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Lepe Beach Campsite
UK England South East England Hampshire Beaulieu
Traditional tent camping with views of the Solent and Isle of Wight. Oh and did we mention it's only 150 yards from the beach!?
There’s no doubt the canniest campers come to the Hampshire coast. While those with a stripy windbreak under one arm and a copy of The Lonely Planet under the other flock to the South West counties, this quieter stretch of coastline – often overshadowed by the neighbouring New Forest – is an ideal spot to avoid the crowds. Not only can you stroll along wide beaches and board-walk your way through marshy nature reserves but, if the British weather does make a turn for the worst, there’s the added insurance of the national park’s genteel villages, museums and country homes, just a stone’s throw away.
Only yards from the beach (seriously, how many campsites can say that?), Lepe Beach Campsite is a traditional camping field that offers nothing flashy but, instead, focuses on doing the basics well – in fact, very well. Facilities are immaculately kept, pitches are flat, well-maintained and campfires are permitted with pits available to hire and wood for purchase. Campervans and caravans are not permitted, giving the whole campsite a more peaceful, informal ambience – you can pitch where you like with enough space that you needn’t tread on others’ toes – and if you really can’t bear roughing it, there are pre-furnished tents which include camp beds, camping chairs and plenty of cooking utensils.
Though the campsite doesn’t have a playground of its own, it backs onto Lepe Country Park where there’s a large picnic area, climbing frame and swings for little 'uns to roam. Really, the country park and the campsite seem to roll into one, making it a thoroughly family-friendly location, with the added bonus of Lepe Beach Café & Shop down on the waterfront, which serves afternoon tea and delicious hand-made cakes.
The views from Lepe Beach Campsite's enviably vantage point are ridiculously picturesque, taking in the Isle of Wight and, to the east, the marsh and sand flats of the Solent National Nature Reserve. But if you do venture inland, the charming lost-in-time village of Beaulieu or rhododendron covered Exbury Gardens, are both less than 15 minutes by car. But in truth, the New Forest is a paradise for non-motorised transportation and anyone renting a horse, bike or packing just a pair of walking boots will probably end up forgetting about the car altogether.
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Facilities
Toilets, showers, washing up area, general and recycling waste bins, ice-pack hire, ice-pack re-freezing (50p per pack), firewood packs and firepit hire (£5 per night; minimum hire 2 nights). Reception is open 9am–7pm. You can park next to your pitch and tent pitches are flat. Beach fishing available. Pre-erected tents also available to hire and include camp beds, camping chairs, cutlery, crockery, cooking utensils, small chopping board, cooking table, washing up bowl, a cook stove.Suitable For
Tents only, families, friends, couples, solo campers – yes. Caravans, campervans, motorhomes, twin axle vehicles, large single-sex groups, dogs – no.Nearby
Just the other side of the hedge/fence, Lepe Country Park has a children's play area and there is a picnic space with tables – a nice spot to enjoy the view if you're lunching at the campsite. It's a 150-yard stroll down to sandy Lepe Beach, while, 100 yards in the opposite direction there is also a nature reserve. Venture inland to chug on a steam train through the vibrant colours of Exbury Gardens (023 8089 1203; see also Food & Drink) or a little further to the renowned ship building village of Bucklers Hard, now a popular tourist stop. It's 7 miles to Beaulieu, home to the National Motor Museum (01590 612345) but also a lovely village to explore in its own right. Families can also take refuge in Paultons Park (023 8081 4442) – a theme park (home to Peppa Pig World) 25 minute's away.Food & Drink
It's 2 miles to Langley where there is a small supermarket, pubs, takeaway food and a cash-point (only cash is accepted for most things at the campsite). For a daytime treat, though, drive the 3 miles to Exbury Gardens (023 8089 1203) – expansive woodland gardens with abundant rhododendrons and azaleas plus steam train rides in high season – where Mr Eddie's Tea Rooms (023 8089 8737) offers tasty cakes and treats.Open
Whitsun May half-term – end of August.Location
Contact Lepe Beach Campsite, Lepe Beach Campsite, Lepe Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 1AD
Getting There
From Southampton follow the A362 south, continue as it becomes the Hythe By Pass and then the A362 again. After a while you will begin to see brown tourist sign for Lepe Country Park. Where the A362 ends, at a roundabout on the edge of Holbury, take the second exit (with a brown tourist sign) and continue on this road fora further 3 miles. The campsite is next to the Lepe Country Park car park, so if you follow the signs it’s tough to go wrong.
During the school holidays there is a direct, hourly Beach Bus service to Lepe Beach from Beaulieu and Lymington.
Reviews
Add Your ReviewRated ★★★★★ over 111 reviews
Lovely clean and well located site
Really impressed by the staff here and how hard they worked to keep the facilities beautifully clean and well stocked. Felt very covid protected. They worked really hard. Site is a great location, short walk to the lovely beach and very private. Flat pitches and soft ground with plenty of space between tents. Showers were excellent and all facilities were good (even the porta loos were kept clean until the last night). Only thing that would have been useful was mobile phone charging service as needed mine for work. Loved hiring a fire pit and being able to have open fires. All in all an excellent bank holiday break.
Great campsite
Campsite was great and toilets/showers were clean (despite muddy floors which can’t be helped). Great location and amazing view of the sea from our tent.
Friendly staff
Great position with easy walk to beach. Great staff, warning drivers to slow down if seen to be to fast. I like the fact it’s tents only (campers are the friendliest). Beach may not be as pretty as some but still great with views of Isle of Wight. Fire pit makes for a good evening sit round.
Lovely site, high levels of cleanliness
From the first minute the campsite was a fantastic experience. Great staff who were all really helpful and polite and lots of space to pitch. The short walk to the beach was really good and the toilets and showers were regularly cleaned to a high standard. Just ensure you pack rock pegs as the ground is stoney after about an inch!
Location 5* Site 4*
Amazing though very exposed (bring windbreaks!) location 2 minutes walk from beach which is excellent for adults and older children. Strong currents and gets deep quickly so not ideal for young kids. Fall asleap listening to the sound of the sea and also lovely cycle rides and pubs close by as well as Lepe Coutry park with its café. Site team very helpful even loaning me jump leads when needed. Did feel like lots of rules but I guess that it is necessary to keep us all safe in the time of COVID. Thanks Lepe beach team!
Great location, great facilities
An amazing location - sea views and 5 mins you’re actually on the beach! Great facilities. Despite being a large park, adequate and clean facilities for all. Busier than was expecting, however, soon realised that there’s loads of space and easy to distance From people at the facilities. Good flushable loos and Showers with mirrors! Cleaned often. Great that you can pitch anywhere on the field. We will definitely return. The M-Smith family
Surprised and happy about it
Responsible staffing made sure we knew storm ellen was on the way so we could pack down our gazebo in good time. A fine site for four nights away and plenty of space to spread out and relax. Bring your tough pegs as the ground beyond the first 2 inches must be made of granite. Cornish pasties at the lookout cafe are a match for the Cornish. We had booked at Holland’s as other years but this offered something different being by the beach and with awesome views of the mega tankers coming in to harbour. Packing in a storm added some drama to the holiday.
Nice site well run
we booked here after the camping in the forest sites decided to stay shut. We found the site to be well run with friendly staff.The rules etc were explained clearly on arrival. We were really impressed with the way the toilet and shower facilities were kept clean and sanitised, the site was busy but we never found any issues with toilet or shower availability. Really nice location with the beach (not the best beach but a beach all the same) next door. Would definitely go back.
Want to visit again!
We had a lovely time camping here, with everything we need. Decent hot shower and good facilities. The quick walk to the beach with warm sea water to swim in, complete the experience. Hope to visit soon again!
Nice family site in a great location
Good points: Near to the new forest and a Lovely little beach with great views on your doorstep. The sea is suitable for swimming on a calm day. Good for families as quiet after 1030. Large site so kids can run around. Only bad points were that the ground was really hard (so take appropriate pegs) and it can get a bit windy Overall I would definitely recommend this campsite.
