Land & Wave
Choose from kayaking or paddle boarding and enjoy family time, led by your own private guide.
View and BookGallery
Why stay here ...
Secure your 2025 holiday with only a £5 deposit*
Great news - we’re improving Haycraft Club Campsite in 2024. The site is currently closed and is expected to fully reopen from 28 February 2025. Find out more details on the exciting redevelopment plans at camc.com/redevelopments.
In the meantime, you might like to try some alternative campsites nearby:
- Smedmore House Caravan Site (open 1 May - 31 Oct) - 7 miles, 15 minutes by road
- Hunter's Moon Club Campsite (open all year) - 10 miles, 20 minutes by road
- Crossways Club Campsite (open 15 Mar - 4 Nov) - 17 miles, 30 minutes by road
- New Forest Centenary Club Campsite (open 1 Mar - 31 Oct) - 36 miles, 70 minutes by road
Haycraft Club Campsite makes for an ideal base from which to explore the historic towns, picturesque villages and beautiful coastline of Dorset. There are numerous public footpaths and coastal walks near the caravan site for walking enthusiasts, and if you're a beach lover you will be a short distance from the sandy beaches of Swanage or the glorious stretch of golden sands at Studland Bay.
The caravan park also offers easy access to the charming attractions of Poole Harbour, Bournemouth, Dorchester, Weymouth, Wareham and the National Trust's Brownsea Island, home to the traditional red squirrel. Haycraft Club Campsite is situated just a few minutes' walk away from the magnificent Swanage Railway, allowing the opportunity to ride on heritage steam and diesel trains to Swanage town centre and the attractive Corfe Castle village, which is a great favourite with both the young and old alike. If you're looking for a caravan holiday destination in Dorset, that's away from the beaten track but within convenient distance to it, you'll find this peaceful caravan park to be the perfect location with its great views.
Please Note: Reception at this site closes at 6pm. Latest arrival time is 8pm. Please ensure your mobile phone contact details are up to date and you have spoken to the site team before 6pm ahead of your arrival. The site team will be happy to provide you with your check-in information.
*Book any pitch, at any UK Club campsite for any date and duration with only a £5 fully refundable deposit plus FREE cancellations and FREE amendments up to 21 days before arrival. Applies to any non-promotional booking.
Prices
Nearby
Great savings on days out
Offers available to Club members
Upside Down House - Bournemouth
An interactive photo attraction, let your imagination run wild as you capture mind-blowing memories.
View and Book
The Tank Museum
The story of tanks with the world's finest collection of tanks displayed in awe-inspiring, modern exhibitions.
View and Book
Dirt Karts - Bere Regis, Dorset
Experience adrenaline-fuelled thrills of off-road karting as you put your driving skills to the ultimate test.
View and BookMap
Directions
Turn left off the A35 (Poole - Dorchester) at the roundabout onto the A351 (signposted Wareham, Swanage). In 11 miles at Harmans Cross turn right just before the petrol station into Haycrafts Lane (signposted Downshay). Continue with the village hall and railway station on the right, up a steep hill and narrow approach road with passing places. The site entrance is on the left in 0.75 mile (past railway station and past signposts for Downshay Farm).
Sites key:
- Postcode:
- BH19 3EB
- GPS:
- Lat 50.61667 / Lon -2.02223
- Plan a route to this site
- OS field ref:
- SY984797
- OS map ref:
- 195
- Handbook map ref:
- G2
Transport links
- Bus stop within 1 mile
- Buses go to: Swanage, Poole and Bournemouth
- Car hire on site
- Daily public Transport within 1 mile
- Nearest port: Poole (16 miles)
- Shop within 1 mile
Reviews
close panel
Log in to write a review
Quiet site within walking distance of Swanage
Haycraft Club Campsite
We stayed on this site in our motorhome so that we could go to the Swanage Blues Festival. This is a small site, down a fairly narrow lane with passing places. The site has good sized pitches. There are direct paths from one corner of the site over farm and National Trus land towards Swanage. There is a bus stop at the end of the lane for buses into Swanage and I believe Poole. We were disappointed to find a plastic bag of dog waste on our pitch, this seems to be a bit of an issue here. The toilet and shower block was very clean but also very run down. Plastic skirts coming off at the bottom of the showers, one of the two sinks was taped off and not working as was one of the three outside dish washing sinks. What is the CAMC doing with the increased fees we are paying I would ask? We did ask at reception about timings for the Blues Festival but the response was, "yes I think there is one on", surely they should have knowledge of local events and the CAMC should be promoting such things? One thing I have noticed is that there are never any responses to members reviews, does anyone at the CAMC read them I wonder?
