Holmsley Campsite
Forest Road Christchurch, New Forest National Park Hampshire BH23 7EQ England
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About
3.5
#18 of 38 campgrounds in New Forest National Park HampshireLocation
4.3
Rooms
2.7
Value
3.5
Cleanliness
3.7
Service
3.7
Sleep Quality
3.5
This New Forest campsite occupies part of what used to be Holmsley Airfield in WWII, so it’s a beautiful and unique forest base for camping holidays and outdoor activities. Surrounded by ancient trees on all sides, and sitting next to a large heathland, you can spend your time relaxing and enjoying 360 degree views of grazing ponies and wildlife. Not far from the coastline, this is a great base for exploring the nearby sandy beaches of Christchurch and Bournemouth as well as the tracks that weave through the ancient woodland of the New Forest. Holmsley offers pitches with electric hook-ups in addition to non-electric hardstanding and grass pitches. There is a well stocked shop and an onsite takeaway, opening times will vary depending on season
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Property amenities
Parking
Hiking
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Convenience store
Picnic area
Shops
Self-serve laundry
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Forest Road Christchurch, New Forest National Park Hampshire BH23 7EQ England
Getting there
Eastleigh Airport
18.6 mi•
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Bournebouth Intl Airport
6.3 mi•
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158 Restaurants
within 5 miles
Reviews
3.5
535 reviews
Reviews summary
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Holmsley Campsite receives high marks for its cleanliness and picturesque location in the New Forest, which guests often highlight for its beauty and easy access to local attractions. While the toilet and shower amenities are recognized for being clean and spacious, some visitors point out the overly hot showers and the need for better children's play areas.
Despite the warm and helpful staff, there are occasional reports of unprofessional behavior. However, the campsite's value is questioned by many who feel the pricing is steep for what is offered.
Location
Picturesque
Rooms
Clean
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Detailed Reviews
We arrived Friday afternoon (11th June) to an already busy campsite; which was to be expected for a weekend. We were greeted by very polite staff who were happy to check us in. I immediately noticed that this site was more tailored towards families than the other camping in the woods sites. We drove around the site trying to find a pitching spot which proved difficult as everyone appeared very crammed in. We eventually found a secluded spot behind the shop in a little alcove of trees. Once pitched we thought it was time to relax but no. I don’t have children myself and I understand that children need to enjoy themselves but, one group in particular, we’re exceptionally noisy screaming, shouting (with parents shouting back), riding their bikes very close to our tent and car until gone midnight. In addition to this the same group had a large campfire on both nights which is against the law (it is signposted at the site) under the forestry commission. That being said, some families were very respectful of other campers and the children were very well behaved and were quite amusing when they tried to subtly walk past to see our dog.
The facilities on site were in good condition with the shop being very reasonably priced and well stocked (alcohol was limited so I’d recommend the Tesco 15 mins away for alcohol). The downside with the facilities in covid times was that not many people stayed socially distant, did not use the hand sanitizer provided outside and did not wear masked (my partner informed me the ladies all wore masks). There were no signs outside the facilities saying to wear masks indoors but were on display once inside which seemed interesting.
Another downside I noticed was that, due to everyone being crammed in, there was a massive fire risk as people hadn’t pitched 10 metres between each other as per the regulations.
I did notice that, unlike sites like Hollandswood, the wardens did not patrol the site in the evening/night (2230hrs) as there was a lot of campfires, loud music and screaming/shouting. We needed a break from stresses from work and we came home feeling more stressed
All in all i would recommend this site for families due to the shop/facilities/play area for kids. I wouldn’t recommend it for solo campers, couples and people who wanted a peaceful time away. We unfortunately will not be returning to the site as we feel Hollandswood and Roundhill is more appropriate for our needs
The facilities on site were in good condition with the shop being very reasonably priced and well stocked (alcohol was limited so I’d recommend the Tesco 15 mins away for alcohol). The downside with the facilities in covid times was that not many people stayed socially distant, did not use the hand sanitizer provided outside and did not wear masked (my partner informed me the ladies all wore masks). There were no signs outside the facilities saying to wear masks indoors but were on display once inside which seemed interesting.
