The Old Airfield
UK England South East England Hampshire Brockenhurst
A New Forest airfield that's been overtaken by nature, less than 10 minutes' drive from the coast
This old RAF base in the south eastern corner of the New Forest was so vital to the Second World War it used to operate under a code name. Today the tarmac's been torn up and grass and shrubs have taken over but its main merits as an airfield turn out to be just as convenient as a campsite. It's incredibly flat (great for pitching a tent), it's spacious and open (ideal for enjoying big blue skies) and it's just three miles as the bomber flies from the south coast.
Opening for the first time in 2021, the 30-acre space is reliably run by the family behind two other popular campsites in the New Forest (Harry's Field and Harry's Meadow), so the team know a thing or two about pleasing campers. Everything here is temporary but it's also very thoroughly thought through. There are piping hot gas-powered showers, good eco-friendly loos and a number of food trucks visit the campsite throughout the summer. And though campervans and motorhomes are welcome, the focus here is very much on back-to-basics family camping, with tents dominating the scene and more bicycles about the place than there are cars.
Perhaps the nicest thing about the campsite is the fact that, though it's vast, the make up of the former airfield breaks it all down into a series of small spaces. It's easy to arrive with friends, take off across the heathland and find a place to make your own. At the southern end, for example, there's a copse of beech and oak trees, where manager Vivien has set up a stretch tent and some of the facilities are found. In the middle of the site, meanwhile, there are two small segments drilled by the local farmer and full of standing wheat (or stubble in late August). It's as though there's a tiny patch of farmland within the campsite, framed by the grassy lines of the old runway.
While the campsite is wonderfully open – great for enjoying sunrises and huge summer sunsets – it's not long before you get into the trees if you want to. One of the best ways to get around here is by bike. Route 2 of the National Cycle Network runs directly past the campsite gate and you can venture north along car-free trails in the Holmsley area or cycle south, towards the coast on a series of quiet lanes. There's an easy route to Burley – one of the most quaint and popular villages in the whole national park – that's about four miles long. Take your time and you'll see plenty of New Forest ponies along the way, as well as potentially deer and other wildlife too. Or head off to Highcliffe Beach. There's less wildlife there but plenty of seagulls and a good number of fish and chip shops where you can find some tasty supper.
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Details
Facilities
Composting toilets, hand-washing basins and a new shower block with hot showers (and good pressure!). There are designated washing up areas and drinking water points and firepits are available to hire, with seasoned logs for sale. A breakfast truck visits the campsite throughout summer and there is barista-style coffee, too, along with a pizza oven on weekends and other food trucks that visit on different days of the week.
Suitable For
Tents, campervans, motorhomes and dogs – yes. Large groups are welcome by prior appointment but rowdy party groups are not.
Nearby
The best way to explore the New Forest is undoubtedly by bike. You can hire bikes from Avon Tyrrell (01425 672347) or just bring your own and ride straight from the campsite – the National Cycle Route 2, which follows the entire south coast of England, passes metres from the campsite. It's only a couple of miles on the route before you hit the old railway station house that was formerly Holmsley Station. It's now a lovely tea rooms (a great place to stop if you're already puffed out). From here, a huge stretch of the former railway line is now a car-free greenway that's great for family cycling. Look out for deer and the famous New Forest ponies as you ride. If you want a quicker way to find the dear, head to Bolderwood (20-minute drive), one of the most beautiful forests in the area, where you can watch the fallow deer being fed (it's has a large picnic area amongst the tall trees, alongside which is a New Forest Information Centre). Perhaps the best thing about choosing a campsite in this southern stretch of the New Forest National Park is that you're also so close to the coast. It's a 10-minute drive to Mudeford Beach, Avon Beach and Highcliffe Beach, backed by magnificent Highcliffe Castle, and, on hot days, it's a great alternative to days inland.
Food & Drink
For pretty village pubs and free-roaming New Forest ponies in the streets, drive the 10 minutes to Burley. For convenience, though, Bransgore is closer and also has plenty of pubs. Try the thatched, 17th-century Three Tuns (01425 672232) – good food, dog and family friendly and cask-ale accredited. The closest supermarket is also in Bransgore, where there's a decent sized CoOp.
