also had a caravan. The pitches were huge and the site relaxed. We had superb weather and mostly stayed on site as too hot to venture out all day with dogs.
The views are fabulous with superb sunsets, the camping field was closed but we were able to wander and picnic across the fields as the hay had been cut and no livestock in that area.
Upon leaving I had a minor problem with the jockey wheel (my fault) the owner was brilliant despite my panic at totally blocking the narrow driveway. Loved it here and will return next year but with the tent having sold the van! Easier for me.
We love this site and have been here several times. It always seems spacious and there's never any rubbish or bad behaviour. The farmer collects money in the morning and is very friendly. Showers are very clean and hot. Beautiful views of corfe castle and a big starry sky at night. We have three little children and they enjoy playing in the tyre swings. It feels safe and secure. There are some steep slopes on the site so be careful where you pitch as you can end up rolling on top of each other. Also the grass can get very slippy if it rains and the cars can skid a bit.
Great location. Stunning scenery. Not a regimented site like some. It's a 'find your own pitch', so a great choice on the view you want over the Purbuck Hills. No lines restricting your space. Very clean. A pleasure.
Need I say more?
Certainly visit again.
Views over to Corfe Castle from site.
Many activities to do in the area.
Walking distance to steam trains, Harmons Cross. Trains to Swanage and Corfe Castle.
Corfe is accessable via footpath.
Fantastic beaches at Studland safe and not to be missed. A great deal to do in the area.
This is the fourth time we have been here over the last 3 years and we love it! The views to Corfe and across the valley are breath-taking, especially the sunsets!
Although the site is quite exposed and is sloping, it is always possible to find a flattish area to pitch. There is a fabulous feeling of freedom here - nobody crowds in, the sloping terrain means everybody gets a gorgeous view, and the football goals provide hours of fun for kids (and adults!) and help to form great friendships between children.
There is also a little wooded dip in the centre of the field which provides a great den for children to play in and has a couple of tyre swings, too!
The facilities here are always beautifully clean and of a good standard. The barn has two shower units, two sinks and 2 toilets in the ladies and the same in the mens I believe. The other set of facilities has 3 toilets, 2 showers and 2 sinks for the ladies - not sure about the mens?
Washing up sinks are in good supply with a choice of outdoor or covered. There is a freezer in the lobby of the ladies shower units, and further freezing facilities in the shed in the farnhouse garden, where you can also plug in hairdryers, phone-chargers etc.
The little van that calls in each morning sells all the basics we need such as milk, papers, bread as well as donuts! We love this way of doing things - without a shop on site we don't have the boys all asking for money when we are on the site! If you do need anything else, there is a pretty well-stocked shop down in the village petrol station.
The farmer and his family are all really friendly - this is a working farm so it is not uncommon to see a tractor or two around.
All in all a fabulous site, lovely owners, stunning views and one which we will continue to come back to again and again.
This is a small site comprising terraced grass pitches next to the farmhouse of a working farm.
The owner was very helpful when we arrived but did insist that we wash out our toilet (he did it for us) and refill with environmental fluid as he had a biological system which would be harmed by normal fluids (not something we had come across before and it cost us £10 for the bottle).
The views from the site were excellent and at least on other caravanner came there regularly because of the view - across the valley to Corfe castle.
This was in walking distance (took about an hour) and Swanage was a few miles down the road - difficult/expensive to park and very crowded when we went there (Saturday on an unseasonably hot weekend).
The main down side of this site for us is the facilities - all housed in a small outhouse and comprising two showers (one not working), three toilets (two off the washing up area) and a small washing up area. Very basic but this did not seem to deter most people and, as the pitch price was well below what we had been paying elsewhere I suppose it was reasonable value for money but not one we will re-visit.
This site is delightful: lovely quiet location, stunning views, and good, clean facilities. We don't want anything other than a clean loo, shower and washing up area - and there were enough of these for the caravan area. Washing machine also looked good but we didn't need this.
It was interesting that just down the road there was a members' only site - and they looked packed in together, whereas on this site there were terraces that gave privacy and space. The well made road made it fine to drive up the hill although the beautiful grass did suffer a bit in the rain.
Very friendly, good value and peaceful site. We will definitely return - although we gathered that they are taking bookings a year ahead as it's so popular. Not surprised.
We stayed the second week in August, a friend of mine has stayed there on numerous occasions over the last six years and we were not disappointed. We have stayed at many alleged 5* campsites over the years and paid out lots of money for that privilege, I must say this site although basic equalled them.
We perched ourselves in the main field along the hedge facing the ‘play tree’ towards the top left corner with the football field behind us, the view of Corfe Castle was amazing along with the view of the valley below.
Corfe is only 1 ¾ miles away walking via the footpath and Swanage is approximately 3 miles away by car. If you like steam trains then the station is only a 2 minute walk away.
The site washing, showering and toilet facilities although basic are clean and tidy, I had no problem having a shower but I would imagine if you went between 7 and 9 in the morning you might experience a short wait. If you are short of provisions then a mobile shop calls each morning at around 9:15 and honks his distinctive horn.
As mentioned earlier there is a play tree in the middle of the main field and all the children seem to gravitate towards it, the ground is a little flatter there, but you will need to be brave or tolerant towards children if you decide to camp there.