Good basic campsite with great beach location
The campsite is located really close to the pebble beach allowing for plenty of time in the sea and crab hunting. There are some good local walks and the staff were friendly and helpful. The site is close to supermarkets and takeaway places if needed. There was plenty of space for football and other games for the kids. It’s not a huge field but it didn’t feel overcrowded. The facilities are basic but well stocked with soap and toilet roll and regularly cleaned. You can pitch where you like which allows you to select a place nearer the beach or facilities depending on your preference. The site was quiet at night and had a peaceful and family focused atmosphere. You do need decent tent pegs due to hard ground but the site shop sells them alongside some other basics. There is a refreeze service for ice packs for 50p per pack, but the freezer didn’t always work reliably- possibly due to the heat wave. Staff didn’t charge when packs weren’t fully frozen though. A good basic site, perfect for a few nights away by the beach.
Clean, tidy & fantastic location
The location of this site is amazing, right on the beach, it was literally 2 minutes walk from tent to sea. The beach is mainly stony but the sea was fantastic, we were worried about the currents, but other than high tide the sea is a shallow 'bay' with a large sandbank (stonebank!) providing some security. Fire wood, sweets for the kids and some camping essentials available on site and plenty of shops and amenities just a few miles down the road to keep supplies stocked up. Which is a necessity as no electric makes keeping things cold a challenge, unless you have a gas fridge/coolbox. Some of the other recent reviews had made us apprehensive before arriving but we did not see anything to concern us over hygiene or facilities. Although there are not huge numbers of toilets and showers there were hardly any queues and they seemed to be cleaned very regularly throughout the day and plenty of hand gel stations available. There are large groups on the site as one of its attractions as it does not have fixed pitches, but there was no excessive noise, plenty of space and there were regular patrols to keep an eye on things and ask people to lower the noise after 2230 if there was too much talking/laughter, but we did not suffer any loud music, etc as reported elsewhere. As noted elsewhere the ground is very hard so good pegs are essential. The only improvement would be to add recycling facilities. And my only other concern was abandoned tent pegs on bare feet and car tyres, as the free range pitching means they could be anywhere. We had a near miss with the kids playing football but no injuries to report! Our whole group said they planned to return again.
Family friendl with beautiful views
Perfect for kids of all ages. One easy field with facilities the kids can find themselves without getting lost. Lovely natural shaded woodland playarea. Views across the solent. The beach is shallow for ages so very safe for little ones. Bring beach shoes as there's stones & pebbles. Will definitely be back for longer next time.
Clean , great location , friendly staff
This site is in a great location , facilities clean and tidy , I personally preferred the wooden shower block . A short walk to a lovely beach , the staff make this site exceptional , always on hand , and make sure the site goes quiet when it should . Great for kids . Can’t wait to return
Perfect location for seaside relaxation!
I loved how close the campsite was to the beach, easy to pop back to the tent for anything you need! Big field so plenty of space to pitch, although with all the dry weather the ground presented quite a challenge in terms of getting the tent pegs in! Facilities can’t be faulted, with everything you need for that traditional camping experience. The location right next to Lepe Country Park is ideal, with a lovely play park for the kids to have some fun under the shade.
they couldn't do enough for you.
it was clean, all the staff friendly, Paul, the lovely lady and gentleman who s name we didn't get sorry. I loved the night time shut down and the fact it had no electricity which kept it quiet. beautiful clean campsite. clean toilets, showers and washing up facility's. good level of hand sanitizer in the current climate. perfect stay. lovely people. great vacation, we will deffiently come again.
Great Location, Friendly Staff.
We were greeted by friendly members of staff who took us through all the rules and information of the site. The little office/shop stocks lots of items for sale or hire which might be useful. The site itself is large, with plenty of space available meaning you can distance yourself from other tents easily. The beach is only minutes away and has a great cafe and play area. The toilets and showers are basic but cleaned regularly and worked well. The site is very lively with families and children playing but it really quietened down at night. The site is patrolled to ensure people are being considerate. We visited during the heatwave and as a result the ground was rock hard and destroyed most of my tent pegs! So take hard ground pegs if you have them, I will be investing in a set!
Terrific!
What a terrific campsite! It is basic (I.e. no electrical hook-ups) but we knew that when booking and had no issue (tbh, it is probably likely that lack of hook-up deters those who would be a bit noisier as you can’t play loud music for hours on end). The whole vibe of the place was respectful, for example, there were some family groups playing music but it was switched off for 10:30pm. It’s a free-pitch site, so you somewhat choose the size of your pitch depending on where you settle. Friendly and informative welcome, relaxed and family-friendly facilities. The proximity of the beach is a huge selling point. The facilities were well-maintained and when there were queues, they were minor and moved speedily enough. The showers were again basic but well, you’re camping and as long as you get clean, it’s fine! We would happily visit this site again with our friends and family.
Brilliant camping experience
I was really impressed by this campsite. Firstly i thought its facilities were really well maintained. The toilets and shower blocks were clean and there were staff available to talk to. The location was great, right next to a beach, that whilst stoney had great shallow water for younger kids. There were lots of families and whilst it was noisy early evening, people did respect the noise limits and by 10.30 things were really quiet. We will definitely return next year!
Nice but not my cup of tea
Easy to get to, and find. Lots of information given on check in. The field for BYO tents was largely flat and level although there was a lot of old pegs left in the ground. This is probably because the ground was so hard and dry it broke/bent nearly all our pegs so we need a whole new set. We were unfortunate to pitch in a location where we were then neighboured by a large group of 3 families which made a lot of noise into the night which made our whole experience very much less enjoyable. We actually checked out early and left after 1 night because while we could have moved to a different pitch, all our tent pegs were now bent so rendered unusable. The toilets were clean enough, the showers were decent and kept pretty clean although they did smell. The water taps were good, if surrounded by wasps and mud. My main gripe about the site is the fact that I wasn't informed in advance that the site is actually situated immediately adjacent to a special protected land habitat which is a breeding ground for Adders (snakes). I have a phobia of snakes so this immediately put me off and I felt on edge the entire time. Also whilst we were there, we heard a call for help that echoed over the whole site from the beach. It turned out after my husband ran to assist, that some people had been pulled out to sea by a riptide and needed rescuing by helicopter which was quite worrying. I do hope they were alright. It meant I was very nervous about letting my kids in the sea the following day. All in all, not my favourite place or trip but the site did have some positive points! I have learnt that I need to research sites more thoroughly before booking so I find sites which have an earlier curfew and warden on site/patrolling. It seems trying to find a bit of peace and quiet while being restricted to school holidays is going to be somewhat of a challenge!
Lovely location. Only one block of toilets for whole field
Absolutely fantastic location and lovely and clean campsite. Continuously cleaning toilets and showers. Nice and quite at night as they patrol. But only thing that would stop me from returning was the toilets/showers/ washing up were so so far away from the bottom end of the field. Would Have been nice for the same facilities down the other end of the camp site. Friendly staff and good facilities for cool blocks. Although they didn’t seem to get that cold. Would recommend site for sure.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thank you for the review and the many positive comments about our campsite. We would just like to mention that the campsite is free to pitch on arrival, so guest can choose to be as close or as far as they wish from our facilities.
Fantastic break away!!!!
we stayed for a 3 night stay. Everyone made us feel very welcome. Freindly staff who go above and beyond with information especially needed as it was our first time camping 🏕 😀 Facilities just what was needed clean showers and toilets regularly maintained. Covid ready with hand sanitisers at shower and toilet facilities and 4 ppl at 1 time in toilets. Also pitching away from others. Just a 10 min walk from the beach and play area. Just a short drive to supermarket and a lovely fish and chip shop called zoutarias 😀
Fantastic!
