Write your own Review to win £150 of Amazon Vouchers!
If you've ever visited this campsite please submit a review for your chance to win! Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win £150 of Amazon vouchers. Leave as many reviews as you can for more chances - it only takes a few minutes
Great location for best sand beaches on island. All beaches pay and display approx £5-£6 day. Visited Black Gang Chine - what an outdated attraction. I would describe it as an expensive playground for little ones. Lots of static plastic figures to walk around. Good water slide and if your kids want to try the next roller coaster up from the catterpillar then there is one here. Visit Rosemary vineyard for free taste and tour and definitely Sharon Orchard next door - the lady was very nice and the coffee good then go onto garlic farm to get fed with free tasting of garlic and chutneys.
We couldn't fault campsite. Most pitches on main site seemed on some slope. We didn't have enough blocks to level up with us so make sure you take plenty if using caravan. The cente of main pitches got sun all day and evening, the right hand side had no sun in morning and felt cold though advantage of not woken too early. The meadow is nice area but little evening sun. All pitches we felt were large and well marked. Toilets/showers fine. Water in showers at times scalding as you had no control in portacabins. Could have done with a mop to wipe floor as at times quite muddy. Our kids found pool a little cold even with wet suits but to be fair only used twice as on beach. Milk shakes yummy and staff friendly! Club house great with good entertainment for little ones (ours were too old now to appreciate it). Enjoyed weekly adult quiz. Local ale served in bottles which husband enjoyed. Park area adequate though glad we were pitched at far end away from this as older kids were noisy til late. We pitched on no 41a and would definitely go again. Good cycle ride to shanklin (sunshine trail) on a gravel ground and occasional mud but expected as it is a dissused railway line (nice cream tea at end!). The other direction to Godshill is a little hilly which my daughter walked so we came back along country road, still hills but not as bad. Nice bike ride through parkhurst forest near Newport.
This was our second visit to the IOW and picked this site this time as it had facilities for children, in particular the pool.
The pitches vary in size, most are level, though a few do slope a little (which are clearly marked on the site map on the web). Our pitch was big, but as it was near the children's playground and toilets, it was not particularly quiet with lots of passers by and some, though not excessive noise from the playground. Other areas of the site were very peaceful.
The kids did use the pool a lot, it wasn't the warmest, but was OK and clean. It was a decent size and the best thing was that it had really long opening times - great!
There is a football pitch - so space for the kids to play ball games (though some still did this in the playground).
All the toilet/shower facilities (old ones, modern ones and the temporary ones) were very clean and never had to queue - absolutely no problems at all with these - there's no need to have any concerns about these.
The entertainment was geared towards the children and ours enjoyed it. Our older boys liked the pool table. Was nice to go and have drink by the pool in the evening. Nice bar. The site was reasonably quiet - some noise until 11ish around the bar area/playground - but people are on holiday!
The cafe on site was absolutely excellent! The food was great tasting, good value for money and the lady who ran it and her staff were very friendly and helpful - excellent customer service. We ate there a few times as it was so good and also got takeaway breakfasts occasionally. The kids loved the milkshakes. Highly recommend the cafe - you won't be disappointed.
Staff were helpful in reception and the lady running the shop was very friendly - you could order fresh bread/croissants etc. Shop is what you would expect on a site - they are not trying to compete with supermarkets! (and Morrisons isn't far away anyway)
We had a 14 week puppy with us and there was an area off site where dogs could be walked. Some beaches (e. G. Yaverland, Compton) are dog friendly), as is black gang chine and its sister park.
Some people have mentioned that shop/cafe/bar close during the day. I didn't see a problem with this, as many people go off site visiting places, so I understand why they have made this decision.
IOW itself is a lovely area to visit. Lots to do, good beaches, nice towns. Definitely would go back to IOW and to this site.
Firstly, if you have never visited before and don't know where the site is, it is at the top of a tight lane and the entrance is on a tight bend and you don't even see it until you are passed, we had to back our unit up to get in the tight curve of the entrance!
The reception was fine and friendly and we had a guy take us to our pitch and he backed the van on as we were in a tight spot between other vans and opposite.