The site as a whole is hilly but flattish areas can be found without too much trouble these tend to be around the perimeter, the higher up you go the better the views but the longer the walk to the toilet/washing blocks. You don’t need to find the site owner, you just pitch and he will find you the next morning, it is a very relaxed site so there is no rush to be gone by the usual 10:00 in the morning, you can go out for the day come back pack up and go if you wish. There are plenty of freezers to re-freeze your ice packs you only need to put your name on them and place them in a bag, you may borrow freezer blocks with ‘Downshay’ on them while yours are being frozen and there are various socket in which to charge your mobile if you need to, as mentioned by others there is a RNLI tin to make voluntary donations for the use of these facilities.
The site gives you a good base with plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding area as you are between Bournemouth and Weymouth; if the traffic is good they are only about an hour away.
We loved it, my daughter said it was the best campsite she has been to (no arcades), as you need to make your own entertainment.
We have just returned from a fantastic stay here and will be returning.
We called in after Burnbake was full for an event and found this camp-site was relatively quiet. I was a little concerned that this meant the camp-site may not be very good but we had a great stay.
The pitches are sloping particularly if you want the best views but it is worth it, you get a great view of Corfe Castle, the railway and Nine Barrows Down. There is also the walk up and down hill to the toilets and shower block if you want the views, but you can always pick a spot closer if you want convenience over beauty.
The facilities are quite basic but everything that is there is clean and in full working order. There are two sets of toilet blocks, the ones I used had 2 showers, 2 toilets and 2 sinks. There was a slight queue in the morning, but that was mainly because people seemed to be taking ages. The showers were clean and there was hot water both in the morning and last thing at night. The toilets were also spotless with an endless supply of loo roll.
Outside the toilet and shower facilities were two sinks for washing up. The water here was cold but there were cloths, scouring sponges and washing liquid for people to use which I thought was a nice touch.
Camp-fires were not allowed although you can have a fire raised from the ground, as we did.
There is no playground as such although there were football posts up, because of its position lots of children were flying kites, so if you have one bring one.
You pitch when you arrive and pay in the morning, we paid £14 a night for 2 adults, an Outwell Oregon 5, a dog and a car. I think this is one of the cheapest camp-sites in the area. The owner is very friendly. Although there is no shop on site there is a van that comes around about 9am selling all you want. We stocked up at Cleall's in Corfe which is only a few miles away, there is also a small spar in the garage on the main road.
We camped here for 5 nights at the end of July (just before the school holidays, phew!). We know the Swanage area quite well but have never camped around here before.
Our stay at Downshay was relaxing and highly enjoyable, despite the not very summery weather. We'd definitely stay there again and recommend it highly to other tenters. The farmer and his son who came round every morning to collect the pitch fee were friendly, helpful and very relaxed and we were made to feel very welcome.
I've read some of the other reviews which say the toilet and shower facilities were basic but I would say they were more than adequate and always clean and well stocked with toilet paper and paper towels.
We were lucky to be staying out of school holidays as it's a fairly large site so I imagine it could get quite busy and lead to queues for the showers if there were lots of tents but this is often the case wherever you go and timing your shower is the key!
You need to pitch in the top half of the field to get the view of Corfe Castle but it's really worth the trudge down the hill to sit in the evening sun looking out at that view.
If you're not a posh camper but equally appreciate a good hot shower and decent washing up facilities then this will suit you fine.
Visited Downshay Farm during the half term holidays after reading the many positive reviews and so glad we did! It is positioned between Corfe Castle and Swanage, with Kimmeridge Bay, Blue Pool, Wareham, Monkey World, Tank Museum all close by. Great family park offering no frills with basic facilities that were always clean. Yes there were only 2 ladies and 2 gents loos along with 2 showers each per field, but to be honest it was enough as long as you didn't try to shower at 8am of 7pm!
The site itself is on a huge slope, but this means great views of Corfe Castle, just be careful where you pitch. There is a huge tree in the main field that kept the kids occupied for hours. The showers and freezer for you ice packs where free and you were able to make a donation for the RNLI when freezing packs (I stress that this was totally voluntary). Each morning a mobile shop came round that sold scrummy doughnuts and basic supplies such as papers, bread, juice, milk and kids sweets.
I have read some people complain about the lack of facilities but to be honest, I've been to larger parks with facilities that although plentiful have been really disgusting and you've had to pay to use them, on top of the huge pitch fee.
If you are looking for a site ideally suited to families or group get-togethers this is it. I will definitely be returning.
Got back yesterday from a weekend here and I have to say its an amazing site. The view of Corfe castle are fantastic as well as beautiful surroundings.You can take lovely walks as well as the steam train that chugs past. Swanage and Corfe are a couple of miles away each way too.
Kid and dog friendly site with adequate toilet/shower facilities which were very clean and well organised. A friendly owner who freely gives answers to any questions put to him! Well looked after pitch areas and I liked the fact caravans were in a different field to tents and camper vans.
The site is sloping so be aware ( there are caution signs ) but it didn't cause us any problems.The site is a short walk to a big play area for the kids,also we saw plenty of dogs around which was nice.Cows in the next field so made my day!
We are going back when the site reopens. All in all I found it great.
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Common Questions
Is Downshay Farm Camping And Touring child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Downshay Farm Camping And Touring? There is a shop within 1 mile 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 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
No Rallies 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
No Laundry 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop <1 mile 
Bar <5 miles 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <5 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
No Cycle Hire 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <5 miles 
Beach <5 miles 
Watersports <5 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
No Dog Walk 
This is a really lovely campsite - very relaxed and very friendly. It makes all the difference when you feel as if the owners enjoy having campers there and are not just in it for the money. 