We stayed at Lepe Beach for our first camping trip as a family of 4; and with a 3 and a half year old plus a 1 year old, we expected to have our work cut out for us! However, everything at the campsite was fantastic and helped our whole trip to be a wonderful and memorable one. We could see the sea from our tent, there was a private access From the site to the beach, we were able to hire a fire pit and have a campfire to introduce our eldest to toasted marshmallows, the whole site had a lovely family atmosphere, and on top of all that, there was plenty of space to distance our pitch from others and the toilets and showers were cleaned regularly to prevent spread of coronavirus. Can’t recommend this campsite enough, will def be going back!
Well prepared for the Covid situation
Really nice view and right by the beach. It was wonderful!!! We also saw a member of staff coming around picking up litter witch was amazing. There was a one way sistum on the toilet block for social distancing and plenty of hand gel around. The only quibble was that there didn't seem to be any recycling facilities around but everything else was absolutely fine. There was lots of drinking water available and it had a friendly family atmosphere. I would thoroughly recommend it and will definitely go back again!!!👍👍👍
Family friendly clean beautiful views
We had a 4 night stay with 2 young children. Pitched up on a lovely grass field with views of the Solent and the ships coming and going. Beach a few minutes walk away- clean and safe to swim at. Friendly staff, clean facilities that were Covid safe and able to hire a fire pit each night that really added to the camping experience. Never had to queue for more than a few minutes for a shower and plenty of room for the tents to be a safe distance apart. Have been camping for many years and this is one of the best sites we have used.
Fantastic location and views
Watching the ships and boats from the site with only a few minutes walk to the beach- fantastic. Site super clean and all staff really polite and helpful. Would recommend and come again.
Covid unsafe- hello second wave
Lovely beach once you walk away from the 'campers'. BUT I am currently here sat amongst the noise hoping we may get some sleep at some point! loud music in tent next to us, loud machinery in fields behind us, huge groups everywhere with no social distancing evident on campsite or beach , the whole place smells of urine and there is excrement on all the banks of the fields (that's what happens when they charge £5 night for a toilet tent during a pandemic! We will be packing up and leaving early as this is just dangerous and asking for a second wave of coronavirus. 😠 Apparently there's warden patrols but not seen one yet in 2 days!!!
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thank you for your review, we always appreciate feedback whether it is positive or negative. We would however like to comment on some of your points as we feel that potential guests might get the wrong impression. Every guest receives a thorough welcome from our friendly staff and we cover everything from quiet times, campsite behaviour, socialise distancing, COVID-19 and more. From the hundreds of positive reviews this year and compliments regarding our COVID-19 preparations, we can only assume that you missed our staff regularly walking around the campsite, carrying out regular facility cleans and being on hand when needed. All guests arriving at both of our campsites receive an emergency telephone number and from our records, we can’t find any record of you contacting us by telephone or at reception about any disturbances during your stay. We always respond immediately to noise complaints and from time to time this is inevitable on all campsites. Due to our location we are not connected to the sewage mains, so we use holding tanks that need to be emptying every 2-3 days. When the vehicle empties the sewage there can be a very brief aroma and generally guests accept this without a thought. We also carry out regular daily site inspections and have no evidence that toilets have been emptied into the margins but if we did see this or it was reported to us, the offenders would be asked to leave immediately. Our site is situated on ground that is adjacent to farmland and once a year they harvester the crops and we hear how interesting it is from a lot of guests staying at the same time as yourselves. We are ultimately disappointed that you didn’t enjoy your stay at Lepe Beach but we appreciate your feedback. Yours sincerely Eazycamp
We loved it here.
Friendly staff, especially the young lad who has a great manner with people and who is exceptionally helpful. It is right by the beach and not far from all the New Forest has to offer.
Fabulous views, great site!!
Brilliant site, facilities quite basic but everything you need, and a well stocked shop with camping essentials (not food). Staff made a great effort to keep the facilities as safe as possible in the current climate with really regular cleaning. Short walk to the beach with stunning views from the sight. Relaxed atmosphere and not overcrowded. All in all a great site.
Great beach access, but a bit too busy and noisy for my liking.
Really great access to the beach and nature park, both of which are really interesting and unusual when you walk to either end. The campsite itself is fine - friendly staff and clean facilities. Great that they allow fires in fire pits too. It is big and very busy though, and there were not really enough showers for the numbers staying when we were there, so a long wait in a queue. The ground was really hard for pitching - so come prepared! Good for a couple of days by the beach, but just a bit too big and soulless for my liking.
Lovely site with sea views
It's the second time I have visited the site and would definitely return. Last visit was with friends and this time with my partner and daughter. Its a great site, short drive to the forest and a extremely short walk to the beach. Great sea views from the site. Facilities are clean and well kept, staff friendly and with the added bonus of allowing firepits it makes the perfect camping get-away. As the site does not allow campervans it means you don't feel towered over. Plenty of room for ball games. The site has a quiet time of 2230 to 7 so the kids can get sleep. 100% recommend!!
Fantastic location and friendly staff
The campsite has lovely views over the Solent and us really close to the beach. The facilities are very good and cleaned regularly. The campsite shop has lots of good camping basics. Lovely, friendly staff who are always happy to help. We will definitely stay here again. Great site.
A friendly and relaxed break away
My sister and I visited for 2 nights. It's the first time we've been to lepe beach and we plan to go back. It was lovely, 2min walk to the sea or 5mins to a bigger sandy beach. The lookout on the beach is open to takeaway only for now. A few pubs within a 10min drive. All staff were welcoming and friendly. Shower/toilet areas were good, very clean and only small queues if any. Bring strong tent pegs! The floor is very rocky. We bent almost all our pegs and due to the strong winds weren't sure we'd be able to get the tent to stay put. Thankfully it lasted. The shop do sell rock pegs, but had sold out when we needed them. Ensure you have cash for deposits on items at the shop. We hired a power pack for charging phones, it lasted us the whole 2 days. Overall- a lovely campsite with everything you need if you want a basic break away and can entertain yourselves.
Loved being so close to the beach
Proximity to the beach is what makes this campsite so special. Loved being able to pop down with a cup of tea in the morning or glass of wine in the evening. The campsite owners were so friendly and very helpful when our tent pole snapped and we were able to move to one of their pre-erected tents (which are lovely and spacious). Also loved the fire pits in the evening. We will definitely come here again.
Great little site
We had a smashing short stay here for a couple of nights late July. iPads left behind and weather was glorious. Beach is a bit stony and not great for swimming but still lovely and views fantastic. Staff were really helpful and facilities impeccably clean. Rarely a queue for showers or toilets. Plenty to do in the New Forest but we just chilled out at Lepe. COVID meant no camp visitors which was disappointing as family live quite close by - but understandable given the Government Guidance for Campsites. Firepit hire and marshmallows a must!!
Overpriced and grubby
Left home and returned home within 24 hours. Massively overpriced especially for the condition of the facilities, 4 toilets for the whole campsite and a few portable toilets. No evidence of regular cleaning especially during Covid-19, only measures in place seemed to be and in/out one way system of the facilities which not everyone was adhering to and a hand sanitise station. Feel really disappointed and let down. Unfortunately even the beach didn't make up for it. Also the campsite stank of urine, which given the facilities I don't blame people using the hedges! Won't be returning.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy your stay with us, we appreciate all feedback, whether it be positive or negative as this helps us to improve year on year. I just want to address the points you mentioned: We have separate ladies and gents toilets with 5 cubicles in each and obviously urinals in the men's. We have redesigned the toilets to a have separate in and out with a one way system to avoid people passing in the door ways. There is also a designated queue points outside all our facilities with hand sanitiser, so guests can have a start point to help control social distancing before entering. We have also hired in 4 extra portable toilet cubicles to reduce potential queues. In addition to this we have 70+ tent potties that guests can hire from us, which they can use in their own tents and empty in our new disposal point. On top of our daily deep cleans we are doing an hourly anti viral spray of our facilities (kills COVID-19). All guest are briefed on arrival of all our new COVID rules and handed a information sheet to refer back to. We are adhering to Government guidelines in these difficult times.
