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We stayed at Holmsley at the end of August 2011, the last week of the school holidays. On the day of arrival, we were very impressed - it seemed like a well organised, large and spacious site.
As we don't need an Electrical Hook Up, we decided to go to the Plain Heath field, at the back of the site. It's a 3-4 minute walk to the toilets, showers and wash up but far quieter and more spacious than the 'premium' fields near the front of the site.
Although it was quiet for the first couple of days of our stay, on the Friday night it filled up a lot. Thankfully most decided to camp on the fields near the facilities and the EHU's, so we still had lots of space in our bit, but the toilets and showers were struggling to cope with a few queues in the mornings.
The children's playground is a nice touch, but as others have said it is quite small for the size of site and didn't have anything suitable for our 2 year old, except a slide. A second playground for younger children would be great
We tried the takeaway on site on the last night of our stay and found it was reasonable value and tasty. We also thought the shop was good and prices not bad, considering you're paying for the convenience.
There's lots of lovely walks right from the site and, although we didn't have our bikes this time, it's clear that cycling from the site would also be very good. Loved the fact that we could climb over the fence just 30 seconds from our tent and be amongst the heathland and ponies.
The ground is relatively flat but lots of molehills - and in fact we had a mole trying to burrow into our tent while we were there! No big problem and quite entertaining to see mounds popping up in the tent.
On balance, we'd definitely return to this site, it's the second Forest Holidays site we've been to this year and loved them both, for different reasons.
Holmsley offers 'easy' camping with lots of facilities, I'd think it would be very busy in the main season and don't expect loads of privacy or space around your tent, especially if you're in the fields with EHU's.
But if you're prepared to be further away from the facilities and rough it a little bit, you can still find a little piece of New Forest heaven!
We were prebooked and found our permit waiting at the gate, so were able to park up once we found a free pitch with electricity. As these hookups were at a premium we were concerned that should we go off site, someone would pinch our pitch. Fortunately my fears were unfounded.
The Toilet block was always clean and with plenty of hot water. They wee also well placed for us but for many, quite a trek.
The site does have some tent pitches on quite a gradient - don't know how they slept!
The shop was well stocked and prices as you would expect.
We regularly stay in the New Forest, at least twice a year, and often use the Forest Holiday sites like Ashurst and Hollands Wood. They've always offered good locations, clean facilities, albeit at a slightly higher cost. We'd never stayed at Holmsley so thought it worth a try.
It's a big site. It's situated on an old airfield, so as others have said, there's a lot of old concrete around, albeit well disguised by plenty of greenery, but not many trees so it has quite an open feel to it. You will need rockpegs with you in most areas or you will come home with a lot of bent pegs!
There are a number of sections to the site. Some with EHU pitches and others without. The biggest concrete area in the middle of the site has most of the EHUs so tends to attract the caravans and the bigger families who feel the need for EHU. This seemed like the busiest and noisiest place so we avoided it.
We went to the back field (Plain Heath) where there are no EHU pitches and it's all a bit greener, although you are a few minutes walk from the toilets. We had booked in advance but as is normal on Forest Holiday sites, you still have to find your own place to pitch. We arrived at 12 on a Saturday and it was packed! Irritatingly, campers seemed in no rush to pack up by 12, which is the site rule, so we were left hanging around waiting for a pitch to be free'd up. It should be noted that by Sunday morning the site was considerably emptier, so that might be a better arrival day.
Eventually, we found a decent pitch for a group of us and although there is a 6m distance pitching rule, it doesn't seem to be enforced as tightly as on other Forest Holiday sites so probably a decent place for camping in groups.
We happened to be on the site during the August flash flooding that happened in Bournemouth, just a few miles away. The site took a lot of rain over 24 hours. As others have said, the site does flood in a number of places during very heavy rain. We were ok, having pitched on a high area of grass but others weren't so lucky and some literally woke up in small lakes! Be careful when you pitch if the weather isn't looking good! Having said that, the ground drained very well and by the next day it was mostly dry again.
The facilities are normal for Forest Holiday sites - to a good standard and kept very clean even with a lot of campers using them. The showers always have lots of hot water although the cubicles are barely big enough!
We didn't use any of the other site facilities like the shop or take-away but they were there and open! Christchurch is only 10 minutes away and has a big Sainsburys for all your shopping needs.
We picked this site for its proximity to good cycling routes and weren't disappointed. The New Forest is a great place for cycling with many signposted routes and plenty of flat(ish) rides to be had, both on and off road. Holmsley provided an excellent base for these and is surrounded by lovely open Heath land with decent paths throughout. We can recommend the Queens Head Pub in Burley for a decent meal at a decent price. You can cycle most of the way there along an old railway cutting too.