Another downside I noticed was that, due to everyone being crammed in, there was a massive fire risk as people hadn’t pitched 10 metres between each other as per the regulations.
I did notice that, unlike sites like Hollandswood, the wardens did not patrol the site in the evening/night (2230hrs) as there was a lot of campfires, loud music and screaming/shouting. We needed a break from stresses from work and we came home feeling more stressed
All in all i would recommend this site for families due to the shop/facilities/play area for kids. I wouldn’t recommend it for solo campers, couples and people who wanted a peaceful time away. We unfortunately will not be returning to the site as we feel Hollandswood and Roundhill is more appropriate for our needs
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Avoid the weekends
Avoid the school periods
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a 4 night break over the half term holiday at the end of May 2022, we were greeted on arrival and as we had booked an electric pitch were shown to our pitch by one of the helpful staff, we were advised where we could pitch in order to allow room for the other pitch next to us. The toilets and showers were very clean and water hot, the staff regularly checked toilets/showers many times during the day. There was plenty of room to pitch our tent and we really enjoyed the time we spent there, some lovely walks in the New Forest and plenty of the New Forest ponies to see just outside the campsite! The shop had supplies for your needs and larger supermarkets approximately 10 mins drive. Lovely beaches within 15 mins drive such as Avon Beach/Mudeford Quays/Bournemouth etc. Staff were helpful and friendly and did ensure that noise was kept to minimum later at night to be respectful to all people staying on the campsite, we will be returning again!!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This is a very big site right in the middle of the new forest, you see lots of horses and cows next to the site. We have a family of 5 and took a dog, there are lots of lovely walks to do around the site. the shop lady and one man who is so friendly on site and would help with anything with a smile, the other staff we didn't see. the shop is good but needs to add fresh produce in as for campers who don't have a fridge it was hard to cook anything from there unless you wanted just pasta and really needs to open at 7.30 not 9 in the morning to get milk for the day.
There are food vans there but very expensive, if made a little cheaper i think more people would have brought food from them.
The one big thing that lets this place down was the lack of cleaning in the toilet's and showers, ideally they need to be done twice a day not once at 3 in the afternoon as the loos and showers was pretty grim by then. We as a family said we would stay again only if they sorted the toilets out or put more in.
There are food vans there but very expensive, if made a little cheaper i think more people would have brought food from them.
The one big thing that lets this place down was the lack of cleaning in the toilet's and showers, ideally they need to be done twice a day not once at 3 in the afternoon as the loos and showers was pretty grim by then. We as a family said we would stay again only if they sorted the toilets out or put more in.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The campsite is set in a beautiful location in the forest with plenty of roaming animals. On arrival the check in process was good and speedy, great first impression despite the rain. However, things went down hill quite quickly. We returned to the campsite to find that our pitch had been blocked in by a touring camper, this made it difficult to get into our tent. On one of the rainy evenings when we returned to the site, we decided to take a drive around to explore, we had constant rain so we opted for the car. Only to find this was not acceptable behaviour and we got told off by security, despite being a resident on the site we were not welcome to roam around.
As for the facilities, they were disgusting. Often you would visit the washing up area to find other users hadn't cleaned up after themselves. The toilets and showers were filthy. After you have showered there's a lovely bucket of dirty water for you to clean the shower after use, despite the shower blocks having dedicated cleaning times, there's no evidence they are cleaned. In the middle of a pandemic, you would think hygiene standards would be a priority.
This site is ok if you have your own facilities.
As for the facilities, they were disgusting. Often you would visit the washing up area to find other users hadn't cleaned up after themselves. The toilets and showers were filthy. After you have showered there's a lovely bucket of dirty water for you to clean the shower after use, despite the shower blocks having dedicated cleaning times, there's no evidence they are cleaned. In the middle of a pandemic, you would think hygiene standards would be a priority.
This site is ok if you have your own facilities.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Location
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When my husband and I booked we were pleased how easy it was to follow the instructions. When we arrived we were greeted by the most friendly staff, it took a while to find a pitch that would suit us in our motorhome and we were not disappionted . Yes it was busy but everyone was happy and enjoying the lovely weather, a few people were having a chat and a drink at middnight plus but it was lovely to hear them and we were so tired we soon fell asleep. The toilets and showers were great, only campers let the side down by not cleaning up after them selves as they probably went away on holiday without their servants!!!