Open
Late May half-term, July and August only.
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The Owner Says
The team behind Harry’s Field, one of the New Forest’s most celebrated and established campsites, are pleased to reveal The Old Airfield in the south of The New Forest. We are near Burley and four miles from the sandy beaches at Mudeford and Highcliffe.
If you are desperate for open space and endless skies, The Old Airfield has both in abundance.
Escape the house and venture into the heart of the New Forest. Just a few miles from Burley, an ancient village with a history of local witches and sprightly fairies, The Old Airfield is a vast, 30 acres of well-drained and flat camping ground, but we have chosen to limited the capacity – so you won’t struggle to claim your corner of the countryside.
Overlooked by nothing more than a smart copse of beech and oaks, at The Old Airfield, the only distractions come from the forest’s wild inhabitants, the New Forest ponies and their foals will be watching from the surrounding heathland, as you relish the great outdoors.
But it wasn’t always this way. As the name suggests, in the 1940s The Old Airfield was an RAF airstrip, perfectly situated for reconnaissance missions over continental Europe.
The proximity to the coast brought planes to Burley. They may have gone; mother nature has reclaimed the land and just a short four-mile jaunt from the campsite, some of the New Forest’s best beaches are to be found.
Pitches
Room for up to 80 pitches in an enormous, 20-acre wildflower meadow, so you're never short of space.
Grass Pitch
Grass pitch
Sleeps 6
100 Available
Due to the size of The Old Airfield, there are no preallocated pitches, so you can select an area that best suits you.
Location
Contact The Old Airfield, The Old Airfield Campsite, Forest Road, Burley, Christchurch, Hampshire BH23 8EB
Getting There
Leave the A35 at the brown tourist signs for Holmsley Campsite. Follow the road for half a mile and take the first turning on your right (also signed Holmsley Campsite). The campsite is 300 yards along this road on your right hand side (you should be able to see it from the road). The entrance gate is directly opposite the New Forest Caravan Club Centenary Site.
Hinton Admiral Train Station, three miles away, is the closest (direct trains from London Waterloo).
Reviews
Add Your ReviewRated ★★★★★ over 72 reviews
Beautifull campsite and location
Really pretty location. Very friendly and attentive staff. Lovely walks from site. You can see the horses right from your tent. Facilities really clean. Compost toilets didn't smell. Lots of space for everyone and space for kids to have games of cricket football etc. Only 3 minor negatives that wouldn't stop us returning. 1. food trucks ridiculously expensive £6 for jacket spud and beans, but obviously you don't have to use but they there if needed. 2. there is only 1 location that has running water so it was a very long walk to showers and to collect water. 3. The showers were at set times which wasn't always when you wanted a shower and this did cause a bit of a pile up but we were there bank holiday weekend.
OK campsite with pretty inaccessible limited facilities
We hired two bell tents for our family and some friends for the Bank Holiday weekend and whilst we had a lovely time with our friends I wouldn't return to this campsite and probably wouldn't recommend it to others. The bell tents were basic indeed and, for the money paid, the beds in particular were just ropey / uncomfortable - I thought about the cost and what you would get in say an AirBnB for the same cash and it really didn't seem worth it. Their lux bell tents in other Harry sites however do look really lovely. Another gripe was just how inaccessible the facilities were. There was only one source of water and it was miles from pretty much most pitches. The size of the site is obviously great for space but it felt unthought through to not have water available regularly through the site. The showers were, however, superb although open at weird hours, closing at 2000 just as you return from a day by the sea? Just odd. There were various other things - limited number of loos for covid times all the way through to the unburnable wood they make you buy - and it did just feel as though we were saying 'And another thing....' the whole time. We are normally really chilled campers (although if you're reading this I probably sound pretty whingy) and so this clearly wasn't the site for us.
Great holiday
It was a lovely set up and loved the different food vans that came along. Only downside is the noise from the traffic at night.
