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Having read previous reviews about this site we were indeed very worried.
We shouldn't have been, our main concern was the shower and toilet reviews, apparently they were dirty etc, well they couldn't have been more wrong, they were spotlessly clean everyday of our stay. Some good sized pitches and all level.
We went with our 2 teenage daughters so they didn't use the playgrounds though they looked ok for younger children, we also didn't go to see the entertainment on offer.
There was a court area for tennis and basketball which they used and they were fine.
Also you could hire a go kart which my 2 enjoyed doing.
The swimming pools however were a little disappointing due to the fact that were only open 5 hours a day for the outdoor 1 and when we stayed we had hot weather so this was not good and there is a lack of sunbeds on offer. We went out of the main schools hols so I can see this being a problem later on in the main weeks.
The on site shop ins over priced, and take plenty of insect repellent because mozis and midges are a real pain! Restaurant on site we never used, well over priced! beach is over 10miles away! brochure states 1mile! would we go again? No. We had to drive everywhere!
This was our first camping trip so did not know what to expect but we had a fantastic time on this site. The pitches were very large and protected by trees making it more sheltered and private.
We did have a slight problem with branches falling off the trees (some quite heavy) but a word with the staff soon resolved this problem.
The toilets and shower block were huge and we never had to queue which was good. The water was hot and the shower blocks were cleaned daily.
Site was as normal holiday park very busy and never enough chairs in the club house unless you got there very early. Entertainment was not brilliant but good and the kids enjoyed it.
Shop was well stocked and staff very helpful. Takeaway was a little pricey and not enough staff during the busy times but the food was lush so worth the wait.
The staff on the site were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. All in all good site and one that would return to.
We have just got back from sand ford holiday park the site was ok like the last reviews the toilets were clean and lots of them. We stay next to the wild field meadow witch was very nice and the loo, s were not to far a way the mixed loo, s were good for us because we are a family of 5 and they had a family shower room so we all could go at once.
The beach is not 1 mile away it is about 5 or 6 miles away we went to Poole / sand banks beach witch was very nice but parking is dear £2. 00 for a hour.
The site staff where very helpful but the site shop was very very dear we popped in to Poole (asda) if we needed any thing
The club house was very busy of a evening if you wanted to see the kids entertainment you have to get there early.
We visited this site end of Jun 2010, we booked the site primarily for its location, near Wareham/Swanage/Pool etc, and our good experience of another Parkdean site at Bridport- West Bay. Sandford is a great family site, the staff are always friendly and helpful.
Unlike other reviews we found the toilets and showers relatively clean; however we were there on a relatively quiet week, the site started to fill up at the end of the week and started to change character, getting noisier and more crowded. Pick a non-peak time to camp here and its OK, avoid busy peak times though.
We briefly visited the on site bar/nightclub each evening, but preferred the pub off site just around the corner, it was better value and a better ambience, or just sitting out our evenings by the tent.
Since our visit to Sandford we now choose sites with only our basic requirements - good site layout and location / quiet / clean showers and loos/ Electric hook-up.
The site had changed & improved a lot since we last visited some 9 years ago
The outdoor swimming pool had moved and considerable work had been done to the restaurant area and to the large entertainment room where the shows were put on. Both had been made larger and other facilities had been moved elsewhere. The outdoor pool is heated and was popular as the weather was nice. The indoor pool was also popular but they operated a coloured band scheme so it wasn't to full, I think you got an hour before your coloured band was asked to leave the pool. They could however open a bit later especially in the summer months. They shut at 6pm when its still hot & warm
The kids loved the facilities there especially the arcade,swimming pools (indoor & outdoor) & ball pit. For the older children and adults there are a few Air Hockey machines, Pool tables and a full size snooker table (£5 per hour). The arcade is a fair size and has the 2p & 10p push machines, grab machines as well as the usual video games and numerous fruit machines.
There's a basketball court,a mini golf course and the kids can hire go-karts if they wish. Personally I'd like to have seen a large adventure play area for the kids in the Camping area where the kids could let off a bit of steam. As we had to take the kids down to the main block where there was a Pirate ship, Small Adventure playground & Ball pit.
