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Picked a crazy week in early March to visit this site so was subjected to rain all week and a waterlogged campsite, our fault though not the caravan parks.
Good facilities for the kids but I felt something was lacking, but this could have been the time of year. The toilets and showers were clean, although these did look a little shabby when we visited but that could have been the weather.
The entertainment was good for pre-season, and although there weren't many visitors we were given a good show.
I will admit we have stayed in better sites in Dorset, and it is a drive to anywhere especially the beaches (not that we went) but the nearby Farmer Palmers is superb and the kids enjoyed it.
I can't really say anything bad about the site and Park Dean are one of the better operators in my opinion but next time we're in dorset we'll be going to West Bay further round the coast.
Visited this site over Easter weekend and was a little disappointed to be honest. For a large site on a Bank Holiday weekend the entertainment was mediocre at best - the children's entertainers were good, but the adult cabaret acts were second rate and I've come to expect better from a site of this size.
The touring pitches were fine, but there was only a unisex toilet / shower block open which was not to our liking, a newish looking block nearby had signs on it when we arrived saying that it was closed until the end of march, which they soon changed to being closed until the summer when we pointed it out - very poor really, I'm guessing they just didn't want to employ someone to clean them.
Food in the clubhouse was of a reasonable standard and reasonably priced - about what you would expect.
I'm not sure I would use Sandford again - it hides behind it's size, and I've been to much better sites that don't charge any more and provide better quality facilities and entertainment. I'm booked on Parkdeans 'West Bay' site in november so will be able to report whether it is just Sandford, or the whole group which disappoints.
I stayed at Sandford over the Easter weekend as part of a party of four adults and three children. We used two tents on two star pitches.
The pitches were sheltered and of a decent size - big enough for my large trailer tent and awning with room for my car.
Electric hook-up, water and light were provided on the pitch.
The toilets/showers were ample and clean, however the block nearest the star pitches was closed for cleaning for about an hour and a half, every day, from about 7.30am! There was also a large, unisex shower / toilet block about 2 minutes walk away.
A Costcutter shop was available on site and was well-stocked and reasonably priced.
The site has several fast-food places and a restaurant/carvery, however I didn't use these.
The site is well located - being about a 15 minute drive from Poole, and close enough to Bournemouth. Lulworth Castle and Durdle Door are very nearby.
'The Sandford' public house is just down the road, however I would advise others not to eat here. Service was slow and the food was overpriced and of poor quality; one dish was served undercooked and returned TWICE!
Evening entertainment at the park was varied and enjoyable. Cash bingo every night, followed by cabaret acts and a disco.
Drinks were reasonably priced (£3 a pint, 4 pint jugs were sold for £10). Fruit flavoured squash was provided free of charge for the kids on Easter Sunday.
There was lots for the children to do including entertainment by Lizzie the Lizzard and Sid the Seagull, amusement arcade, swimming pool and play area.
Crazy golf, ping-pong and cycle hire were available as well as peddle-along go-cart things however the cycles and go-carts were very expensive (up to £8 per hour).
The staff and troupers were friendly and helpful throughout our stay.
The park was clean and tidy throughout.
All-in-all I cannot recommend this campsite highly enough. I will definitely be returning in the Summer.
We love this place. What can we say its just got everything. The pitches are big and most are secluded by conifers. The staff are so friendly and helpful. More lights around the touring fields would be good. Gets very dark at night. Our children love this park and never get bored of it. We've been going since 2002. We decided to buy our own tourer so we could afford more holidays. As so much cheaper. The prices are quite high but it does include club passes. There's an indoor/outdoor swimming pool. Kids play area. Evening entertainment. Great restaurant and the food is lovely. There's a bar and big screen tv. Takeaway. Bingo. Sid and lizzy to amuse the little ones. Teenager challenges. Shop. Internet access. Bike hire. Trampolines. Security guards. Arcades. Club house etc. It's got everything. The toilet blocks are clean. There's always a member of staff around should you need one. Yes gets very busy. But were not surprised. If you try sandford we really hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We pick the star pitches so we don't have to walk to fill up the aqua roll etc. Tv reception is good. There's a dog walk area. There's loads I've probably missed out but check the park out on the net. Happy holidays. We rate this park 9/10.