Great break by the sea
I booked a last minute camping trip for myself and my 4 children (aged 4-15) after having such a lovely time at the campsite last year. The staff are so friendly and helpful and the campsite feels safe. Although busier this time their were still showers / toilets / washing up facilities available for my family when we needed them. The campsite is so close to the beach and neighbouring country park that this is a perfect location. You can’t beat waking up to a view of the sea!
Good - bring steel mallet
Good campsite ideal location toilets and showers acceptable shingly brach is great. But oh boy the ground is hard you must bring a steel- headed mallet and I would bring spare pegs too as you are likely tp damage some. Would return happily next year.
Great stay but not the best terrain for camping
Friendly staff and clean facilities. Although not the best beach, the campsite is very close to the sea. The campsite has no shaded areas or areas of shrubbery to separate pitches. The ground is also extremely hard making it very difficult to get tent pegs in. Overall a very enjoyable stay though.
Great location
We had a brief but lovely stay at Lepe with beautiful views, good facilities and friendly staff. Would recommend for families, couples, and solo trips.
Returning to the 1960s
My biggest pleasure was watching families with children of all ages cycle around, play rounders and cricket, without a phone or laptop in sight, because there is no electricity hook ups. The beach, although not perfect was within an easy walk, the tide is shallow making it safe at the edge for small children, but be careful when swimming and don't go out far because the current is strong. Because the weather was sunny and hot, the open topped showers were no problem, there was never a queue despite so many people, and the toilets were O.K. (although I had just come from the WOMAD festival so my expectations were exceeded in comparison). It was quiet after 10.30pm, although woken by fog horns due to mist early one morning, but that's weather for you. Very little to do except read, swim, sit on the beach, visit the cafe and go for walks, but that suits me fine. I came away very relaxed and pleased that it is possible to do without all the stuff we think is important.
Best during the week, disappointed
I know I should have looked at the reviews. But I saw 5 stars and googlemaps said it was near a beach. What's not to like? Turns out, a lot. We stayed 3 nights and that was enough. The field is large but it's first come, first served. No allocated pitches or marked out spaces, resulting in a free for all and tents in the middle of the field and obscuring views and pathways. Ground is littered with old tent pegs and nails?! The first morning we were greeted by a momentous human poo in THE SHOWER. "Turd in the hole" as our children called it. Gross. I guess you can't pick your neighbours. Toilets and showers weren't very clean, they're in one location for the WHOLE campsite. It's hit and miss whether there would be hot water. If there was hot water it was scolding for children and no ability to regulate the temperature. We were told 5mph for cars. This wasnt regulated nor was quiet time after 10:30pm. Very little sign of owners other than to take money for wet logs. Cafe and playground were great, but not part of the campsite. It was extremely windy at the site, enough to blow chairs into fires. Take a wind break! There's a real wasp problem on the campsite. Every morning we had over 20 wasps trying to share breakfast. The nearby beach wasn't usable. Nice to walk on, but that's it. Shingly sand with brown seaweed sludge and warning signs everywhere of strong currents. Definitely not one to swim in. My view is that the campsite needs better showers and loos spread over the field and drinking water that spans the whole of the field (no water for the far end of the field) Ideally defined pitches which would also avoid the muddy tracks caused by all the cars forced to go one route due to other camping wherever they want.
Fabulous! - beautiful views to the beach, clean and well kept site, friendly and helpful staff
We stayed for three nights at Lepe beach and had a brilliant time. The staff were friendly and work so hard to keep the site clean. I was staying at the site with my four children aged between 3 and 14 and felt safe at all times. Clear and reasonable expectations are set out when you arrive about quiet times and speed of cars on site etc and people seemed to adhere to these. The beach is within easy waking distance, as is the cafe. The view from the campsite is beautiful. I would definately recommend the site and will hopefully be booking again soon!
Idyllic camping holiday by the sea
Waking up at dawn and heading to the beach where we enjoyed our coffee and collecting seashells has to be my favourite memory of the holiday. There were plenty of places to eat in nearby towns, however we enjoy breakfast at The Lookout (beach cafe) next to a lovely children’s park. Prices were very reasonable and staff lovely. The campsite was safe, owners were helpful, guests were respectful (1030pm curfew was never an issue) and the facilities were ample. The proximity of the beach is truly something special though and I would hurry back in no time just to hear the gulls cry and waves crashing along the shoreline. Beautiful part of the world...
Memories made - idyllic seaside camping for young family
Waking up with the sun and heading over to the beach in our onesies, where we enjoyed our coffee, has to be one of my favourite memories. The Lookout (beach cafe) is a hop, skip and a jump from camp and we enjoyed a scrumptious (and ver reasonably priced) breakfast there after an early start at the fantastic play park. One evening we decided to get fish and chips from Harry’s Fish & Kebab ship, which we ate around the fire back at camp. No cooking - simply delicious food, gorgeous sunset and camping vibes. On our last day we got caught out in the rain and stopped for brekkie at The Hudeaway in Blackfield...another delicious breakfast to send us on our way home. The camp owners were lovely, fellow campers polite and respectful (1030pm curfew was never an issue) and did I mention the beach?! Superb bit of coast - unspoilt, quiet and perfect for young beach combers. We can’t wait to visit again soon.
We will be back for sure!
what a fantastic campsite. safe. lots of open space. the beach is at the end of the field, country park access from the side of the field which has both a superb playground my 3 loved and an awesome coffee shop serving food, cakes and hot drinks with superb views of the isle of white. the site actively encourages camp fires (off the ground) and hires out pits if you dont have your own. it was such a lovely atmosphere seeing almost every pitch enjoying their fire. plenty of space for the kids to run around in and play games. They made friends so quickly playing french cricket all together. We came back buzzing about who we would go with next time - we will for sure be back.
Wonderful place!
Such an amazing place with a lot of activities around. We loved everything about that - friendly and helpful staff, the beach and the best place to watch cruise ships passing! Definitely will come again.
Amazing weekend away
Beautiful place absolutely loved it here..location was perfect right next to the beach with beautiful walks through forest aswell.site facilities was clean and well kept. Staff very helpful. Had plenty of room for tent and privacy even though it was quite busy..will be coming again but for longer...
Gorgeous location, super friendly staff
The setting is stunning, with views of the sea and the beach just a few yards away. The staff were superfriendly and available to help. Good amount of space and whilst it was quite busy on the Sat-Sunday, the atmosphere was really peaceful, safe and friendly. For anyone looking for tranquil camping in a stunning setting, this is a find.
Back to basics
Nice location, great attractions nearby. The facilities are pretty basic and on a busy day you are sharing with a lot of other campers. Had a couple of very cold showers....Staff were reasonably friendly, but didn't see much of them apart from when we went to the office. The beach is more shingle than sand and lots of signs advise you not to swim. My kids enjoyed it as we were looking for a very rustic experience vs. glamping.
Relaxing
Very friendly staff, who were also very helpful. Facilities were checked and cleaned often. Ground was very hard and without the help of another fellow camper with a metal hammer we would never have got the pegs in with my rubber one!! Great location next to beach and park with superb views but could do with a local shop for essentials. Had a lovely relaxing time.
The good, the bad and the ugly.
The good: view, Lepe Park play area, proximity to the beach, friendly campers, kid friendly (apart from the drivers), solar showers, the male staff were far friendlier. The bad: the female staff were beyond unpleasant. They were verbally aggressive, assumed the worst always and very ‘money grabby’. There was regularly a queue of over 10 people for the toilets that are cleaned at 0730. Speed of drivers was not policed effectively and if people were too noisy after 1030, the owners explained that there wasn’t much they could do. The ugly: the beach explains that you MUST NOT SWIM THERE due to currents. This is somewhat off putting and we did venture in VERY carefully. Equally, neither the beach nor the sea were very clean at all. This place has everything it needs to be amazing but it isn’t. It emptied out on Sunday and was much quieter again on the Monday.