After seeing some bad reviews on the internet about the sites Camping facilities we were a bit worried, however all was fine bar a bit of a slope on our pitch (Pitch #288) (I didn't see any others pitches where it sloped, we must have been unlucky).
We found that the showers were fine and the Communal one was great for showering both the little ones. It was Whitsun week when we went and we only queued once for the showers. I think a lot of the cleanliness issues that people are raising is down to the people leaving it in a mess for others.
The Touring & Camping Manager (Tracey) is aware of this website and some of the negative reviews on here and and is working closely with the Management team there to get these issues addressed. Eg shower pressures. She was very helpful & friendly when we spoke to her and is very approachable. In fact the staff at both reception areas were very helpful in providing us with information on local places to see and visit, plus there's loads of leaflets with additional information.
We paid for half board which was well worth it, it made the mornings hassle free. Breakfast consisted of a bowl of cereal, unlimited toast, tea / coffee, hot chocolate, orange & apple juice and a 5 item Adult breakfast & a 3 item Kids breakfast of Beans, Sausage, Bacon, Egg, Sliced potatoes, Mushrooms & Tomatoes.
In the evenings we took the kids to a couple of Sid & Lizzie shows which they enjoyed, they sung and danced along with the characters. Then at 8:30 the kids were told to go back to their seats while us Adults played Bingo for half an hour or so… After that the Parkdean Troupers came on an provided the entertainment. The kids were tired by this time so we did n't see to much of this. But it looked okay without being fantastic.
Overall we had a great holiday at Parkdean, Sandford and are planning on visiting again next year.
What a disappointment. I'm a seasoned camper and feel that this pricey site did not justify it's charge. We were on a pitch that was so far from the clubhouse it did not justify using the facilities, so I am unable to comment on them.
We booked to take an extra car, despite my tent not being a particularly large one there was no room for the extra car we paid for. The toilet and shower block was very poor.
Toilet cubicles frequently had no paper and lights were not working in half of them. The showers were barely a dribble, one lady even came out halfway through her shower to try an alternative as there was not enough water to rinse the shampoo out of her hair.
Have to echo what has been said on past couple of reviews.
Site is huge & the touring section is miles away from any of the activities - I was a bit wary of letting my Kids go off ( they are 11 & 8) which I have have no problem with when we have been to other sites. There was a lot of traffic & in the bit where we were it was not one way so cars squeezing by each other.
Showers - very hit & miss - I took to taking a jug into shower to make sure I could get my hair rinsed, the communal shower block was the worst - some showers were hot & ok others were cold or just dribbled, cleaning also seemed to be a bit hit & miss broken glass in communal block for a long time. Lighting in the nearest block was also a bit useless - light bulbs out for the whole 10 days we were there!
Indoor pool was very busy & closed too early ( opening times from 10 till 6) nowhere to Q so got soaking waiting in the rain.
Launderette - busy again & the driers kept breaking down, but to be fair someone was there straight away to sort it.
Did not sample the entertainment - not really our thing.
Chose this site as it was close to Poole - actually was quite a drive, although it is centrally placed to get to lots of places (Lulworth, Corfe, Studland) - just as well as the weather was not brilliant.
We only sampled the food on Sunday - carvery - ok but not brilliant. Pub next door was lovely & as previous posters have said cheaper, get there early as again have to Q.
We would not return to this site as we felt a little like second class citizens way down on the back field,& the pitches also seemed close together all in all too big & too commercial which is a pity.
Stayed here on a fairly sunny week in August with my wife and 3 boys aged 11,7 and 18 months plus the family dog in a tent with Elec’ HU. I’ve been to several Parkdean sites and this is the worst (the best being Trecco Bay)
The wife initially booked 7 nights here but I was lucky enough to get a couple of extra days off work so decided to go down a day early but when we contacted the site to enquire about booking an extra night they told us the computer system was down and they would return our call, which they never did. When my wife phoned them back the computers were still down but they said they would send an email to the touring section – don’t you need computers/internet to send emails? Don’t get me wrong it was very late notice and if they had said that they were fully booked from the outset I would not have been bothered but it was the not returning our phone calls for 2 days then being told they were fully booked that irritated me!