The site is quite well laid out, we chose the new field because of the hardstanding, we were on pitch 11 in Meadow Bluebell. There are plenty of water points and electric posts here. My niggle is that it is not truly hardstanding, the gravel is not wide enough for the van and awning, so you
Have part grass and gravel in the awning - and when it rained because there is slope at the back of these pitches the rained soaked right into the awning and we had soggy groundsheets and pools of water everywhere, the drainage wasn't great. I'm glad we weren't on pitch 8, as all the rain water was draining towards their pitch and by late morning they were literally surround by water !
Something to think about Appuldurcombe.
Meadow Bluebell does have lovely views across the countryside though and the whole site is in a beautiful setting, lots of trees and shrubs and a small stream running through, which is fenced off, so no little ones could wander into it by mistake.
The 'new' toilet block was in fact a portable loo - there were only three loos and three showers and the shower cubicles were tight to say the least and the water very hot - I did overhear it was only temporary and a new one is to be installed as soon as possible. I used the original toilet block after the first time, decent cubicles and regulate your own water temperature.
We had a game of crazy golf - well it is only five or six holes and they have been there since year dot and the surfaces are cracked and the features are old and rusty, they are in an area surrounded by trees and there were fallen leaves and twigs all over - not much fun with young kids having to clear each one off before we could play ! Either improve it or don't advertise is for use - I would rather pay a pound each person and have a new one installed to play on - not good enough Appuldurcombe.
The pool area is a really great feature though, kept clean and plenty of sunbeds and on the really nice days we spent a lot of time here with the children they loved it. On Tuesday night a local diving school holds scuba lessons for £ 9. 00 each, in the pool, we paid for our kids to have a go and they loved it, our twelve year old used the word 'awesome' ! It is a great treat and well subscribed to and well run.
We did not use the cafe except to buy lovely Schmoo milkshakes with cream and marshmallows and at only £ 2. 00 they were a really nice cheap treat for all. The food always smelled good and it appeared to be well used and other reviewers and campers said it was great, approx £ 7. 00 for a gammon meal, £ 8. 00ish for a steak - not breaking the bank either - it also opens for breakfast, but NOT at lunchtime.
The shop on site is basic and has weird opening times, it opens early and closes at 11am and does not reopen until 3pm in the afternoon ! right across the lunchtime period ! you cannot pop in if you run out of bread making lunchtime sandwiches etc, nowhere to get the kids an ice cream between those times and if you are at the pool, nowhere to buy a drink either. We never used the on site shop and just popped 1/2 mile up the road and spent our money in the local village SPAR.
The bar has odd times too - it only opens in the evening at 7. 15pm until 11pm. So again nowhere to get an alcoholic drink in the afternoon ! Now we are not drinkers, but my husband does like a couple of pints in an afternoon on his holidays, so again we had to go off site ! The bar has an area at the front separated by a locked door from the main bar where there are a couple of arcade machines, dartboard and a pool table and this area is not open in the day either - our boys 14 and 12 would have loved a game of pool during the day on the poorer days, but, again, it's not open !
The advertised 'entertainment' in the bar is really only kiddies entertainment, kids entertainers, disco, karoake - they had a caribbean singer on one night only - and most of his act was getting everyone to do ten different levels of limbo - it took ages ! So not over impressed there - maybe a two piece band one night, maybe a girl singer one night - but no - very basic evening entertainment.
The football field is on quite a slope, it was quite amusing watching groups of boys chasing the football's down the hill before they fell in the stream at the bottom !
This review is only my opinion of course, the site is well used and well loved and we would use it again if we were coming to the Isle of Wight - but we would know everything in advance the next time. We had a walk around and checked out a pitch number we thought would be better for our unit, we would be aware of opening times and make our shopping arrangements around them - A new toilet block should be in place next time, we would not stay on site as much in the evening for the entertainment, we would go out more into Ventnor, into Old Shanklin, the cinema and the speedway @ Ryde etc
I appreciate this is a family run concern and we use these types of sites all the time, we never use the large commercial sites, we hate them with a passion, but they do need to provide some staffing during the day for their shop, bar and cafe and open the area where the pool table is and maybe offer a little better in the way of adult evening entertainment, it's the adults that's paying the money at the end of the day!
P. S. We did use our SATNAV on a HGV setting and it sent it us down a 6'6' wide road as it did to another camper we were talking to - I would suggest following the main roads to Newport and then following the signs for Godshill and the pick up signs for Wroxall.