Great campsite, great location
It's location was the highlight as was the staff. Would have stayed longer if we could. Only issue was hardness of the ground, pegs got pretty bent. Possibly could gmdo with more cubicle toilets. Otherwise a great campsite, plenty of room, great views.
Nice chilled site with lots nearby
My two sons and I had a lovely few days here. Staff were helpful and friendly with good facilities. Fire pits available to hire for sensible price too. Hive beach cafe next door excellent with loads of beach to explore and nearby Calshot activity centre well worth a visit if you have kids. All in all very happy 😊
Wonderful time!
We went during the heatwave and being right beside the beach was really good!!! 5 minutes drive from Sainsbury and Tesco express and other shops. There is a playground which is about 5 minutes walk! So convenient with kids too! Loads of open space. Only thing is, as the site is so big, I just wished they had toilets on each end of the site! We have been in many camping sites for the last couple of years and can say this may be one of the best I've been to.
Couldn't fault it!
Very spacious, nice views of the Solent, staff really friendly, our kids made lots of holiday friends, fun little park with playground and café, loved that we could sit by the fire in the evenings... Couldn't fault it! We tend to enjoy the more basic camping, it feels more like going back to basics. But the shower, toilet and washing up facilities are great, and being by the water and close to the New Forest and the Isle of Wight is all great.
Fab Fun Fulfilled
None chavvy campsite...... Good showers. Clean bogs. Really really helpful and friendly staff. Lots to do in surrounding area for 3 year olds. Just cool, brilliant time - thank you
Brilliant weekend and fantastic staff!
We really enjoyed our stay last weekend. The staff were fantastic. Field had plenty of room to pitch up your own area. 2 mins walk from the beach with gorgeous views. We will return!!
Smashing place sandwiched between a cornfield and the water
My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the campsite. We stayed for 2 nights for a touch of R&R, found the site easily enough, and were pitched up just in time to avoid a torrential downpour, so winning all around. Key notes: - No allocated pitches, unless you're in one of the pre-erected tents. One is left to locate one's preferred patch of grass to set up in - The ground is solid, so take rock pegs - Facilities are super clean and regularly checked by staff - Speaking of the staff, they're lovely - The toilets are narrow, so be conscious of this if you're not a fan of small spaces (I clouted my elbow a few times on the loo roll dispenser) - The tent site is one long green space from the field to the water's edge, which means when the wind picks up it is going to batter your tent. Prepare yourself for that when pitching as I almost lost the tent twice upon set up - If you're in the mood for a bit of paddling, take some scuba shoes or water friendly sandals because the beach is mostly stone and it hurts (hindsight can be cruel) - Main thing to do around the area is walking; be it the New Forest or along the coastline to one of the towns nearby. Besides the odd pub, there isn't a great deal else within a five minute drive - I cannot stress this enough: adhere to the 5mph rule It is certainly a site we would consider coming back to in the future. It's secluded, you can watch the cruise ships and container ships along the coast line, the people are friendly, and it's a gorgeous part of the country. Highly recommended.
Fab campsite with beautiful views!
We really enjoyed out stay at Lepe Beach Campsite this July, Its a big space with friendly staff, great amenities and a brilliant view across the water. The kids enjoyed Lepe Country Park, paddling, lunch at the local pub (The Royal Oak) and making friends with other campers! The ground was very hard (due to such dry weather) but luckily the camp shop had some stronger tent pegs!
A lovely site, clean and spacious!
What a lovely campsite, a 30 second walk from a beautiful beach with incredible views of the solent! We took our canoe and canoed up to Bucklers Hard near Beaulieu... a long but fabulous day out! The staff were friendly and helpful, and the campsite itself was clean and tidy. Would recommend for small groups, families or couples. Plenty of room with a choice of where to camp, oh and they allow fire pits/BBQs which is a huge bonus!
Great location - Excellent Site
Spent a glorious July weekend here. Very well organized site with clean toilets and warm showers (serviced daily) - and the site was at capacity during our stay. Plenty of room but I would advise arriving early to get the exact pitch you want. Site rents fire pits which was great. 300m walk to beach side cafe open 9am - 6pm if you want a 'proper' coffee or cooked breakfast! Great views over the Solent and plenty to do locally. Recommended.
Lovely site
We had a lovely weekend at Lepe Beach! The host were welcoming and informative, and it was so refreshing to be able to pitch-up where we liked. The toilets and showers were clean, with plenty of hot water. Great to have our own access to the beach and park - hardly used the car. The kids had a fab time, which meant we did. Will be booking again. Thank you :)
Picturesque, friendly, clean and spacious
Spent a lovely weekend here with my two children. Staff were fantastic on arrival and throughout our stay. Facilities were faultless, and clean, compared to other sites I have stayed at. The view of the Solent across to Portsmouth is amazing from the camping field. The pitches weren’t overcrowded and the field was well maintained with drinking water close by. The beach is within a couple of minutes walk, as well as the playpark and Café. It’s a short drive to the nearest town which has the usual chain convenience stores and a chippy. Will definitely be returning soon for another stay.
Great weekend
It was our first time camping as a family and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were welcoming and helpful throughout the stay. The toilets were nice and clean. It was a 2 minute walk to the beach which was great for paddling, making sandcastles and hunting for crabs at low tide. We hired a fire pit as well and it was just perfect for the evening sitting around the campfire
Great weekend!!
Found this campsite randomly on a google search and was unsure due to the mixed reviews. BUT this place was perfect. The staff that greeted us at reception were so friendly and helpful. The location of the site was amazing, view of the sea from the site, and it literally is a 2 min walk to the beach. There were a few reviews saying how the beach was unsafe, though there were loads of families enjoying it - including us! Great washing facilities onsite and overall just a great campsite. Will definitely be coming again!
Great little treasure
Great little treasure, with loads of space, clean toilets although the showers aren't the best if I'm honest, dribbles a bit and a wee bit cold at times. Very clean though. Cleaning schedule pinned up too, so everyone can see the timetable. It allows campfires, supplies kindling and wood. It respects eachother campers space allowing gazebos too. There were lovely families and couples on site when we went, with no noisey groups. The hosts were great, very welcoming and helpful, especially if you fall foul of equipment (well stocked shop). They helped when they can. We had a leaky tent and they offered us one of their pre erected tents, which was so kind. Their "single parent campsite is spot on. Well done 😊 It's our 2nd time there, definitely looking to go back during the summer holidays, just trying to sort dates.
Expensive for what it was. Staff very friendly.
I was disappointed in this campsite. The ground was almost impossible to get tent pegs in (even rock pegs - we broke two mallets). The toilets were miles from the majority of the tents and the showers were not always working and often cold. I thought it was very overpriced for what it was and the area that it was in. The sea is not safe to swim in. It was nice to have a campfire and the staff were very friendly despite the frankly scary threats of £25 fines if you scorched the grass etc.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thank you for your comments. We appreciate all feed back and would like to address your points. The campsite ground is harder than usual due to the lack of rain. The Campsite is a free to pitch and guests can choose how far to camp from the toilets. We apologies if you experienced hot water issues, we make every effort to make sure our facilities are operating correctly. There is no £25 fine but we do ask guests to keep the fires small and manageable
Location
Wonderfully located campsite, right next to the beach, you can see right across to the Spinaker at Portsmouth. Very informal set up, ie you can pitch wherever you like, which is great for groups. The site did get quite muddy following a downpour, which may need to be addressed in future, considering the unusually hot summer we have had. Facilities are basic and the staff work really hard to keep them clean and tidy but unfortunately people seem to forget how to use a toilet when camping ! but you can't blame the staff for trying. The ground is really hard under the surface, normal pegs are no good, so make sure you take plenty of rock pegs. The café and playground in Lepe park are great and right on the doorstep. Good supermarkets close by (by car). A nice gentle site where you don't need to move far to have fun and a relaxing time.