Great location, helpful staff
The campsite is in a great location with lots of places in fairly easy cycling distance and the New Forest is great for cycling not being too challenging. It is great to have the food truck options as well. We didn't experience any noise issues during our stay and found the site nice and peaceful with no one playing music. I agree that the site could have done with more facilities as the toilets are quite a walk which is OK in the day but not ideal at night. My only criticism would be that the glamping option wasn't really very comfortable and I would definitely NOT book a bell tent here again. The bed provided wasn't comfortable and there were no lights in the tent suitable for reading ( I appreciate this is difficult without electricity but the information and pictures gave the impression this would be provided). For what we paid I don't think it was good value for money. To sum up we would use this site again but bring our own tent. We will spend less and be just as comfortable,
Massive campsite with plenty of space and well kept
We really enjoyed our 2 night stay and the campground was as described. Very basic but with so much space and privacy. We had no trouble with noise from other campers as we were almost on our own on one side of the campsite. Uncomplicated and incredibly flat grassy site and you can choose where to pitch your tent which is great. As others have said showers are fantastic - hot and good water flow. Toilets are either drop or portaloo depending on where you are pitched. All in all as we expected and perfect for our 2 days of stress free camping. Only minor downsides were noisy road which can't be helped obviously and washing up/handwashing set up - all using same water standpipes and no sinks/drainage. Felt safe and staff were all lovely. Thank you.
Good choice of space to choose wear to pitch!
Great large campsite. You can camp wherever, beware ground hard you may need strong and tough rock pegs. Ground gets boggy near posh wash showers. Quiet at night as no generator going as showers get locked up after 8.00pm until the morning. More taps to wash up in needed. Compost toilets OK. Seen better but did the job. You can hear Road but nothing bad to report. Close to beaches in Highcliffe and Mudeford. Bonus of food delivery vans on site, lots of dogs and real fires
Revitalised & Relaxed
The Old Airfield is a great size with lots of options of where you want to pitch up, The showers are great with lovely hot uninterrupted water supply which depending on where you site yourself may be some distance away but you can always drive over to them as we did. Good amount of toilets available and the washing up facilities provided are more than ideal. There's even a drive in movie site next door if that's your thing. Was also really nice to see the horse's running around the forest freely. Overall we had a great time for the three night's we were there and the surrounding beaches and villages etc are great for exploring also lots of food facilities available all around.
Back to basic
First camping trip in years. So thought back to basic would be good fun. Huge area. So really pick your spot well . we were along way from the showers and wash up area. Luckily we took paper plates and cups. The fire pits were great yes a little expensive but lovely seeing them all burning at night. Loos were clean water near them would have been a plus. Very noisy from one large family into the early hours on a few nights nobody seem to be on hand to quieten them down. The noise from the road was a little like being on the M27 constant through the night. And the open air cinema loud. So if your looking for complete peace and quiet this would not be for you. I would suggest trying to get in the field behind the shower block. Probably would not return.
A field, great location but very limited facilities
I agree with previous reviews. If you like basic camping this is for you but I did miss a toilet block and shop that I've had on previous camping trips. In the middle of the New Forest views/sunsets are amazing and pitch where you want with plenty of space. Showers were great (but only open at certain times) but lack of hot water for washing up dishes was a pain and hand washing facilities were lacking. Downsides - noise from road and incoming planes, compostable toilets, and haphazard food trucks (no message that one wasn't arriving meant we had to order in via just eat as we hadn't brought any food. Friendly reception staff. Overall a nice experience but not a site we will be returning to.
Decent but quite busy
A good campsite, set in a nice area of the forest, but with quite loud roads not far away on a few sides. It would be great if you could wash your hands after using the toilets with water and soap though, especially during Covid-19. Only being able to wash your hands at one set of toilets on a 30 acre site, and then only in the washing-up area, isn’t ideal. Plenty of showers, which are hot. A good bet if you don’t mind it a bit busier and noisier than the official New Forest campsites.
Great open site.
Spent 2 nights camping with a 7 a d 4 year old. Great open site with plenty of space to pitch and for kids to run around. Very easy going with the added bonus of coffee and pizzas to buy from the lovely team in the middle field. Only downside was that it a was rather noisy after dark. The strict policy on no amplified music and noise to be minimum after 10pm wasn't really adhered to which was a bit of a shame for a family site.
