Caravan club sites in Hampshire

Hampshire's caravan touring is dominated by the New Forest, where a group of large forest campsites sits inside the national park on Forestry England land. Few places in England put this much open ground, this many cycle routes and this good a road network within an hour of the M25.

Where the sites are

The New Forest holds the overwhelming majority — sites around Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Fordingbridge and Bransgore, many of them unfenced with ponies wandering between pitches. Outside the Forest there are smaller groups in the Test Valley near Romsey and Stockbridge, on Hayling Island, and near Portsmouth for the Isle of Wight ferries.

Getting there

The M3 and M27 make access simple, and the A31 runs straight through the middle of the Forest as dual carriageway. The A35 through Lyndhurst is the pinch point: a single carriageway street with traffic lights that queues badly all summer. Approach from the A337 or the A326 if your site allows it.

Local notes

The Forest is covered by a 40mph limit and grazing animals have right of way. Ponies, cattle and donkeys lie on warm tarmac at night and are hit every year. Drive it as though something will step out, because at some point it will. The cattle grids on unfenced roads are wide and shallow and give a caravan no trouble, though they will rattle the crockery.

Rhinefield and Bolderwood ornamental drives are narrow with overhanging oaks and cars parked at the picnic areas — comfortable in a car, awkward with an outfit.

If you are heading to the Isle of Wight, Wightlink from Lymington and Red Funnel from Southampton both charge on total length, and caravan space in July and August books out weeks ahead.

Forest sites open from around mid-March into early November, with the largest staying open longest. August and the late May bank holiday need booking as far ahead as the system allows.