Great location, nice and big with lots of space and very friendly staff and atmosphere.
First time at Lepe and we'll be back...great space and so relaxing to see the sea and watch the boats ships pass by. Great cafe on the beach and facilities more than adequate on site. Supermarkets 5 mins drive away and a great base to explore if staying more than just a weekend.
Perfect for families
This was our first time camping and this campsite could not have been better. The facilities were very well maintained, the view was beautiful, the site was nice and quiet at night and the staff and other campers were friendly and helpful. Great that we were able to hire a fire pit and the shop on site also sold a few other essentials that we forgot! Great cafe close by, lovely playground in the country park next door. We’ll definitely be back!
Fantastic view of the sea
The best thing about this site was that you can sit by your tent whilst watching the sea - beautiful. It is a lovely site, flat grassy area, clean facilities, ability to hire fire pits, family friendly. The beach that you can walk to might be good for rockpooling - lots of seaweed and watery pools. It is not a great beach for sunbathing/ going in the sea. You can drive to other beaches but it did take quite a while.
Misleading description by Cool Camping and the Owner
This is the first cool camping campsite I have been to and been disappointed and I have been to many. The write up for this campsite is very misleading. Not all pitches have sea views. The beach is only 150 yards away as stated but is very dangerous and not possible for anyone to swim in. Our children were very disappointed and only paddled their feet in the water further up near the cafe as there are no signs there, but we didn't feel comfortable them swimming as there are signs everywhere else saying it is not safe. We were told by the staff just after 10.30pm to be quiet as he had complaints when the children were only playing on their iPads and we were sat around the fire talking. We didn't have music on. I understand that the campsite rules state to be quiet after 10.30pm until 7.30am but I have never been anywhere where you cannot talk outside after that time. From my two night experience at Lepe Beach Campsite I will not be returning or recommending it to my friends. Having said all that if you are aware of what I have said it is very close to the beach. It is lovely to watch the cargo and cruise ships go by if you have a sea view and the sea plane taking off and landing. The nature reserve is lovely and there is a great play area for the children nearby too. The staff were all really lovely and very helpful. The hire of the fire pit is cheap and a good size. If they change a few words in their description so families know what to expect this would deserve to be on the cool camping website and four star.
Amazing
The campsite is superb. Very close to the beach and not far off from the forest. The staff is fabulous. We have been there twice already and definatley cone back.
Nice but basic
Just spent a couple of nights here and it is a lovely little place, but on the basic side. Lovely views and handy that it is close to the beach and the country park so the kids were easily entertained. Toilets and showers were clean but not enough of them compared to the amount of tents. Drinking water is available around the edge of the field from taps which was a bonus. Large field to camp in so space wasn’t an issue but there were some rather large groups of people camping together that made quite a lot of noise and although the 10.30pm curfew was stuck to, music playing and people screeching up to that time did make it harder for our younger kids to settle. Would be nice to see some recycling facilities on the site as all rubbish just put in bins at the main cabin. Would recommend the site to others and would visit again when kids are slightly older
Amazing views
I loved this campsite so much. I just spent my 48th birthday there, camping with my partner, and it was so lovely sipping champagne on the Solent and watching the liners head out to sea. Amazing walking very nearby as well.
Campsite too big and overcrowded
We enjoyed our stay at Lepe Beach. Location was good with the stunning New Forest on the doorstep. Also good pub - Royal Oak Beaulieu - 10 mins drive (30 minute cycle) serving decent food. However, there were a few downsides to the campsite and, in our view, it has been rather missold on the cool camping website. I usually turn to cool camping to find small, unique, quirky camp sites, and have never been disappointed until now. Lepe beach campsite was just too big and far too overcrowded. We struggled to find anywhere to pitch our tent upon arrival and had no choice but to squeeze in very near other campers (so absolutly no privacy). Also due to the amount of tents (and cars and vans) - there was no chance of pitching anywhere with a view of the sea. In this respect the pictures of a few tents in a lovely open field are very misleading, as is the despcription of the campsite as 'peaceful, informal ambience – you can pitch where you like with enough space that you needn’t tread on others’ toes'. There were no where near enough facilities for the amount of people in the campsite (and I agree with other reviewers below that given the size of the field, it would have been better to have a few more loos spread around). We had to queue (quite a considerable amount of time) for everything: loos, washing up, showers - and even gave up on the shower queue on the last day and instead decided it was easier to head home early for a shower. I also agree that the 10.30pm curfew was not enforced strictly enough - it was very noisy. Also, although this is not in the control of the campsite, I think it is misleading not to point out on the webiste that the beach is not a safe swimming beach. There are danger signs everywhere.
Beautiful view, shame about a couple of things
We were meant to stay at Lepe Beach for two nights but only managed one before we came home again. The campsite is right by the beach and has amazing views of Portsmouth. You can walk down their path and find the beach within a minute with incredible views of the isle of wight. Our son loved watching the big boats go by! There are showers which are really clean and we were impressed with the privacy they offered. The staff do their absolute best with the loos but with so many people using only a few loos between them they are never going to be pristine. It’s such a big campsite, so I think the fact there’s not a huge amount of loos is a downside but it is also a new business so I wonder if they have plans to add more. There are no set pitches, you can camp where you like. This is a big downside to us because it seemed like there was no order and we were quite squashed together. We had a big group pitch up directly behind us and they were very loud. We have a 2 year old who was extremely tired but after speaking to a member of staff we were reassured that at 10:30 everyone would be told to be quiet. That never happened. By 11:30pm my husband had to ask them to quieten down as our son couldn’t sleep. At 1am I had to go and ask them again. We ended up getting two hours of sleep. We were so exhausted that we’ve had to cut our trip short and come home, losing out on money. Our son was so exhausted as were we it turned a happy family holiday into a bit of a nightmare. It’s a shame that there’s not more order to the site. With such a big campsite there’s no reason why groups can be separated from families so they can have a laugh while the families with young kids get some sleep. If that won’t happen then more needs to be done to adhere to the 10:30pm quiet time that was advertised. Beautiful views and great location, but there’s some teething problems with this site meaning we won’t be back.
Good but basic
Good little campsite with basic facilities. The adjacent beach and country park play area are a real bonus, as is the cafe for hideous weather mornings! Good location to explore the New Forest. Facilities are really basic and site can get very muddy when wet. Remember kindling and firefighters for when you go.
Lovely location, great views
Really enjoyed our stay at Lepe Beach, brilliant location, facilities were basic but clean and well maintained. The only thing I would suggest is that they could put another set of toilets down the other end of the field as it was a bit of a walk from where we were. Would definitely book again.
Great campsite for kids
Really enjoyed our stay at Lepe. Lovely clean no frills camping very close to the beach and country park. Enough to keep our 7 year old grand-daughter occupied. Staff very helpful. Will be returning in couple of weeks we enjoyed our stay so much.
A stones throw away from the beach
We've just come back from a week spent at lepe beach campsite and it was marvellous. Beautiful views, flat pitches, friendly staff and clean (albeit basic) facilities this campsite is now one of our favourites in the South Coast. Highly recommend.
Great Campsite
Finding a great Campsite is often such a delicate balance for me ... I want to be close to nature so my kids can experience a taste of my carefree childhood (free of screens and wifi) yet comfortable enough for me to chill out with my chilled Pinot Grigio blush endulging in a mindless magazine or paperback. Lepe beach campsite offers the best of both worlds ... My kids spent their early mornings on the solitary beaches inventing new ways of catching fish (all unsuccessful I may add!), playing cricket around the campsite or making friends with other camp kids and I spent the day relaxing on the beach under a brolly or chilled under a gazebo. Evenings were enjoyed around the fire pit endulging on our barbecue feasts with the most beautiful of sunsets. I was impressed with the consideration that went into the logistics of the campsite ... A fire pit complete with bucket for water in case of emergency, fuel lighters and kindling, flushable toilets, working showers that are cleaned often as well as kitchen, several drinking water taps and fire extinguishers. And if you aren't so sure about camping or investing in the paraphernalia that accompanies it, why not just give it a try... They even hire erected tents with all the necessary whatchamathingies! Will be back next year... (P.S. Can you arrange for the weather to be good again for us please?)