Spacious site but basic
I booked this thinking it would give lovely views of New Forest, and it was ok but some things were disappointing. The compostable toilets were very basic and shame no hot water for washing up, had to walk quite a way to the one shower block although showers were good. Fire pits seemed a bit pricey for what they were - £25 for 3 nights but £15 for one night! Coffee barista good for the mornings which we used. However, the really frustrating thing was a pop up open air cinema in field next door which was loud and played films on both our evenings there, a shame as spoilt the peace of the site and felt we could have been warned about this. Left a night early due to rain but no refund offered for our fire pit. Would benefit from a little shop and a few more facilities for children.
Enjoyable yet room to improve
Basic camping as advertised. Large areas to pitch where you like gives a bonus flexibility to visit. Staff onsite were friendly and efficient. Increase in water points would really improve experience. Some fields have quite a long walk, particularly in the outer field.
Amazing campsite!
Really big campsite with enough space to be on your own or in groups, clean toilets, showers, food trucks, fire pits, great location! What more could you ask!!
Fantastic family camping at the Old Airfield
We camped as a family group of 10 and had a superb stay at the Old Airfield. Their is a great amount of availability if pitches so it was lovely to feel uncrowded over the course of our stay. The toilet and shower facilities were great and well looked after. We used the space as a base for day trips and their are some great areas to visit which were suitable for all of our group (ages 2-41) I would throughly recommend this as a camping spot and hope we will be back again!
Simple but effective
Lovely campsite with plenty of space and good facilities.
Lovely spot, slightly disappointed.
As per the other reviews and expectations the campsite was really spacious and had a nice vibe to it with lots of different spots to offer. The showers were hot and staff friendly however I was disappointed by small things such as a lack of bins across the site, the bin/recycling area being poorly signed and really unkept and to add to this, every morning the area with benches near the coffee stall people had loads of rubbish and plastic cups left. Totally not the owners fault and shame on the campers who left it, however it was a shame that the site managers and those running the coffee van seemed more bothered about driving round to collect the expensive rental fire pits than doing a quick reccy to tidy these bits up for the rest of us (I collected it myself).
basic and nicely situated
Right in the middle of the New Forest so nice location but I felt a bit pricey for the services to be honest. A huge field with no marked plots, there were toilets but fee and far between. It was nice you could go anywhere, we were in a campervan and parked near some trees was nice and quiet. You can hear the road quite loudly from the site which is a bit of a bummer. Fire pits are available but a bit pricey and although nothing was bad it felt like money was being taken without much being put in. The owners were friendly enough and there were nice walks directly from the site.
Great Space!
Wonderful space, no one is crammed in. Brilliant showers and clean compost toilets. Really enjoyed our stay
Great with potential for better
Really nice team, very helpful. The area is quite large so everyone is welcomed to camp anywhere. Only downfall to that is some like to play music and be up late, which is fine but if the area would somehow be divided into smaller section to guide people, that would really help!
Great stay
We stayed for three nights, Thursday to Sunday and had a great time. The camp site is nicely spread out, bit of a trek to the showers if you choose to stay at the far end 8f the site. Great showers could do with more if the site is busy. Compost loos are clean. We hired a fire pit one night and enjoyed that. The food trucks are great (nice pizza) when you don't want to cook. FYI if you are a light sleeper and don't want to be woken by the generator at 7.15am don't camp near the food area.
Exactly as it says on the website
I can’t fault this place, staff helpful and very polite. The location for walking in the forest and seeing the wild ponies was incredible. No light pollution here so fantastic star gazing and shooting stars. Thank you and will definitely come back Chris
Simple, spacious, great location
We had a great stay for 4 nights at this site. Brilliant location - short drives to a number of beaches (we had inflatable Kayaks and used them at Mudeford quay which was brilliant), bike hire and trails in Burley, supermarket and fish and chips etc in Highcliffe. We also visited Hurst Castle - the walk there along the shingle and the ferry back were probably more entertaining than the castle but a nice late afternoon trip. The site itself is massive, there’s a little shelter from wind in some of the smaller meadows but they were all taken by the time we arrived. Fire pits and wood provided by the helpful team on reception (a caravan) and the pizza van provided a very tasty alternative to cooking on the stove / bbq. The showers were brilliant - hot, lots of water and clean. Good washing up station but really would benefit from some hot water - this is the only negative. Last thing to mention - the toilets. There are a number of portaloos spread around the site, but the main toilet block is made up of compostable, long drop toilets (festival style). These were kept really clean with plenty of sawdust on hand to use each visit. They could put some people off, but they are perfectly fine (not smelly at all) and fit in with the ethos of the site. All in all, a great site with loads to explore and do in the New Forest.