The site is very clean. Male toilets in main entertainment room very small downstairs 2 urinals and 1 pan.
Troopers are great work hard throughout the day and night. Bar staff are friendly.
The restaurant is pricey for the food you get. Takeaway venue also bit expensive
£1.70 for a portion of chips.
Outside poole is a bit small and was overcrowded. I saw several families leaving the pool in their swimming gear and walk towards near by park which does not have a pool. I suspect they were using the pool as passes are not checked. Passes were not checked on inside pool where there was a queue outside waiting to go in. This was a bit disappointing I suspect holiday members were not based at sandford were using the facilities. This also applies to the entertainment lounge where passes were rarely checked.
Entertainment was brilliant good for children and adults.
Starts at 6 pm you have to get there pretty early to get seats.
Location good for local buses the stop is just outside.
Arcade is ok but a bit dated on the machine side.
Nice park but if you like to relax by the pool you will have to be there early.
We have just visited this holiday park, yes it was lovely & clean, we had a large pitch for our tent, the evening entertainment was good, the shop was always stocked up, in the brochure it said about the dj workshops for the over 11's running from 26th july until the end of august but when my son asked about it he was told they only run them in the winter, the only indoor stuff for the little ones was a ball pit & that was not that good.
The clubhouse was lovely, the food was not that good, the only food that was really nice was the pizza's, burgers & the sausages, the chips where raw nearly.
The only thing that did upset us was that it was the first year my daughter who is nearly 2 half years old, understood what was going on & we took photo's of her having fun in the pool & we where told that we where not aloud to take photo's & other parents got told off about it as well.
The main question is would we go back again: The answer is NO
We went to this site in July/August and found it way different to what everyone else's reviews said it was. It had many facilities that everyone was welcome to use and you were even allowed to use them prior to your check in.
The pitches for the camping and caravan bit were reasonably sized with some pitches being larger (star pitches, where you got a massive pitch all to your self. 4 electric hookups and 2 water taps.)
The toilet blocks were spotless and were cleaned every few hours. The showers were hot and a good size. There were 5/4 in the womens toilet block and the same in the mens. There was also two other shower/toilet blocks but we didn't use them as they were too far away.
The entertainment for kids was good as there was a pirate ship in the plaza, 2 swimming pools and kids activities in the arcade and the club.
At night there was entertainment for the kids with sammy the seagul and lizzie lizard and then it was bingo and after bingo there would be the 2 cabarets one/both of them by the entertainment crew (troupers) and then a visitor on 3 days. After that they would do something like a disco until it closed. There was a bar at the back of the room and there was lots of seating downstairs as well as on the balcony.
There was also a shop which sold toys and t-shirts and everything like that. There was also the resturant but you had to book a table sometimes. There was a costcutter on site which sold everything you needed. There was a take away too which sold everything from burgers to chips and sausages. There was a pizzeria on site too but it was a bit expensive.
Go Karts were also available for hire to go around the park on which were a good idea as the site is quite large. Crazy Golf and Ping Pong are available too. And there is a tennis court but you had to book for that.
Around the park there was nearby Wareham with a few shops.A bit further away there was Poole and Bournemouth, both with good beaches. About 13 miles away was Durdle Door and Lulworth cove (both with beaches). You could catch the ferry from Poole to Swanage for a small fee. All of the surrounding towns had shops. Tesco and Asda were in Poole and there was a Somerfield in Wareham.
Overall a really really good site and would definetley go back again.
We visited this site last weekend for the first time. It was very busy due to it being Easter so we were unable to take full advantage of some facilities. There is a good selection of services and food outlets on site, we went off site to the nearby Bakers Arms(about a 10 minute drive) which we would highly recomend.
This is a very family orientated site and we felt a little out of place being a couple. There was a good variety of entertainment, including Bingo, family shows and tribute acts that seemed to please all ages. The staff were hard working and very plesent. On the bad side, the toilets were disgusting, we were at the far end of the site with our touring van and only one mixed set of toilets were open despite the large number of people! They were dirty, with a large amount of them not working. The other down side is that the touring pitches are quiet tight (as mentioned by tomo50) and our first pitch had broken hook up!