But of all the New Forest sites we've stayed in, this felt by far the least 'intimate'. Not the usual forest haven that we've become fond of; finding a quiet spot between a few trees and watching the horses trot by. A far busier site for the masses who prefer to have a few extra home comforts like EHU and shops and take-aways on-site. For that reason, I can't see us going back.
We stayed over August bank holiday and the site was full. Despite this there were enough loos and showers for everyone, we never had to wait. They were well cleaned.
The ground is hard, as others mentioned, but we were able to buy a mallet which was up to the job in the campsite shop.
The site was quite noisy for our first night with dogs barking and babies crying; everyone was camped fairly close. By the second night the site emptied so there was lots of space and it was much quieter.
It is a great location for visiting the forest and the coast. Recommended are Highcliffe Castle Beach and the ornamental drives in the New Forest.
There are lovely walks in the Forest from the campsite as well. The site had some boggy areas due to a large amount of rain the previous week but we were able to avoid these.
Most of the site is stony, firm ground and is mostly level. We were able to find a spot under trees which was lovely.
We visited this site for 2 days mid-week having pre-booked through their website.
We had a great time. The shower/toilet blocks seem to cope with the sheer quantity of people on site & they were kept very clean. It is quite a trek to get to them if you are in the far field.
There is a small playground that is way too small for the amount of kids around & the busier the site gets the less space for kids to play around the site. May be worth the building another playground & using a bit of land for a play field.
The on site shop has a reasonable selection but at high prices, £1 for a pint of milk is ridiculous. But if you have a car their are supermarkets within 10 minutes near Christchurch (Sainsburys) or Milford on Sea (Tesco).
There are plenty of walks & cycle routes around the area & you can find yourself in the middle of nowhere within minutes.
The only issue we had was that as the ground isn't very flat, it does flood badly when it rains. Fine if you have good quality sewn in groundsheet but if you don't you will get flooded. It takes quite a while for it to drain/soak away.
We will try some of the other Forest Holidays sites over the next couple of years & would not rule out returning to Holmsley.
This was our 2nd time at Holsley. It was great, we pitched in the Heath field towards the back where it was mainly Tents and still close to the
Toilet/Shower block and Washing up block etc. The facilities were very good with the sinks having proper taps for washing up as to the push down type.
All the toilets and Showers were routinely cleaned and in my opinion I felt all the Staff work very hard! also helpful.
This is on the edge of the New Forest and Christchurch, so Sainburys is nearby in Christchurch
When I came to this site 3 years ago which was a 1st for family camping I must of bent nearly all the pegs which came with my then Millets cheap tent, now I have a large frame tent a good selection of all Pegs for different ground.
This time was easier in the plain heath but still needed Rock Pegs!
SO ADVICE IS BUY A COUPLE OF BAGS OF ROCK PEGS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE - they were selling in the shop at 0. 90p each which doesn't sound much but if you go to a camping shop or as I did Ebay you can get 8 to 10 for about £4
Set in lovely surroundings despite the vast amount of concrete on site. Pleasant staff. Facilities are fine, they were regularly cleaned-those people who complained that they were not clean should remember it is the visitors who leave it in a mess and is not the sites fault!Another toilet/shower block is required in busy periods but otherwise ok. Shop fab, great variety!Playground great. Area perfect for days out and beach visits. In v busy periods it was not easy finding a premium pitch, marking them out would be better. The ground is quite bumpy too so doesn't leave you with loads of choice when choosing your ptich. If your looking for a quiet holiday I would not advise it but if noise and lots of children don't bother you then defo make a visit.
We have just returned from Holmsley, had a lovely time. Arrived 11. 45am on Fri checked in Staff very friendly. We were meeting friends so found them on the Plain Heath area, (I brought rock pegs but didn't need them in this area, no electric hook ups) backing on to the cycle path. Lovely big flat area, a bit of a walk to the wash block but not a problem. Got very busy by Fri eve and Sat afternoon but all gone by Sunday afternoon. We left Tues and it was nice and quiet and lots of room.
Wash blocks and washing up areas, lots of toilets about 6 showers in the ladies, only waited 5-10mins at busy times for a shower. Got messy at peak times but were cleaned between 3-5pm and were fine, coped well with amount of people.
Lots of room for kids to run about and ride bikes, play park, take away, shop a bit pricey but convenient. Went into Burley Saturday eve for dinner 14 of us had a lovely meal at The Queens Head pub.