Fantastic caravan park, first visit to the isle of Wight via Southampton to fishbourne, loved the isle of Wight, good value for money, like old fashioned Devon and Cornwall rolled into one, we stayed in new area on site in meadows on fully serviced pitch, flat, good views, not crammed in,
Shower blocks clean, didn't have to queue, shop open twice a day and bar open at night for 3 hours as not in high season. Although did not use bar as busy visiting sights around the island.
Lovely places to see disappointed in sandown, but every where else was worth visiting.
godshill very picturesque, shanklin old town pretty and shanklin shine well worth a visit, ryde like an old fashioned Victorian seaside town. The spyglass inn on the beach at ventnor fab the fish pie is a must.
The needles a great day out the chairlift and boat trip excellent for views and well worth while, good value for money.
The dairymans daughter and complex really nice good meal in pub the fish and salmon dish a must
Just done our first ever camping holiday, found the red funnel deal. Read reviews on this campsite on this web site.
What a great site, spotless, shower and toilet block super, never had to wait. They even sorted out cracking weather for us.
Pool area great. You must visit the cafe, the people that run it are top draw really friendly.
As first time campers and in our forties it was a great trip. This site is a must.
If you get the weather like we did cracking place to visit, local pub on the corner which is within walking distance, also does good food as is dog friendly, great if you have a dog.
Location made everything on the island easy to get to. Just go and enjoy this pleasant family run site.
We've just returned from a 10 night stay and our 2nd (return visit) to Appuldurcombe. We had pitch 10 in the main camping field. The newly created pitches in the meadow area look great. They have two portable toilet blocks serving this field - one for the Men and one for the Women.
We did pop down to try them - the water pressure was good and the showers were temperature adjustable but the cubicles were a bit tight on space!
The main washblock has more room within the cubicles but the water in the showers was very hot on several occasions. I should have popped into Reception to mention it but didn't get around to it.
The park is well maintained - bins emptied daily and the grass on/around pitches was cut every time someone vacated.
We ate in the on site cafe twice during our stay -arrival day and our last night. It was great to see that the same people were running it from last season. The food's very reasonably priced and the customer service was excellent. They were open evenings from around 5. 30pm-8. 30pm during our stay. We got chatting to the couple who run it and we'll hold you to the boat trip if we return next September!
As I've previously reviewed there isn't much more to add. We feel it's in a good location and depending on the route you take from Cowes it's only about 30-35 mins drive. There's a bus stop at the top of the lane and we found a field just outside the site to exercise our 2 dogs (they're not allowed to be exercised on site unfortunately).
We're already talking about returning again next year but can't decide on the 5 night special via Red Funnel or staying for longer and being able to choose our pitch!
A nice well run and maintained site plenty of open space although it did seem windy most of the time. A good location for exploring the isle which has more of a traditional holiday feel.
The staff on site were helpful however the Bar and Shop have some strange opening times.
Bit disappointed that the swimming pool was not open, it apparently opened the end of may and not the middle as per the website.
Toilets were clean but imagine it gets busy during peak shower and touring times.
If I go back to the island I would stay at this site again.
Have just spent a very relaxing week here, in one of their static caravans. The site is absolutely spotless as was the caravan we had the use of. Everything in caravan was clean and well maintained. All the bedding appeared to be new, the included linen was well presented.
The site itself is enclosed by a high brick wall which offers shelter to all the caravans, its traffic free, facilities on hand to move your luggage from your car.
The site is well situated to see all the local attractions. In fact nothing is far away.
I came on a 5 day deal with Red Funnel ferries which I thought was a real deal.
The site is ideally situated to get out and about easily without the need to take your vehicle with you. The village of Wroxall is within walking distance and has a friendly pub; spar and post office. What more do you need?
The buses in IOW are very well run and there is a bus stop just 2 mins out onto the main road. You can either head up towards Newport, where you can link up with different buses to visit other parts of the island (Rover ticket was good value), or you can go the other way towards Ventnor.
It is a short cycle/walk (3miles) in to Shanklin via a disused railway line so very flat. This connects almost directly with the Island Line train service which can take you on the line up to Ryde
The site is also situated right on the Round the Island cycle route, which is a challenge but achievable to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.
There is also the Sunshine Trail which is a 12mile bike ride which runs outside the site.
Appuldurcombe House and the Isle of Wight Owl & Falconry centre are just up the lane the site is on.
The on site pool wasn’t open when I was there but looked nice and in a good sunny spot.