Open, spacious and wild.
This is a well-kept facility-lite site. A bit basic but perfect if you don't want any rules and people worried about noise. There were lots of people staying when we were there but it was still so peaceful because of the openness of the site. Having said that you could also camp within the trees in the more tucked away areas of the huge site. We missed the on-site pizza van as they were sold out when we arrived at 7pm on a Friday evening which was a shame. Great site if you are camping in a group as there is so much space. Dog friendly and allows campfires which was what we were after. Weather wasn't great when we stayed but still got in some amazing star-gazing including the milky way. Good base for exploring both the south coast and the New Forest. Highly recommend this 'basic' site for its location and spaciousness.
Fantastic!
We stayed for four nights and had the best time despite the weather being rainy and windy. There was plenty of space to plot up and loads of other friendly campers! A very chilled out vibe throughout the camp. The facilities were clean and tidy too! Food and drinks on offer were a great added touch. Would definitely recommend and definitely stay again! Especially with so many activities to do so close by. Thanks for having us!
Legendary weekend away with friends
A field for groups is such a good idea! You can enjoy yourself without the worry you will wake up and children or families up or get in their way. Toilets and showers available and washing up facilities. Lovely local walks and scenery to explore!
Friendly, basic, overpriced
Lovely spot, a great location for walks and bike rides in the forest inclosure and close to beautiful Highcliffe beach. Facilities are advertised as basic but even so I expected at least one hot water tap for washing up. It gets very busy at the weekend changeover. I paid more for three nights in a bell tent than I paid for a full week glamping in a much better equipped site in Cornwall last summer. Feels like a real money-spinner.
Good few days camping
We had a lovely few days staying at The Old Airfield- not dampened by the downpours! Good location with easy access to walks, showers were warm and powerful enough and we enjoyed being able to pick our pitch! The staff at the reception were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the pizza van and morning hot drinks and baps - if a little pricey! Early reserving of food is essential! Tried to get a potato from the potato van after an hour and half of it being there and there were none left- little frustrating as no other dinner plans (and we did not have a car). Compost toilets were acceptable although a little more regular care and attention to topping up loo rolls and cleaning would improve experience and not all the doors hook shut! Hot water for washing up would also help - sinks are attached to the showers so shouldn’t be too difficult to set up. Noise from the A35 can be heard from campsite which does take away from the rural feel! Thanks for a good few days.
Lovely location pricey for facilities
The campsite is in a lovely location in the new forest. It has good availability and plenty of options for pitches. For the facilities offered it is very expensive. It could be greatly improved with little effort. Hot water at washing up station; small shop with basics and something like woodchip on pathways from pitches to toilets/showers as it can get very waterlogged. All would easily be done and greatly improve the experience for campers.
Beautiful and spacious
This site is in an amazing location with tons of safe space for children to play. Great for walks, bike rides and beach trips. I had assumed there were freezers, but there aren't! Plenty of supermarkets 10min drive away though. The showers are nice and warm with good water pressure. The site is noticeably more busy at weekends (still loads more space than allocated pitches give you though!) We would come again, although I think it's quite pricy for the level of facilities.
Had fun but very basic
Felt like year 1 and could redeem itself in the future but too basic for our needs. Not enough taps and no hot water for washing up. Could do with a little shop selling tea and coffee and some basic goods/ treats for longer hours. The showers and taps were too far away so I used to drive there!! For the price of the bell tent could have felt slightly more ‘glampy’. Good luck next year! Owners were lovely!