Would we visit Sandford again? yes probably, it's a fantastic base for exploring Dorset and has all the facilities that you would expect, just a shame about the toilets / showers.
Nice place to stay to explore Dorset. Very clean, but some tiolet blocks in need of maintainance - lights etc. More lighting needed around camping area - pitch black at night time. Reasonable prices on beer, food, shop, childrens activities. No loud noise at night from club - very well sound proofed. Very friendly helpful staff. Touring pitches a nightmare to park and get out of - very tight against fir trees which also affect TV reception - we had none for a week even with a brand new van and aeriel. Could do with a proper play park for the children especailly near to camping area which is at the top end of the site. There is just 1 wooden climbing frame. At the centre of the complex is a wooden pirate ship to play on and a couple of wendy houses - which I must say were my 4yr olds favourite! - Would I stay again? Probably - I did enjoy my stay.
On entry to the holiday park things look good, facilities are OK for the kids and you get the usual night time shows and bingo going on. Indoor pool has lots of chlorine along with loads of people and 1-2 life guards that are to busy chatting to the young ladies to be paying attention to the idiots diving and bombing everyone else in the pool, thing is the pool is only 1.2 meters at the deep end! Outdoor pool seems far more controlled and better although its not very warm. The EHU pitch we had for our tent had 10ft privet at the back and sides so it was private, ish as there were gaps in the privet people could walk through. The plot had very little grass and the ground is grey rock hard mud with lots of stone and concrete (so take plenty of pegs and a footprint sheet to protect your SIG). The pitch slightly sloped towards the road but wasn't really that bad as the tent and car fitted OK. The main wash facilities were horrible and so was the chemical disposal area, I very much doubt if they were cleaned whilst we were there as they looked the same all week. The mixed block was OK to wash in but its best to get there just after 3pm as they were clean then, any later and you entered at your own risk. On the whole, our stay contrary to the above was OK as we only used the site to sleep in and unfortunately wash in as we were out all day and some nights. The only other problems was the campers who were just the other side of the privet from us (3 families with loads of kids, noise, swearing and fighting till early hours). Security quietened them down after a third attempt on the first night 0130 only to be followed by a wife and husband major row the following night. I dont think we will be returning to this park as we only enjoyed the break away from our normal routines at home and not the pleasures of staying at Sandford. Dorset however is beautifull and we will return to another park or private dwelling
Excellent site. Our toddlers loved the swimming pools, the trampolines, the soft play, and the children's entertainment. My wife and I loved the Costa coffee and the excellent food in the restaurant. The site was quiet and the toilet blocks spotless.
Whilst not the best site I have been to, Sandford Holiday Park has much to commend it. Pitches, in the main, were fairly large but, as the toilet facilities were fairly close together, could mean quite a long trek in the early hours of the morning. One block was behind the Reception and the other was in close proximity. This consisted of a unisex toilet/shower block and a second block within 20 yards. Unfortunately, the unisex block appeared to have a permanent queue and the other block only had three showers in the gents, one of which did not have a lock, the second had a poor spray and the third alternated rapidly between hot and cold.
Entertainment consisted largely of two cabaret acts, most of which were performed by the in-house entertainment team. Some of these were of a quality worthy of a professional act in their own right. Three acts throughout the week were by visiting artistes.
There are childrens clubs suitable for all ages up to 15 years led by Sammy the Seagull and Lizzie the lizard and daytime activities are available should you decide to remain on site.
The heated swimming pools, both inside and out, were somewhat sterile and could benefit from an upgrade and lockers required a non returnable fee of 50p which discouraged impromptu visits to the locker.
Most facilities were available on the site albeit at additional cost. The Trampoline and the bouncy castle cost £1 for 10 minutes.
Unfortunately, cash is the only method of payment on site which can be obtained from the two cash machines which charged £1.65 per transaction.