The shop has a vast selection of food, drink and equiptment you may need and take away food.
The campsite was tidy and adequate bins to ensure we all did our bit.
The walks were lovely with horses or cows all around. We were quite pleased dogs had to be kept on a lead as it stopped ours from rolling in all kinds of horrible things.
All in all, if you find the right place for you, you will be happy. You will always get a few that could be loud or not very respectful but we were lucky in that we didn't. We were woken by a small child at 5,50am but that enabled us to be up and going for a walk early before the heat and made our weekend seem much longer. Thank you to all the staff and fellow campers for making our weekend so lovely.
The shop has a vast selection of food, drink and equiptment you may need and take away food.
The campsite was tidy and adequate bins to ensure we all did our bit.
The walks were lovely with horses or cows all around. We were quite pleased dogs had to be kept on a lead as it stopped ours from rolling in all kinds of horrible things.
All in all, if you find the right place for you, you will be happy. You will always get a few that could be loud or not very respectful but we were lucky in that we didn't. We were woken by a small child at 5,50am but that enabled us to be up and going for a walk early before the heat and made our weekend seem much longer. Thank you to all the staff and fellow campers for making our weekend so lovely.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Up to each individual to make that choice, its all lovely
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have visited several of these camping sites in the New Forest and have to say this is by far and away up there with the best. We didn’t use electric hook up as our solar panels do the job sufficiently but to find electric hook up in a camping in the forest site is quite rare.
Not sure what the previous reviewers problem is as I can assure you the toilets here are well maintained and the showers were amazing. Plenty of hot water and good pressure too.
We have a campervan and brought our bikes which is a joy at this site as there are plenty of places to cycle to both on the forest tracks and also the local roads which are not busy. The on-site shop would be a bonus if it was open but I understand to stock it and staff it in what has been a strange year for this industry would probably be prohibitive.
There are local shops not more than a mile or so away that sell bread, milk and other essentials so no problem there. Horses and other wildlife are in plentiful supply here, a great site for those with children wishing to explore and do things other than sit in front of a screen all the time but equally great for single travelers or couples wishing to relax.
We will definitely be returning hopefully for longer than 2 nights next time! Well done to all the staff on site for maintaining the facilities and providing help and advice when required.
Not sure what the previous reviewers problem is as I can assure you the toilets here are well maintained and the showers were amazing. Plenty of hot water and good pressure too.
We have a campervan and brought our bikes which is a joy at this site as there are plenty of places to cycle to both on the forest tracks and also the local roads which are not busy. The on-site shop would be a bonus if it was open but I understand to stock it and staff it in what has been a strange year for this industry would probably be prohibitive.
There are local shops not more than a mile or so away that sell bread, milk and other essentials so no problem there. Horses and other wildlife are in plentiful supply here, a great site for those with children wishing to explore and do things other than sit in front of a screen all the time but equally great for single travelers or couples wishing to relax.
We will definitely be returning hopefully for longer than 2 nights next time! Well done to all the staff on site for maintaining the facilities and providing help and advice when required.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â There are plenty of places to pitch up here, some hidden away, others more open - great choice...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great facility, staff and atmosphere would definitely visit again. The staff where very helpful and the shop host slot of valuable items at very reasonable prices. We came as a group of 10. We were very welcome and when split into our 2 tents it was very easy to be with eachother as we could choose where we pitched!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The welcome at reception was great - friendly staff, warm greeting, efficient process, etc. Unfortunately after that it was all down hill!
The site is a sprawling mass of concrete interspersed with grassy areas. Unless you've booked an electric hook-up (these were sold out so we couldn't) pitching is a free for all with no allocated pitches and no sense of any organisation.
The whole place is noisy, poorly maintained and overrun with kids, dogs, bikes and vehicles of all kinds. Cleaning is apparently non-existent with filthy toilets and showers which are littered with debris (including drug related).
The staff give out a list of rules on arrival but there is no evidence of these being enforced (including speeding, loud music, etc). We tried to call the owners about late night noise but got no answer.