Welcoming site.
Lovely welcoming site. Friendly faces to greet on arrival and present throughout stay. Pitches are open so you can choose your own place to pitch- small area is in trees, rest open fields. Showers nice and warm. Toilets basic (think wooden portaloo). Food and drinks vans visit site at various times if you don’t fancy cooking. Fire pits and wood for hire. Nearby villages for essentials. Very relaxed, welcoming feel to the site- stopped here for a two night stay on way to Dorset but if we come back to this area again this will definitely be where we stay.
Great experience
Had a great time, had some rain but didn’t kill the vibe, will use again
Massive field, not much else!
We had fun camping with friends at the Old Airfield at the end of July. It's basically just a massive field so lots of space to pitch and doesn't feel cramped at all. You can choose where to go which is nice. Off the large field apd other smaller fields but most seem to have really long grass. There's also wooded areas you can choose. Great location, really close to lots of beaches and short drive from lots good pubs. The things we thought let it down were unless you pitch near the entrance then you're miles from any taps, showers and the washing up area. No hot water for washing up. The toilets could have been cleaned much more regularly.
Fabulous stay in the heart of the New Forest
We camped at The Old Airfield campsite and had such a wonderful time! There's a great vibe there with a communal hay bale area for people to congregate if you're feeling sociable. Kids were running free and adults had big smiles on their faces. Lots of space and didn't feel on top of other people which for us was a winner as had previously stayed somewhere last year with fixed spaces which didn't really suit us. We camped in the meadow which had the most amazing smell and we really felt at one with nature. The showers were hot and the staff super friendly. We loved the beer stall in the evening and coffee and croissant stall in the morning. The pizza on Friday was fabulous too, just make sure you put your order in early otherwise there's quite a long wait. I'd definitely recommend this campsite to friends and would love to return. Thanks for a great stay!
A great site
Very friendly staff. A simple site that does its job very well. We tried a bell tent for the first time and will do it again. The bell tent was very clean and the beds provided were super comfortable. Excellent pre arrival information that we used to plan our week of activities. A very good base to explore the local area from
Not the best camping experience!
Not my best experience of camping as others have said only cold water to wash dishes, showers are set times, in the morning and evening. People ended up queuing as one block shut without a reason given, portaloos really dirty the compost toilets were much better and cleaner - mostly! Not great having to pay more as have a camper van when it takes up less space and causes less damage than a car and huge tent. Also, then to lose the decent space we had chosen as we have to leave the spot to travel around the New Forest. The windscreen sticker doesn’t come of easily like I was told on arrival. Overall, not very impressed and won’t be returning!
Lovely little campsite
Just got back from a lovely little stay at The Old Airfield. Nice, spacious campsite so that you felt you had enough room for privacy while being close enough to others to socialise and make new friends - the kids loved it. Absolutely LOVED the vans that brought a different food stuff daily (fish and chips, pizza, strawberries and cream etc) - which was a welcome change to cooking something on our single hob! Good hot showers and plenty of toilets - mixing chemical toilets with eco ones (only suggestion to empty the chemical ones more often as they were regularly locked). Would happily recommend and likely to book again.
Loved our stay, glamping feel
First time camping as a couple and with 10 month old baby. We loved it. Staff v friendly. All guests v friendly and chatty. Lots of young kids playing. Beer truck and coffee truck. Food is a bit overpriced (£7.50 for a breakfast roll or baked potato) and toilets need emptying more frequently. Great showers. Would definitely recommend and stay again
Grass pitch
Really lovely atmosphere and just so peaceful! The people were all So helpful and lovely
Lovely long weekend at the old airfield
Just got back from a brilliant weekend at the Old Airfield. The site was well managed and maintained by a friendly bunch of guys and girls with acres of space. So nice that you can choose your own pitch on arrival. Eco loos are good, showers are kept really clean and water was hot and well needed after a few overnight thunderstorms. The whole place was relaxed with a chilled out vibe and the food and ice cream vans were a brilliant addition!
It was as expected, basic.
Pleasant welcome. No hot water for washing up. This let them down. Showers were adequate, but timed. Toilets were an experience.