The site itself had clean facilities and friendly staff. My only comment would be that I would anticipate that in peak season 4 showers and 4 toilets for each sex may mean some queuing! But not a problem for us lucky enough to be able to go out of season.
Easily recommended site. Will definitely return on another deal.
We took advantage of the Red Funnel five night camping package on the IOW as it was good value and chose Appuldurcombe Gardens as our base due to the cycling opportunities from the site. The site was easy to find and the trip to Cowes took us about 30 minutes. Our greeting was OK, not very formative but OK. We were allocated a pitch on the far side of the site backing on to the football pitch which was fine but it was slopping and took us ages to get level!
There is a pub and café on site which we did not use but the little shop is good for a morning paper and they do the most amazing croissants!
There is not much in Woxall itself but the Spar is OK and food in The Worsley was good, they even do take aways! We cycled into Shanklin and Sandown along an old railway line which was fantastic, and from Appuldurcombe we walked to Godshill which again was great!
The facilities on site were good but the gent’s toilet was flooded all week which was not really acceptable as wading through water to get to the sink is not my idea of heaven. All in all a good stay.
I can only echo the positive reviews for Appuldurcombe. This was my first visit to the island and my husband’s second (he first went as a small child). We chose this site as it was fairly central and also due to the fact that my elderly in laws came with us. They had a static caravan in the walled orchard. It took us about 35 mins to drive from East Cowes to the site.
The staff were great and one of the ladies in Reception even recommended a hairdresser for my disabled Mother in Law as she wanted her hair washed and set during our 2wk stay.
Pitches are a good size and well drained. We had a pitch at the top end (left hand side) as you enter the touring field. My husband had reservations when he discovered a road ran along the back of the hedge behind our unit. However, it was only a minor road and only had the occasional car and horse riders early morning.
The food from the on site café was really good but a shame it closed for the season towards the end of the first week in September (as did the outdoor pool which we didn’t use). There are 2 pubs in the village - The Worsley, and I think the other was called The Four Seasons. We ate at The Worsley twice - good pub grub and big portions! The village also has a Spar shop which was open to late which was handy out of season as the camp shop only opened limited hours and had run down its stock. There is also a Morrisons at Lake (nr Sandown) as well as numerous Co-ops over the island.
There is just so much to do - we visited so many places. Ventnor Botanic Gardens are free if you don’t want to do the glasshouses) but you do pay for the car park. Visit Shanklin inc the Old Village which is the picturesque part. A must for ice cream lovers at Shanklin is the Pearly Boise - Italian homemade ice cream to die for! Pencil Cottage in Shanklin Old Village does yummy cream teas, as does the newly opened tea rooms at Blackgang Chine. Take a boat trip out to view The Needles - £5 per adult which lasts approx 20 mins.
If you want to visit a vineyard I would say to avoid Adgestone which is ½ mile from Brading Roman Villa. The literature marketing it makes it look really good but we paid £3.50 each for a cellar “tour” which consisted of being shown to a room to watch a very dated 8 min DVD and then left to just wander the cellar with little information. The price did include some wine tasting but we didn’t like the wine so didn’t buy any. We then discovered that 2 of the other vineyards on the island - Rosemary Vineyard was one, did free tours!
I loved the island so much that I’m talking hubby into returning soon (hopefully next year). My only minor let down for the site would be it’s lack of dog walk (although our dogs were not with us due to taking my in Laws).
Maybe they could set an area aside towards the right side of the meadow (opposite side from the play area/goalposts) and a doggy bin or two for us responsible pet owners??? Although this in itself wouldn’t stop us returning to this site.
Spent a week here at the site - I have to say that the week we stayed we had weather the likes of which I've not seen in the UK for some time. We have 4 inches of rain in 6 hours and very high winds.
Given the rain, the site seemed to drain quickly and our pitch remained relatively dry, the toilet blocks on the camping field were very small and like others I had reservations about having to queue to use them, I think I had to wait once for a free sink - that said, they are rather small and cramped when all sinks are being used. There are three toilet cubicles and four showers (free)
With all of the adverse weather, the site staff kept them in good order, and are closed for cleaning daily, the second toilets over by the shop are tired and old and in need of a refurb.
The cafe on site is fantastic and I missed a trick by not eating there more often, the staff are superb and the quality of the food is excellent. Very reasonable too. £4.75 for a full English with toast etc. Don't be put off by the exterior, the food is amazing.