In summary, the whole place is awful and should be avoided like the plague (which I suspect you would contract if you stay too long). Even one star is one too many!
The site is a sprawling mass of concrete interspersed with grassy areas. Unless you've booked an electric hook-up (these were sold out so we couldn't) pitching is a free for all with no allocated pitches and no sense of any organisation.
The whole place is noisy, poorly maintained and overrun with kids, dogs, bikes and vehicles of all kinds. Cleaning is apparently non-existent with filthy toilets and showers which are littered with debris (including drug related).
The staff give out a list of rules on arrival but there is no evidence of these being enforced (including speeding, loud music, etc). We tried to call the owners about late night noise but got no answer.
In summary, the whole place is awful and should be avoided like the plague (which I suspect you would contract if you stay too long). Even one star is one too many!
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Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is a lovely campsite in the heart of the new forest with good access to many attractions however as a first time visitor I felt that there were a lot of health and safety risks that the management need to look at.
The speed limit on site is five miles an hour this was not adhered to by many.
The amount of children on bikes, dogs and ball games across the site is an accident waiting to happen with the speed limit not being stuck to.
When we arrived we were told each tent had to be six metres away from another tent or vehicle due for fire safety reasons. we stuck to this as we had two tents in our party however as others arrived around us this was not the case. Families were ptiching up with more than one tent literally next to eachother. We would go out during the day and come back to find someone has put their tent in-between your two tents breaching the six metre rule.
On Friday evening lots of people arrived onsite and our exit route had been blocked as people had pitched their tents across where everyone could get out. No one came round at night to check.
Another issue is that people are ignoring the rule about fires. I was camping on the main field and groups had open fires but there was no warden patrol that was visible to ensure open fires were put out.
When you are sitting at the campsite children and adults are roaming through your pitch so you have no feeling of privacy it's just plain rude.
I have been camping in the New Forest for years and I came here this year because we now have a dog. Unfortunately for the reasons above I won't be returning. As a suggestion I would seriously consider the way that you do ice packs as asking people to purchase brand new ice packs everyday because you don't have an additional freezer to refreeze ones is absurd. I would seriously look at how other camping in the forest sites do ice packs, ashurst has a really good system. If you have rules you need to ensure you have enough members of staff to enforce them. If reception was open for the whole time people are able to check in then you can assign pitches and not have the issue of people ignoring the 6 entire rule.
The facilities onsite were good but need more attention in the cleaning department early in the morning and later in the evening. On a brighter side the staff were really helpful and we cannot fault them they are just doing their job.
The speed limit on site is five miles an hour this was not adhered to by many.
The amount of children on bikes, dogs and ball games across the site is an accident waiting to happen with the speed limit not being stuck to.
When we arrived we were told each tent had to be six metres away from another tent or vehicle due for fire safety reasons. we stuck to this as we had two tents in our party however as others arrived around us this was not the case. Families were ptiching up with more than one tent literally next to eachother. We would go out during the day and come back to find someone has put their tent in-between your two tents breaching the six metre rule.
On Friday evening lots of people arrived onsite and our exit route had been blocked as people had pitched their tents across where everyone could get out. No one came round at night to check.
Another issue is that people are ignoring the rule about fires. I was camping on the main field and groups had open fires but there was no warden patrol that was visible to ensure open fires were put out.
When you are sitting at the campsite children and adults are roaming through your pitch so you have no feeling of privacy it's just plain rude.
I have been camping in the New Forest for years and I came here this year because we now have a dog. Unfortunately for the reasons above I won't be returning. As a suggestion I would seriously consider the way that you do ice packs as asking people to purchase brand new ice packs everyday because you don't have an additional freezer to refreeze ones is absurd. I would seriously look at how other camping in the forest sites do ice packs, ashurst has a really good system. If you have rules you need to ensure you have enough members of staff to enforce them. If reception was open for the whole time people are able to check in then you can assign pitches and not have the issue of people ignoring the 6 entire rule.