ChrisG2023
Reviewed on 04/11/2023 11:17
Disappointed
Haycraft Club Campsite
We have just spent 10 nights at what used to be one of our favourite sites. Close to many attractions in and around Swanage, and a lovely dog walk for our elderly Labrador, it used to tick all the boxes for us. However, on this occasion, on arrival we were greeted by (Mr) surly warden who gave no welcome whatsoever and, after I had paid, proceeded to lecture me on how to park, instructed me not to let my car wheels onto the grass and even told me not to allow my awning storm strap pegs on to the grass strip between pitches ! Somewhat gobsmacked, I managed to get one of the larger higher level pitches and was able to comply with all instructions.
Despite having a great dog walk, it appears to be the norm to walk dogs around the site, or between the information hut and Haycraft lane allowing dogs to defecate in the road, or what used to be the grass pitches either side. One woman walked six whippets (in shifts of two at a time) in this fashion! Although they picked up, there were faeces residue still on the road - unpleasant for anyone walking in or out of the site. As a responsible dog owner, I would have spoken to the warden about this unsavoury practice but (Mrs) warden did same thing every day.
As we were going to host two friends one evening, I called at the office to register them and asked for a visitors car pass (as required by the 3 notices on the wall) I was brusquely informed that there was no visitor carpark, to park their car on my pitch, but under no circumstances let the wheels on the grass.
During our stay, these rather unfriendly wardens were replaced by a pair of relief wardens for a few days but, despite being on the next pitch to us, they did not speak to us once during our stay, not even to say good morning.
Spoiled what was otherwise a relaxing holiday in a lovely area.
Run down, poorly managed, too many dogs
Haycraft Club Campsite
If your sub 7 metres then your get allocated a pitch with no view or sun in the evening and on route to the dog walk so covered in dog mess, despite warden walking their own dogs and taking the same route they made no attempt to clean it up over the 6 days we were there, facilities were in the poorest condition I have seen on a club site in 33 plus years membership and they also need a deep clean, due to the access road and pitch restrictions on 50% of the pitches should be a restriction of 7 metres. Do not understand why 1.25 hours are required to clean such a small toilet and shower block it certainly doesn’t show this in the end result.
The children’s play field is shared with the dog exercise area and dogs barking is an issue thus the mark for family friendly, peace and quiet.
Could not understand why the grass pitches were out of action after a sunny period but back in action a few days later as there had been no rain or why two sets of wardens could not provide a better standard site.
Touring1
Reviewed on 20/09/2023 17:31
Perfect for Peace
Haycraft Club Campsite
I have been going to this site for 6 years now.
It is so wonderfully peaceful and perfect if you have a dog.
The bus service is great and of course there is the steam train too.
The staff are so welcoming and as a solo traveller it makes such a difference.
The showers are always spotless and as I run an Airbnb my standards are high and I've never been disappointed.
Really excellent
Haycraft Club Campsite
This was the first solo trip I have been on since being widowed and it was a great choice of site. It was a lovely, quiet, friendly site. Could hear the owls and the steam train whistle - both positive! Facilities were spotless - can't quite understand the complaints about the facilities block - it isn't hotel plush, but it isn't a hotel! Staff were kind and helpful. Hadn't quite realised it was only a 10 minute walk to the train station which was perfect for a trip to Swanage. Lovely!
Site contact details
Sites nearby
Search all Club sites
Smedmore House Caravan Club Site
3.86 miles
Hunter's Moon Club Campsite
8.5 miles
Crossways Club Campsite
13.97 miles