The club house, like other review already mention is small and if you want a seat, arrive early. Plenty of choice at the bar and plenty to keep the kids entertained - My son was adamant he wanted to empty the 'Teddy Grabbing Machine'
Pool is good size and plenty of seating around it and on the grass.
The shop is basic and provides a basic level of provision, rather expensive, but most are
Site is well kept and well maintained and is a great family site, plenty of space on each pitch. Plenty of drinking water sites which also have litter bins by them for ease, emptied daily from what I saw.
Theres a big playing field and overflow tent area for the kids to run off excess energy.
If you don't fancy cooking, the Four Seasons in Wroxhall feed kids for free when adults order a main meal, excellent quality too. Ate there twice.
All in all, a good campsite, spoilt for us by the weather (beyond anyones control) but always enjoyed several beers in the club house of an evening.
Camp site adopts a no noise after 11pm policy, well observed.
Just got back from a wet 2 weeks on the isle of wight, but this campsite was excellent. The staff that we met bent over backwards to help us, always polite and always stopped to say hello. On arrival we were shown to our pitch and helped to get our van into position. The site is clean and modern with good size pitches we had 97. The bar was good with good entertainment elvis was brilliant and very good with kids, my 4 year old loved him. We cannot praise the efforts of the staff for there helpfulness on making our stay a good one and we even booked again for next year. The swimming pool was also warm. The only negative I can say is that the site could do with another toilet/shower block at the top end of the site, but other than that 10/10
Just got back from 4 days over the August bank hol weekend. This was first time taking the family camping.
Selected this campsite after the reviews listed on this site so did a fair bit of research beforehand. Arrived friday lunch time of the bank holiday weekend expected it to be absolutely packed but was pleasantly surprised when we found it about 3/4 full.
Well spaced pitches we had 91 with the stream to the rear of our pitch and large tree coverage in the morning till about 11am when the sun came round til it set.
Very helpful and friendly staff was shown where our pre-selected pitch was and where the various amenities where etc and left alone. Had the tent and awning monty 6 with awning up quickly after our garden tent test run and still had plenty of room for the car and chairs table etc.
The Weather cleared up by late afternoon and then had a great weekend.
Even though I grew up with camping the other half and kids hadn't and this was our test trip so lots of note taking and lists of other things we would need if they all liked.
Kids loved the pool and park area (12, 13,) but only had time to explore about half of it,
Our 18year old was a bit bored but next time will have his older brother or a friend along
The shop was what you would expect all the basics gas freezer blocks bakery to order etc and the on site cafe I'm told by other campers was good and priced okay although we didn't use on this occasion. Never got round to visiting the bar/club room but from the merry sounds sounded like good family fun. All was settled down by 11 every night.
Other campers we met were friendly and polite. The toilets and showers were a big plus as they were always clean, however the stone floors were always wet but hey they are set up as a wet rooms and designed for that so make sure you take your flip flops.
Plenty of drinking water areas and rubbish bins that where emptied twice a day and an on site laundry and dryers
Altogether a fantastic site and very picturesque. After this I have totally converted the wife and kids and will be inviting extended family to come with us. All in all we loved the site and will be booking 2 long stays next year.
PS make sure you book your ferry with the campsite they can get a good discount on the prices and time slots than I ever could
Previous
140 Reviews in total, now showing 76 to 90Next
Write a Review of this Site to Win £150 Amazon Vouchers
Write a review of this campsite and you could win £150 of Amazon vouchers. Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win! Leave as many as you can for more chances - submit your review here
Common Questions
Is Appuldurcombe Gardens Holiday Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Appuldurcombe Gardens Holiday Park have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool 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 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
No Shop 
Bar On Site 
No Restaurant 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing <5 miles 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
Outdoor Pool On Site 
Horse Riding <5 miles 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <5 miles 
Beach <5 miles 
Watersports <5 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport 
No Dog Walk 
Great location for best sand beaches on island. All beaches pay and display approx £5-£6 day. Visited Black Gang Chine - what an outdated attraction. I would describe it as an expensive playground for little ones. Lots of static plastic figures to walk around. Good water slide and if your kids want to try the next roller coaster up from the catterpillar then there is one here. Visit Rosemary vineyard for free taste and tour and definitely Sharon Orchard next door - the lady was very nice and the coffee good then go onto garlic farm to get fed with free tasting of garlic and chutneys. 