Beautiful part of the country
Lovely campsite in a beautiful area with the beach on your doorstep and views of the Solent. Back to basics facilities that are kept impressively clean and tidy. I loved that there was no WiFi, no lighting and no electrical hook ups as it felt like proper camping. There are shops and take away places a couple of miles away and you can hire a fire pit if you fancy. The staff were all lovely and helpful. Really interesting beach just round the corner from campsite where it seemed no one ventured where parts of the Mulberry Harbour were built and the ‘Pluto’ line left the UK for France. Will return here sometime. Please keep it as it is and don’t install lights and WiFi!
The location
First time there , toilets and showers cleaned constantly , very friendly polite staff , clean campsite with a lovely family feeling , path down to a seafront sandy and some stones areas as well and a short walk along the seafront to a big play area , crab fishing and a lovely new beach cafe 10/10 defiantly be returning
Brilliant
Absolutely brilliant campsite with stunning views. Facilities were good and cleaned regularly. Perfect distance for walking to the beach (it is pebbly). Took the kids bikes, so much space for them. Sadly sunglasses were stolen so keep your valuables with you at all times or locked in the car.
Great, no frills site
Had a great short stay at Lepe, literally yards from the beach with quick access to the New Forest. The site was much larger than expected, and very busy, but quiet and very well kept with super helpful staff and a small shop for water and wood. The ground was really hard so be warned. The site could benefit from two smaller sets of facilities I think, and maybe some lighting but that's being picky.
Big Campsite. Great beach. Nice location.
Had my birthday weekend at this campsite with all my friends. The campsite was lovely and spacious but the best bit was the beach. It was great just being a 3 minute walk away from a very quiet long stretch of beach to sunbathe on in the day and then have a few beers in the evening. There was a Tesco 2 miles down the road to stock up on food etc as well as great fish n chips! The campsite was quiet at night and full of life in the day. The staff were always available/polite and offered camp fire equipment if you wanted. The toilets were always clean and had loo roll/soap, maybe a few more showers were needed but everything else was perfect.
Location facilities and advice
1st time for years under canvas driven by my son’s desire to try camping. Staff on site friendly and full of good advice even down to best location to go crabbing! Facilities clean, tidy and good quality. Close proximity to the beach a bonus.
Fantastically close to the sea!
Lovely staff. Lovely site. Lovely showers. Lovely facilities. Lovely area. Had a lovely time, can you tell?!? Definitely one I ll be coming back to. Warning: ground was VERY hard!
No frills fantastic site
The whole site has a pretty-good view of the mouth of Southampton Water. We saw at least 10 cruise ships going in and out over 2 days. The facilities are just the essentials; loos, showers and washing-up but are extremely well-maintained; kept scrupulously clean - all day and night! There is loads of room and having no designated pitches seems to lead to a great organic arrangement encouraging sociability. The kids ran non-stop late into the evening and they were completely safe, even with cars moving around. We pitched-up at the end of July and the ground was like concrete. Had to purchase a lot of 'rock pegs' from Reception and even bent those hammering in. Customer service is impeccable and every member of staff we met was friendly, helpful and welcoming. Would recommend renting a fire pit too. The other bonus is the Lepe Beach Country Park, directly adjacent to the site. The amazing Lookout Cafe (new 2018) can't be faulted.
Lovely family campsite on coast
We stayed for a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This is a friendly campsite with good facilities, a great view and perfect for the beach. Our 5 yr old made some lovely friends and had a ball!
Great Location
Great campsite , great Location would highly recommend. The kids loved the beach and theres a place 5 minutes walk to take them crabbing. Facilities were clean and hot water in the showers Would def come back!
a fab first time camping experience
Just back from 2 nights at Lepe Beach with our 8 year old daughter and 5 year old twins - a really lovely property camping experience which the children (and us )loved - very basic facilities but all part of the charm ! No electrical hook up but fine by us as a whole weekend without screens meant the kids had good old fashioned fun. Beautiful location with sea views and lots of space for the kids to play football / run around . The kids are already asking when we are going back ! Not quiet 10 out of 10 as they do need to sort out the water problems - both evenings the water went in the loos which quickly became disgusting- it was resolved however on both occasions . Very friendly staff
Relaxed and welcoming campsite
Camping here was a great experience. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially as we were able to make a last-minute booking. We stayed in a tent we brought ourselves, but there were also pre-erected tents which looked pretty good. The camping field is big and most people camp around the edge, so there's lots of room in the middle for kids to play football and other games. It didn't feel too busy, and there was never a problem with long queues for showers or toilets. It was also great to be able to hire a firepit (£3 plus £20 deposit, firewood £6). There is no shop for food on site, and the nearest store is a 45 minute walk back into town, so either come with everything or be prepared to use a car or walk! Beautiful location, would reccomend this to anyone who likes a traditional camping experience.
The campsite was lovely,clean and run by very helpful friendly people
Lovely beach,lovely staff,very calm atmosphere !!! Loved it will be returning very soon
Our new favourite campsite
We’ve just spent a fantastic weekend at this special site. We received a very warm welcome welcome and the site has a lovely, friendly feel. It’s just a few hundred yards walk to the beach and we whiled away the hours sitting outside our tent with a campfire, watching the shipping, kite surfers and yachts. The facilities are really good, and kept clean and tidy by regular ‘spruce ups’ throughout the day. The showers were some of the best I’ve had on a campsite (and we’ve camped a lot!). If you’re going, take some very sturdy tent pegs - the ground was solid! We’ll definitely be back. Thank you!
Lovely stay in Lepe!
This was our first camping trip for 5 years so we needed somewhere relatively close to home for a short stay. Lepe itself is a lovely setting - an interesting beach (rock pools, pebbles and boat activity) and great views across the Solent. It doesn't give you the classic New Forest experience but is an easy 20 mins from Beaulieu and Bucklers Hard. The campsite itself is fab - free pitching and nice flat grass so not too tricky for new campers. There was plenty of space even on a busy sunny half term weekend and it was peaceful at night despite the hum of the nearby refinery and ship traffic (occasional fog horn due to sea mist) - don't let that put you off! We loved the fire pit and watching the big ships leave Southampton, all in all the site had a laid-back, friendly 'vibe' with lots of young families. Facilities were fine - bit of an issue with water pressure at certain times but this was minor. Toilets were kept clean and replenished with loo roll etc. The site manager and team were lovely and clearly run a tight ship (excuse the pun). We ate breakie in the beach café one morning but be prepared, it gets v busy and they didn't cope well with the queues - take a picnic instead. There are several supermarkets 5 mins down the road plus takeaways and a v good hardware shop if you need any kit - this makes the site incredibly convenient for an 'easy' camping experience in a lovely setting. Highly recommended!!!
Peaceful and excellent location
Loved this place. So close to the sea it was perfect. Facilities were clean, well maintained and despite a really busy weekend, always available. The staff are wonderful - very flexible, accommodating and helpful. They even let us stay until 5pm for a very minimal charge rather than pack up and get out by 11. Not many campsites would do this. Campfires were a great benefit and a must for us. The sea views are only really available at the top end of the field (which is the busy bit). We camped at the bottom of the field (closer to the sea but less easy to see the sea) and it was utterly peaceful and relaxing. Quite a trek to the loos - which didn’t bother us but might be relevant for some. The beach is beautiful but very very stoney - beach shoes are a must. A really lovely well run spot on the south coast and my only criticism is that we had to leave!
Close to beach, emphasis on space in the campsite
Lovely site very very close to the beach and a country park with a big new playground and cafe (both within 5min walk.) Basic facilities. Quiet. Not too many tents despite being full (owners don’t want campers to feel crowded, which is a big bonus). We hired a fire pit for £6 a night which was fantastic. Really recommend this site.