A nice quiet campsite in a good location to explore the area
I liked the fact that everyone was nice and spaced out rather than on top of each other like you often are at other campsites. The showers were good and nice and clean. The toilets are a bit basic. All in all a nice site but I thought it was a bit expensive compared to other sites which have more facilities.
Lovely relaxed camping!
Just got back from a lovely weekend at the Old Airfield. The site is excellently managed and maintained with acres of space and so great that you can choose your own spot to pitch up. Eco loos are good, showers are kept really clean and water was hot :) The whole place had a relaxed chilled out vibe and the pizza/ice creams were a brilliant addition! Highly recommend this campsite and we will definitely return:)
Wonderful
The host of this campsite could not have been more helpful. They went above and beyond to make our stay a fantastic one. The toilets were immaculately clean and the location is only a 10 minute drive from the beach.
Very Friendly and Quiet Site
A camp site that was established and managed by a family who are campers themselves and appreciate what makes a good camp site. Plenty of basic facilities that are continuously cleaned and in good working order. A round the clock presence meant that the site was very quiet at night. While acknowledging the efforts made by its owners, this is the site I am reluctant to recommend for fear that it becomes too popular. Thank you for a lovely weekend.
Wonderful
We stayed in a bell tent, comfy beds, gorgeous set up, lovely field, quiet at night. The hosts were amazingly hospitable. Excellent morning coffee, Tuesday night pizzas delicious, fire pits excellent. Good Strong clean showers. Would highly recommend.
Relaxed friendly site
Relaxed atmosphere and well maintained. Toilets are a bit challenging (Porto cabins and long drops). Showers very good. Fish & chips on Sunday evening were absolutely perfect.
Fantastic few days
Relaxed site full of like minded campers all friendly and overall a very enjoyable long weekend! Great loos and showers and really enjoyed the pizza, fish and chips, morning coffee and breakfast baps! Heat was overpowering up in thirties so all in all a wonderful break! I highly recommend.
Lovely back to basic campsite.
A very large back to basics site. Nice peaceful setting, very laid back atmosphere, reception very friendly. Great for family’s and groups of friends. Dog friendly, campfires allowed (you can hire a fire pit and buy logs) and a very chilled vibe. This site has plenty of composting toilets that work very well, no smell! Posh wash showers, standpipes and basic washing up facilities. There is a trailer selling coffees and breakfast baps in the mornings. Different food vans arrive in the evenings, we had pizza and fish and chips, both very nice. Definitely a campsite for those that love camping and don’t mind a back to basics site.
Good campsite. Staff friendly.
Loved the little bar and food snack vans. Great for the times you don’t want to cook. A little more choice of drinks would of been better as not everyone drinks ale. Good little social area for people to meet. Nice and spacious, no marked pitches which we prefer. Staff very friendly and happy to help. We will use again.
Hot showers and great location
Very family friendly site with big open spaces between tents for football etc. other than the odd group talking into the night it was relatively quiet too. Showers were great. Not enough water points though as you had to walk a long way. Loos were stinky when we arrived but were cleaned the next morning. The pizza van was not value for money though - £11 for a burnt pizza no bigger than a big footprint!
AMAZING OUT IN NATURE!!!!
We had such a fantastic wknd a little skeptic about the toilet situation at first and worry if the showers were warm enough but what a great experience we all had never needed to queue for toilets and if you wasn’t at the showers dead on opening you could go straight in one and surprisingly really hot. Loved the idea of no allocated pitches just find where suits your family and pitch up. We had three tents so large group and it was just great being able to choose where we got a great spot near the amenities not to close but close enough not to have accidents with the many kids. Well with a great view of what was fantastic sunsets of an evening. The people were great very happy polite and helped us choose our days out for locations which was a great help. The food trucks were a great touch and the coffee truck too. The pizza’s were so tasty we all ended up having one each even the little ones. The hay play section kids loved. The amount of space the kids had to play was super although cara were driving past there was enough space for the kids to not be interrupted with their games and most cars were very aware of the children playing and kept speed down bar a few silly drivers!! Just overall the space and location was perfect we will definitely be coming back to stay the beaches near by were fantastic we had a day out crabbing lovely seafood lunch and Ice creams. Would definitely recommend this place to stay. Thank you so much.