This is a massive site and does not always cope with demand; there are 3 toilet/shower blocks, 2 single sexes and 1 mixed/family block, I tried all 3 blocks and they are all roughly the same standard – outdated, untidy and the showers have no pressure in the system and are very cold during peak times.
The pitches vary from being well spaced out to being on top of each other, we was lucky and in the woodland area, where dogs are permitted, and had enough room for our tent, utility tent and also could get the car on the pitch, others were not so lucky.
There is nightly entrainment in the limelight bar that starts around 6.30ish with Sid and Lizzie for the Kids a game of Bingo about 8ish and then a cabaret act about 9ish finished off at 11ish by an adult disco. Only went out a couple of nights so can’t comment too much on this but the drinks are very expensive at £3.10 for a pint of Worthington’s.
The indoor pool gets very busy, especially on rainy days and the outdoor gets very busy on sunny both are very clean and great fun.
The laundry facilities are basic and get very busy, 1 wash cycle is £4 and 25minutes in the dyer is £1. One dryer was faulty but had no out of order sign on it unfortunately this was the one I used and had to keep my finger on the temperature button so it could continue, reported it to reception, twice, but no one came to fix the machine.
Washing up facilities had no plugs in the sinks you had to pay £5 deposit from reception for a plug and there was no hot water at peak times.
If you do stop here don’t have the take away food – very expensive and bland. There is a pub next door that is cheaper and better.
The site is fairly close to Swanage, Bournemouth, Sandbanks (Poole) and Weymouth which are all fantastic days out and have excellent beaches.
I enjoyed my stay at Sandford, but I don’t think I will return in the future.
One last comment on how commercial this site is our stay was the second week in August but they had a Christmas tree up to flog holidays in December!
Second time on this site now but wont be rushing back for another holiday there as facilities are poor. When my wife went in the morning there was a toilet that was dirty, and then the cleaners went in and wife went back and the toilet was the same. There are pools for people to use but when busy you just cant get into them. The good thing we will say is the evening entertainment was of good value
Have just spent a week here but won't go again. However that is more to do with the location than the site. I had understood that this was near to Weymouth but it actually took us over an hour to get there, although only 24 miles away.
The site was exceptionally large & we were pitched as far back on the site as you could go. Our pitch was actually very large & at least by being at the back the children could play outside without too much worry about the traffic. If we had been in the nearer pitches or in a static I would have been very dubious about letting them play due to the amount of traffic.
To get to the facilities - pool, playground, clubhouse etc would take us about 10-15min to walk.
The toilet/shower facilities could do with a major overhaul. They are very outdated & some of the showers were really only a trickle! Also, the nearest block to us was a mixed facility which I didn't really like. The block would also be closed for up to an hour at a time for cleaning and this always seemed to be done at peak times - (5pm - just back from the beach - wanting to get the sand off) which was very annoying.
Staff were all friendly.
Takeaway was poor - waited 40m for 2 x fish/chips & 3 takeaway kids meals that were really quite bad & cost about £25 - not worth it. However, in the restaurant, the Chicago Town Family Pizza Deal for £20 was excellent. It took us 3 nights to get into the restaurant though - always very busy. Had to go at 5.30 to get a table.
Overall, we had a great time but I wouldn't go back.
First the good points, had an electric pitch that was flat with plenty of space for the tent, canopy, trailer and car (some of the more enclosed pitches were smaller). The ground was a bit hard, so lost a few pegs. The communal toilets were clean and had plenty of hot water and loo paper.
The Male/Female block however was not up to standard with plugs missing, not enough space in showers and hot water running out mid-morning. The site is big and commercial, so expect lots of kids playing, most of whom were fine.
The facilities were good, with an excellently priced Cost Cutter on site (3 bottle of cold wine £10) but the main complex did not take cards, only cash and was a bit life-less (too many basic tables and chairs with comfy areas taken early). Didn't use the Pool but the kids did enjoy the arcade. There was evening entertainment in the Club area, but this isn't for us. Been there done that got the flashing glasses!