The walks and cycle paths around the site are lovely. Had a lovely stay but if you are looking for a allocated plot this is not the site, but quite relaxed and big would go again.
We went over the bank holiday weekend, but stayed on for the week.
This site is terrible. It was busy, to the point most tents were less than 6 away but the guide ropes crossed over too!
Its pitch anywhere which caused no end of problems. There is loads of concrete on the site and not enough grass, to have a nice pitch.
We had noisy neighbours, one who brought a projector to watch films till gone 11pm and some that kicked their kids out of the tent at 5. 30am-6am! Staff did nothing.
Showers were nice and warm and plenty of them, but big queue at peak times.
The shop is over priced and didn't even have bread and milk some days. The takeaway was shut for 3 days solid.
We stayed here from the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend. We prebooked a Premium pitch through the Forest Holiday's website before we went. A Premium pitch basically means you get EHU for an extra five pounds per night, there is nothing special about the pitch itself.
Anyway, as we arrived early (10. 30am instead of the advertised 12 noon check in) we thought we would chance our luck and see if we could get in early. For a 3. 00 charge we could, which we were pleased to pay as being a BH we figured it would be busy after noon.
Driving around we were lucky to find a hardstanding area for the caravan, with the awning pitched on what was left of the grass. To be honest I think we were lucky in finding the plot we did as it was lovely, with a nice sheltered tree filled area right infront of us for the kids to play in.
I agree with others who have reviewed this site - take rock pegs as the ground is solid, even after the floods Dorset experienced a few weeks back.
Looking around the site we were glad we no longer camped in a tent, as the standard pitches with primarily tents looked to be ontop of one another. Yes, it was probably one of the busiest weekends of the year, but I really think Holmsley would benefit from marking out and assigning pitches to people who have booked in advance. It was one of the things that made me hesitate and subsequently nervous about booking it.
We were located a minute walk away from a toilet/shower block which was handy with a 5 and 3 year old as we only use the toilet in the van for nighttime emergencies. On the first morning I was horrified to find (at 8am!) a 5 deep queue for a shower which had increased to 8 deep when we came out. I must say though, after the BH weekend had gone the campsite seemed to empty out and for the rest of the week we had the pick of the showers.
The water was always piping hot. There is a rail in each where it looks like a shower curtain should be. I wish there had been curtains or screens as although there are plenty of hooks for clothes/bags most people ended up throwing their towels and clothes over the doors to stop them getting wet.
My only gripe is that each toilet block is closed for 2 hours at a time for cleaning. I don't see how it can take 2 hours to clean a block of toilets (some of which seemed permanently locked anyway) and 6 showers.
The location is lovely - there are plenty of New Forest ponies right outside the gate, but I liked the fact they couldn't come onto site as I've heard on other Forest Holiday sites they can get quite aggressive and scavenge for food.
At nightime the site was quiet and pitch black, meaning our kids slept from around 8pm to 8am - fantastic in my book! I like not having night time entertainment on campsites, so it's perfect if you want to chill with a glass of wine outside your caravan at night whilst the kids sleep.
The laundrette is a useful addition, especially with a young family and I used it twice when there. The shop was useful for last minute things such as bacon and eggs, although the choice was limited. A little overpriced too, but to be expected on a campsite shop.
Our kids liked the playground, but rarely used it as there was enough space to run around the trees and caravan. The amount of concrete didn't bother me unlike in some reviews.
I would stay here again but for the fact you can't prebook a pitch I would probably only do so in the off-season when it is quieter.
Site is located in a lovely part of the New Forest and used to be an Old WW2 airfield which is why some parts still have the concrete taxi ways. Can it make it tough on your pegs when trying to pitch a tent.
Pitches are not marked out so at peak times it does get very crowded with other units pitching up very close to you. This is a little disappointing especially as some people are not overly considerate.
Toilet and washing facilities are very good, plenty of hot water and the staff do a good job at keeping them clean.
This was my first visit to Holmsley since I was 7, and as others say, the memories came flooding back as soon as we entered the site.
I really like the find your own pitch system since I wouldn't like to be too far from a toilet block, but I can appreciate that some people would like to stick to the quieter areas, so this works.
We found a pitch easily, despite it being the school holidays and so quite busy, and once we were set up went for a walk around the site. Being nosey, I decided to inspect all 3 toilet blocks and 2 were very clean although the third wasn't so great, but I did notice that this was the one surrounded by families with young children who were being showered at the time, so maybe it got better. However, all toilet blocks were cleaned thoroughly every day. I had read complaints about the heat of the water, I showered in the mornings and the temperature was perfect and showered my daugther in the evening and it was not too hot for her (and she's fussy!) The water in the washing up rooms however was scalding!