Lovely setting, but could do with further improvements
We've just come back from a long weekend at Lepe Beach Campsite. Pro's: - location close to the beach and the country park - friendly staff - facilities clean - fire pits are great Con's: - Could do with more toilets and showers (more important it needs a better water supply...at times I had soap on my hands and then there was only a trickle of water to wash it off) - Would be great to have soap dispensers and small bins in the smaller toilet cubicles (you provide hand towels, but then there is nowhere to leave the used ones) - Would be lovely to have more recycling options (glass, tin's, paper/cardboard) on site, rather than having to put everything into black bins and in the landfill
Fantastic location
Lepe Beach is now my favourite camp site. On a full bank holiday weekend, there was plenty of space for children to play games. It was a minute walk from the beach and country park. Really welcoming staff.. We wil definitely be back 😊❤️
2 minutes walk from the beach!
This was our first camping trip and it couldn't have been better pros - location, location, location - 2 minutes walk from the beach - clean toilets, wash area, shower - large site - park area next door for kids to play (in addition to the beach) - lots of families with children, so they can play with each other cons - the ground where we setup tent had shrub stubs poking our tent floor.. partially our fault as we should have setup tent where near to the entrance where the ground was much better
Lovely Lepe!
We loved it at Lepe! We loved the sea view & the kids liked spotting all the different ferries & boats. We went on lovely day & night beach walks, kids loved the near by park & we had lovely fire pits. The weather was't the best but was nice to be in nature. We went to the motor museum on a wet day. There was a bit of back ground noise which we kind of got used to. It is what you make it & we made some lovely memories & are thinking to go back this year.
A little spot of paradise on the South Coast
Having just booked my families camping holidays for 2018 I felt compelled to write a review of this glorious site in Lepe on the South Coast. We visted in August and had an excellent holiday. Great location, loved having the beach on our doorstep, spent 2 full days there sunbathing and swimming, and had the perfect spot with no other people there. The beauty of the beach is it’s shallow for quite a way and was perfect for the children to splash about in. We also loved being able to see the cruise liners go past everyday along with the cargo ships. The tents were lovely and spacious, such a great idea having pre-erected ones available. The site was perfect with a park for the kids a very short walk away, and surprisingly the best shower I've ever had whilst camping! The Langley Tavern pub up the road had great food and a huge garden for the kids to play in, and shops and take-ways near by helped massively. Is is cheating if you get food delivered?? Thoroughly recommend this location, and especially the company, the staff couldn’t be better. One of the best trips the kids and I have been on. See you again next year.
Characterless Campsite - But Great Location
This campsite has all the charm of an overflow parking area at a music festival, complete with the stench of chemical loos and over head pylons at one end of this large shadeless field. That said the staff running it were all lovely and the location definitely has its benefits. Just a leisurely 5 minute walk to the sea and nearby coastal park. The firepits were nice - if you could get one - they were over subscribed. Unfortunately everything seems very temporary, which is because it only opens for 6 weeks at the height of summer to take advantage of the peak camping season. At night you may notice a background hum from the very busy Solent which has some of the heaviest shipping and boating traffic in the UK. During the day it's non stop shipping containers, ferries, speedboats, jetskis and sailboats. It looks lovely but there are definitely more tranquil bits of coastline. We enjoyed because of the great weather but I dread to think what our experience would have been like in the rain as the site looks like it would turn into an instant mudpit. Could do better - definitely not a "cool" campsite.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thanks to your feedback, we have made some vital improvements to our campsite for 2018, these include major improvements in our toilet system for 2018, which mean we will no longer have to use a sewerage tank directly under the toilet block which, we admit, at times, produced an unpleasant chemical aroma last year. We've also dramatically extending our gravel drive way from the bottom of the field (entrance) and creating a complete loop back down to the exit, thus controlling the flow of traffic away from the main camping area and significantly reducing muddy tracks during prolonged periods of bad weather. We are always looking to improve the campsite with in the limitations of our licence and any feed back is welcome
Good location, noisiest camp site ever visited
Great location on the beach, friendly welcome from the staff. This is THE noisiest campsite I have ever visited. From being kept awake til 1am by shouting adults to being woken at 5am by screaming children. I know this is not necessarily the sites fault, but there are meant to be noise restrictions in place in the site "rules''. The facilities are clean, showers hot but loos are chemical and smelly. All in all I don't think this site it worth the price being charged, but has a lot of potential, and fellow campers need to brush up on their camping etiquette!
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thanks for your feedback, we're pleased to say, as a consequence, we have made vital improvements for 2018! This year we have made major improvements in our toilet system for 2018 and will no longer have to use a sewerage tank directly under the toilet block which, we admit, at times, produced an unpleasant chemical aroma. We're sorry to hear you were near noisy campers – if you had made our warden aware we could have addressed this situation for you at the time. We hope it does not put you off returning again.
Simple site, good location
We had a lovely stay at Lepe Beach Campsite last weekend. Sadly very rainy but not the campsite's fault. Great location. Would love to have spent more time on the beach but, because of the weather, we headed to the National Motor Museum instead, which isn't too far away. Facilities decent, nothing flashy but just what we wanted for a tent-only campsite.
Fantastic site with potential!
We camped at this site in mid-July 2017 - yes it rained! The location within the New Forest is great - the site is basically a farmer's field with portable toilets and shower blocks (6 showers). The nearest grocery store is just under 2 miles away so you will need to be organised, especially as there's no electric hook-up. However, the location is fantastic, with direct views of the Solent from your tent and the opportunity to stroll along the beach on sunny evenings (yes we had quite a few of these) whilst the children scour the 'rock pools' for hermit crabs and other creatures! All in all, we would definitely go again - the site was very relaxing and the children loved the accessibility of the beach and watching the cruise liners come and go!!
Great setting but very not very cool
Warm welcome, friendly staff & an ideal setting a stone's throw from the beach. The fire pits are great. Facilities to freeze ice packs. We knew things would be basic but the portaloo type toilets without proper plumbing are not reflected in the price of the pitches. Could do with more than 6 showers & 4 wash up sinks. No recycling facilities. This is a field with loos. Muddy underfoot. Lovely area but won't be returning to the site.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Like any service industry it is extremely important that we receive feed back from our guests and we are delighted to say that we are making some vital improvements to our campsite in 2018! Due to New forest Council planning policies, we have a camping exemption licence that comes with extremely limited options when is comes to infrastructure and we are not allowed to build any permanent structures on the site. That said, we have managed to make major improvements in our toilet system for 2018 and will no longer have to use a sewerage tank directly under the toilet block which, we admit, at times, caused problems in 2017. We are also really please in inform our guests that we are also dramatically extending our gravel drive way from the bottom of the field (entrance) and creating a complete loop back down to the exit, thus controlling the flow of traffic away from the main camping area and significantly reducing muddy tracks during prolonged periods of bad weather.
A bit disappointing
Elements of this site are good, like location right next to beach, and it has potential - but needs lots of improvements for next year. After rain this weekend the whole of the top of site is a festival style bog which we only just managed to drive through to get out. You also have to wade through it to get to the loos. The loos are a portacabin and stink very strongly of chemicals. In retrospect the Cool Camping review reads as if they hadn't actually visited before writing the review and I feel a bit let down having relied on it, and feel like I could have picked a better campsite in the area.
Response from Lepe Beach Campsite
Thanks to your feedback, we have made some vital improvements to our campsite, which include major improvements to our toilet system for 2018 – this means we will no longer have to use a sewerage tank which, we admit, at times, produced an unpleasant chemical aroma in 2017. We've also dramatically extending our gravel drive way to better control the flow of traffic and significantly reducing muddy tracks during prolonged periods of bad weather. We're always looking to improve the campsite with in the limitations of our licence and any feed back is very welcome. Thanks.
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