Little Hundreds Campsite

On the edge of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Little Hundreds Campsite is a simple summer site on a farm that seems to delight all who visit. Welcoming hosts, clean facilities, and great views all help keep campers happy. But smiles are enhanced by a few more unusual extras too: a wall of sunflowers, the chance to feed the friendly neighbouring sheep, and posies of flowers in the loos. The location is not bad either. It’s a mile from the nearest good pub, a mile from the closest farm shop, and five miles from the National Trust’s Kingston Lacy Estate. And if you fancy a trip to the beach, Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is close enough for a visit.

You can pitch where you please and park up next to your tent in the south-facing, five-acre field that makes up Little Hundreds Campsite. It’s an easy going place to stay that relies on campers’ good sense and a few sensible rules. There’s a low noise policy with quiet time after 10pm, campfires and barbecues are allowed but must be kept off the ground, and dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on the lead. It all makes for a lovely place to pitch up and the facilities, though simple, have been lovingly handcrafted and are kept beautifully clean. The site may be off grid, but you can still charge phones at the solar charging station and there’s an ice pack-freezing service courtesy of your hosts, the amiable Katie and Dudley.

They also provide a few bales as a rustic play area which are a big hit with the kids. If you can drag yours off them, you can head out to visit the nearby market town of Blandford Forum or, perhaps, to Kingston Lacy. This grand family home, together with its gardens and grounds, provide a great place for a day out complete with a National Trust cafe and gift shop, of course. There’s great walking on the Stour Valley Way and great cycling on quiet country lanes. In fact, it’s directly on the 80-mile Bath-to-Bournemouth cycle route, so makes a fantastic place for serious cyclists to stop off too. The beaches, bays, and fossils of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast are also only a half-hour drive away.