The Park is situated some miles inland and therefore favours those with independent means of travel although there is a bus stop outside the camp.
Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and Swanage are within reasonable distance by car as is Bournemouth and Poole and worth a viit.
Also worthy of a mention is the Gurkha Restaurant, a short distance away on the A251 towards Wareham. Lunchtime buffet meals were available for a fixed price.
We took our touring caravan to this park in August this year. The pitches were wide enough but the road wasn't. We had tents opposite us that parked their cars in front of their units and we couldnt get our car out. We had to reverse all the way down the road. Which was a real pain when there are kids running around. We couldnt get our caravan out and had to get the people opposite out of bed to move their cars. The toilets were filthy I didnt see them or the showers cleaned all week. The toilets in the complex for the static caravans were immaculate.
The swimming pools and the resturant were lovely and the food was great but make sure you book a table.
The site was ideally situated for days out.
The only other gripe is that when I booked I was told I could have a super serviced pitch which included hardstanding and pea shingle for the awning and water and electric hook up and also waste water disposal. We did have electric and water but just a grass pitch with no waste water disposal. I went to see the warden and he agreed I had been mislead and said if he was still there next year he was going to try and put this in.
The pitches opposite us had no water and because the tap was a fair way away kept using ours. Which I didnt mind until I had just got up and the man across the road came to use water unexpectedly and caught me in my knickers with the blind only half way. Think he was more scared than me ha ha .
We've just got back after two weeks at this site where we had a great time.
This is a huge site with a real mix of people that go. We used most of the facilities and generally they were fine. Wherever you are pitched use the mixed shower block, the showers are much better than the others. You are better to wash up at your tent as the washing up facilities are not particularly pleasant, but in my view it's better to do that anyway. There is a minority of people who abuse the facilities for everyone else, they are animals who should be living in a zoo.
The noise is as you would expect from such an enormous place and the bars don't close until 12.30am. Our children were in bed by 9pm in the evening and were never woken.
On the positive, the staff are extremely helpful, the swimming pools are great, the food is not over-priced (apart from the Pizza's) and the pitches are a reasonable size. The shop was well stocked. The entertainment was great for the kids but we weren't in to the adult entertainment of Bingo and cabaret, so we left before that started.
8 of us went to Monkey World and thought it was great. The entrance fee was very reasonable (£21 for one adult and 2 kids). We got to see most of the monkeys but missed the talks because they were so busy. The main playground is fantastic and worth the walk, head there to have your picnic. The grounds are enormous and require a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes and take buggies if you are at all doubtful. Allow 4-5 hours.
I would recommend that if you are not fussed about evening entertainment and swimming pools, find an alternative quieter campsite. Otherwise, I'm sure you will have a great holiday.
I think this site is great. Stayed here in July and even though the weather wasn't great (bit of rain!) we had a brilliant time. Mixed toilet/shower blocks are definetly different, and I doubt that they were cleaned everyday but were okay. There were also some other toilets on site that were a bit old and grim and I can imagine that during high season and if the site was full that they could be very busy/messy.
Pitches are excellent - working electrical hook-up and very private (big hedges either side of the pitches) clearly marked and signposted site. We requested to move pitches when we arrived because the enclosed pitches were empty, and they had placed us right at the back under the trees, but they had no problems moving us due to weather cancellations.
Facilities on offer are good - well stocked shop. Didn't use the pool or entertainment so can't really comment. Friendly staff.
Poole is further away than it says on the official website. But is a nice place. There is a bus stop at the enterance to the site. There is a big ASDA and Tesco close by. Nice beaches and the harbour/quay is great for a drink.
Do not go to Monkey World! Even though the idea is good and I think with a little bit of work would be great, it really is not worth the money. Went to Longleat Safari Park (Bit of a drive) costs £20 for an adult pass and gives you access to everything. Safari, Boats, Trains, Maze, Pets Corner, Longleat House. BARGAIN. Well worth the drive!
On the whole a great site and well recommended. Will visit again.
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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 
Picked a crazy week in early March to visit this site so was subjected to rain all week and a waterlogged campsite, our fault though not the caravan parks.