Due to the size of the site, there was a lot of late night noise. Had kids shouting after midnight and groups not caring about others being on site. Neighbour spent most of the day shouting and verbally threatening their kids with every sentence including a sweat word. Made a complaint at the Camp Reception, but don't know if it was passed onto the offending tent as it continued the next day.
There is an excellent pub next door with a nice atmosphere, better food and cheaper drink (about £1 cheaper for 4 drinks). Not too far away from attractions (10 minutes to Poole, 15 to Bournemouth) and Lulworth Castle being an excellent day out with the best visitor Cafe food I have had. Check out the Jousting if in the area this August, professional Stunt riders who have been involved in blockbuster films.
Overall I would say that you get what you expect from this site (not what you pay for). If you want a busy site with lots of kids, lots to do (club and pool) and adequate levels of cleanliness then this is good (not accounting for neighbours from hell who don’t mind is THEIR kids here swearing). If you want a more traditional camping experience then I would suggest a less commercial site.
P.S. If you are wondering why we went to this site, it was to be with family.
Stayed at Sandford Holiday Park in a tent with EHU. Have stayed previously at this park in a static. Statics are immaculate. Entertainment is outstanding. We wanted to try our new tent at the park. I would recommend the Paddock field to pitch on with a tent/caravan with EHU.
However, the toilet and shower blocks were not very clean. They were cleaned twice a day but this was not enough for the amount of people staying on the site during a very busy peak season. One toilet block was absolutely filthy. The Unisex block was just about adequately clean but the showers were cold.
The toilet and shower facilities are best described as poor. If you can put up with poor toilet/shower facilities everything else is fine. It can be noisy at night but this is due to it being a site offering lots of entertainment. If you want all round family entertainment then this is the site for you if they can only try to improve the shower facilities.
I visited Sandford Park for a few years running in the mid 80's and held for this time a memory of a great place with loads to do that was well ahead of its time.Almost magical. So we returned with our children (aged 4 and 6).
Our pitch was adequate, flat and sheltered and we checked in quickly. The toilet block varied in standards of cleanliness, depending on the time of day and clients (to be fair toilets and showers are only as clean as the people who use them.)
Noisy into the night, kids running/cycling wild around the site with no apparent supervision especially at the weekend. We visited the outdoor pool (nice shallow one for the kids, warm enough, deep one that was really cold!) One 12-13 yr old walked into the 'kiddies pool' and swore about how cold it was. My wife challenged the child who responded with further abuse. We avoided the pool for the rest of the week. The entertainment is OK, if your children don't get suggestive jokes or acts.
It is very handy for loads of great places to go and things to do nearby and this is what we ended up doing, not wanting to stay on site too much.
Wareham's nice for a night out, try 'The Quay' for the 'Black Rock' steak, very good.
Won't be going back to this site but hope to visit the area again.
Have just returned from 5 nights at Sandford Park, massive site with hundreds of statics and over 330 pitches for touring. Standard pitch with electric quite small just about fit car, caravan and awning on with awning right up to conifer hedge didn't leave much room to sit outside.
Toilets and showers not good, tried 2 blocks out of 3 both the same, water warmish but no pressure, water just trickles out, not very clean either. Did not see them being cleaned once.
No playground in touring area for kids or anywhere for them to play apart from the road. Indoor swimming pool bit murky couldn't see bottom.
Nice pub 100 yds from entrance with play area, not that far from Poole/Bournemouth for beaches, 20 miles from Weymouth. Small Sainsburys just down the road in Wareham which was handy.
Very noisy at night into early hours.
Overall for us too big, too noisy and dirty will not be returning.
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Common Questions
Is Sandford Holiday Park - Parkdean Resorts child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Sandford Holiday Park - Parkdean Resorts have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Sandford Holiday Park - Parkdean Resorts? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Sandford Holiday Park - Parkdean Resorts dog friendly? YES 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 
Holiday Homes for Hire 
Holiday Homes for Sale 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
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 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
TV Room 
Games Room 
Evening Entertainment 
No Fishing 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool On Site 
Outdoor Pool On Site 
No Horse Riding 
Cycle Hire On Site 
Golf On Site 
No Tennis 
Beach <1 mile 
Watersports <1 mile 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport 
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Having read previous reviews about this site we were indeed very worried. 