The shop was well stocked and reasonably priced, the new forest ice cream is absolutely lovely. The playgroud has changed a bit since I last visited (1993!) and is great for younger kids, although there did seem to be some teens hanging around on occasions who were obstructing the smaller kids. My one big gripe was the parents who allowed their young kids to play unsupervised, my daughter had an incident with a child of about 5, who wouldn't let her on the equipment despite being asked, which upset my daugther somewhat. This child then fell over and hurt herself and was crying loudly, but her parents were nowhere to be seen. This is not the fault of the owners though.
The surrounding area is beautiful, outside the main gate is an area of heathland with gorse bushes and ponies grazing and if you leave the site the other side, you are straight into the forest, where there are plenty of walks, and a small stream which my daughter loved. This area is ideal for bike riding and there were lots of people biking round the site too.
Other facilities included plently of bins, plus recycling, laundrette, baby changing rooms, waste disposal and takeaway, however we didn't use these so can't comment.
I will definitely be visiting again, this site is fantastic for a family holiday and I couldn't recommend it enough.
We booked a long weekend at Holmsley, paying for an XL pitch with hook-up to ensure we had enough room for our awning and campervan. Total bill £90.
We arrived at 7. 30pm to be told to drive around and find a space! That was the a big surprise, how can we pay for a XL pitch and then be asked to find a space, is it wrong to expect what you pay for?!
After a tour around the whole site, there was no room for us so we drove out of the site and found a site half a mile away, which luckily had room for the following day for the remainder of our stay.
We then had to endure one night at the this site. Again we drove around trying to find a space to park up for the night, we're not exactly big (the awning wasn't being unpacked!), just a small vw camper. Luckily someone was leaving so we had their spot, which was only wide enough to park the van on and looked more like a grass verge than a camping pitch.
The facilities were very tired and the only comforting thought was that we only had to endure them for one night. The showers were extremely basic with nowhere to hang your clothes etc without getting them wet!
We had considered using Forest holidays again, until this experience.
Spent the bank holiday weekend here - weather wasn't ideal as damp and very windy but the site was still very busy.
Facilities coped fine with all the campers, didn't have to queue for showers or washing up facilities all weekend. It was quite noisy with a lot of kids but that's what you expect for a bank holiday.
The staff were exceptionally helpful (as I'd managed to prebook into the wrong campsite - so many thanks for their understanding and cooperation).
We did walk to a local pub but its quite a hike. You have the whole New Forest on your doorstep to explore and get away from the crowds.
We visited Holmsley for the Bank Holiday Weekend at the end of May.
We arrived at 1400 on Friday and had room to pitch 3 tents together although on 'Plain Heath' some distance from the nearest wash block.
By 1700 the site was extremely busy and people continued to arrive through the evening. More came on Saturday.
The 6m rule was progressively 'relaxed' by the site management and on our return from cycling on the Saturday found another 3 tents so close to our that guy lines were overlapping. This did not bother us but it's either a rule or it's not.
There was a queue for showers and toilets at peak times (from 0700 until 0900 and for showers until after 1000 most days). Showers were always hot though.
The site is very well situated for cycling and walking the New Forest and it's a real advantage being free from horses within the site.
Most of the pitches are flat enough but you will need ground anchor pegs throughout the year as the ground was very hard beneath the top 4cm of grass / mud.
The shop was acceptable enough and the site team friendly. A good play area and plenty of room for kids to be pretty independent and safe on bikes.
If visiting the New Forest this is an excellent site but we felt it was greatly overbooked for this peak weekend. Some poor families were immediately (repeat, immediately, outside the wash block).
The Forest Holidays camping is a joint venture with the C+C Club and I'm sure they would have something to say about the level of occupation if they witnessed what we did.
A good clean site with good facilities but one to avoid at peak times, try during term or the days after a BH weekend but still school half term.
By the time we left at 1300 on the Monday it was very quiet again. If you do plan to visit at peak times arrive early to get a better pitch otherwise you'll be disappointed.
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Common Questions
Is Holmsley Camping In The New Forest child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Holmsley Camping In The New Forest? 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
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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 
Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
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 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <5 miles 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <5 miles 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
No Fishing 
No Wild Swimming 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
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 <5 miles
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Electric Car Charging Point
We stayed at Holmsley at the end of August 2011, the last week of the school holidays. On the day of arrival, we were very impressed - it seemed like a well organised, large and spacious site.