The facilities onsite were good but need more attention in the cleaning department early in the morning and later in the evening. On a brighter side the staff were really helpful and we cannot fault them they are just doing their job.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Camping New Forest, General Manager at Holmsley Campsite
Responded Sep 6, 2023
Thank you for your review; we really appreciate your time to provide us with this valuable feedback. Visitor experience is highly important to us, so we are very sorry to hear that you weren't 100% happy with your stay at our campsite. As you may be aware, we took on the running of these Forestry England sites just before they opened in April. During our first season we have been busy beginning necessary improvement works and gathering feedback in order to improve visitor experience. We are currently reviewing pitch numbers across our campsites and will be employing more cleaning, maintenance and reception staff for our 2024 season, which will allow our wardens to have more presence around the sites. We really hope you do visit us again. Kind regards, The Camping New Forest Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I have never come across such rude power hungry staff. We arrived on Saturday 30th July an hour early, as there was an amber warning on the M25. My husband decided to leave early to avoid traffic jams. We were not allowed in as it wasn't 12, it was hot and we had small children so we got out of the car to get some air. The next day a sign was put outside informing people who come early not to get out of their car (controlling). We pitched up with very specific instructions what angle to have our tents. The first night our party was drinking as we were celebrating a birthday. The staff came over about 11 to ask them to lower the noise level, unfortunately they did not so the staff returned and was challenged by a younger member of our group as to why there were other groups talking but we had been singled out. In the morning the same staff returned and said we all had to leave. My daughter who was celebrating her birthday said 'sorry' and she would leave with her friend as it wasn't fair on me and the rest of us. All this time the staff did not give eye contact to anyone but me. The older lady said she would be happy if the one on the end went on her own (the one who challenged her). Was told they had to be off by 12 and we informed her they couldn't as they needed to be picked up. She returned at six and looked at one of my other daughters and said 'why are you still here?' so rude.
Our group was loud that evening and they were swearing in conversation a lot which was not nice but there are ways of dealing with things and it was not done properly. They should have been given a warning about being kicked off the site of which they was not. It was all about 'power' of which they were going to exert in a rude arrogant manner.
They also cleaned the toilet and shower block nearest to us at 9am every morning. Most people want a shower at this time of the day but no you cannot, even though they spend most of the day standing at the entrance doing nothing but exerting their little bit of power they cannot do it at a sensible time. You have to be off site at 11 am and they do not let anyone on before 12 so why not clean between 11 and 12.
Our group was loud that evening and they were swearing in conversation a lot which was not nice but there are ways of dealing with things and it was not done properly. They should have been given a warning about being kicked off the site of which they was not. It was all about 'power' of which they were going to exert in a rude arrogant manner.
They also cleaned the toilet and shower block nearest to us at 9am every morning. Most people want a shower at this time of the day but no you cannot, even though they spend most of the day standing at the entrance doing nothing but exerting their little bit of power they cannot do it at a sensible time. You have to be off site at 11 am and they do not let anyone on before 12 so why not clean between 11 and 12.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Yes they do, there’s a small charge for freezing them, but you can also hire some as well with a small deposit.
"Take ear plugs. No noise governance so we were kept up most nights after midnight by noisy campers."Read full review
"Definitely avoid during busy times. Bring flip flops for the shower and don’t expect any level of customer service"Read full review
Adventureexplorer wrote a tip Aug 2024
Leicestershire, United Kingdom44 contributions34 helpful votes"Very busy at weekends"Read full review
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ALSO KNOWN AS
holmsley campsite hotel southampton
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandHampshireNew Forest National Park Hampshire
NUMBER OF ROOMS
600
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Frequently Asked Questions about Holmsley Campsite
Which popular attractions are close to Holmsley Campsite?
Nearby attractions include Bagnum Equestrian Centre Ltd (3.4 miles), Brockenhurst Donkey Walks (4.6 miles), and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (2.1 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Holmsley Campsite?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include self serve laundry, facilities for disabled guests, and a convenience store.
What are some restaurants close to Holmsley Campsite?
Conveniently located restaurants include Tides Cafe - Highcliffe, Upper Deck Bar and Restaurant, and Super Brothers Arms Cocktail, Wine Tapas Bar.
Are there any historical sites close to Holmsley Campsite?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Highcliffe Castle (3.9 miles).
Is Holmsley Campsite accessible?
Yes, it offers facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.