Great Back To Basics Campsite
Had a great time, friendly staff. The site provided basic amenities via compost toilets and ports loos this was fine and showers were great too. The provided logs for £5 a bucket which is a reasonable price. There was also pizzas available on certain days as well as a nice little pop up bar/coffee stall everything you need for an enjoyable relaxing few days away
Fantastic stay!
We have just returned from a 3 night stay at The Old Airfields. We have camped in lots of different sites across the UK but we had our best stay at this site. It was run extremely well and the facilities were great. It was a wonderful touch having the group area serving food and drink and the live band was a lovely addition. The site itself was easy to pitch on, the ground was great and I love being able to choose where you would like to pitch instead of being allocated somewhere. After 11pm the site goes lovely and quiet and the team did a fantastic job in making sure everyone was sensible with noise evens after 11. Fantastic stay and can’t wait to come and do it all again.
Great site, fantastic location
Loved this site. There's plenty of space to camp and room for the kids to play. The toilets & showers were kept clean and I never had to queue, although the showers can get a little busy when they first open up in the afternoon. Having food on site was a real bonus - bacon butties and coffee in the morning, then baked potatoes from Tatty McSpudface in the evening. I highly recommend the Haggis option! Live music was great, the staff were friendly and there was generally a lovely relaxed feel to the site. Obviously, good weather helps for any camping trip but I will definitely be going back for the location, facilities and space.
Perfectly simple.
Me and my son had spent just one night here. Loved the simple set up but with everything you could need. Including campfires to hire, clean toilets and showers. The bonus of a cool pop up bar, fresh pizza and a live band made it an amazing little trip. Good vibes and nice, down to earth people running it too. Want to go back already!
Camping Happiness!
A magnificent campsite on many levels. The site is huge, it wraps around a large wheat field and is bordered by heath and woodland. You can pitch where you like (plenty of space and isolated areas) Being a pop-up site in a beautiful, natural setting added a sense of nostalgia and a camping spirit (often lacking in more commercial set ups) The expansive sunset brings not only the colouring of the sky but the mellow scent of woodsmoke drifting from the many fire pits on the go. The staff were passionate, the atmosphere friendly and casual, add food trailers, a draught beer horse box bar, a fresh coffee truck to the mix and you have all the ingredients for the perfect camping experience!
Beautiful location, exceptional staff
The Old Airfield was a wonderful choice for a break away from the city, a few minutes from the shops but a truly rural experience with wild ponies in the field right next door! Facilities are fantastic for a campsite - showers are like proper showers and composting loos are incredibly clean. There is an excellent air about the staff - relaxed but never unprofessional. The kids were loving the play area, and the coffees & food available on site were great additions. Would recommend and will return!
Clean and eco friendly, lovely and informative staff, close to many amenities.
We had a lovely 3 night break at The Old Airfield with our doggy :) On arrival, the staff were friendly and informative, giving us information on the area and the campsite. We liked that they keep up with recycling to contribute to being environmentally friendly. I've never tried a compost toilet so they were a fun experience!! There are also port-a-loos if you'd prefer... There are hot, powerful showers that only require you to turn on and off! The campsite is close to many beautiful towns and long walks. Our favourite places were Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst which are only a short drive away. To see horses and cows wondering on the side of the roads and running free was beautiful!! Will definitely be returning.
Nice site
Staff really happy and friendly Pizza evening was superb and you didn’t have to wait long and they were great and reasonably priced Kids loved the ice cream van turning up on site. Live music on Saturday night was great and created such a nice atmosphere although wish it had gone on a bit longer. Nice that you could choose your pitch Toilets and facilities were clean Huge area but brought in a nice clientele Great beaches and places close by to visit The only downside - water, toilets and showers were a long walk back and forwards depending where you pitched but otherwise a really nice stay.
Fantastic camp site
I am a regular camper with my dog. My 8 year old nephew Charlie kept saying he wanted to come with us so I booked one night here for a trial trip. What a great spot, back to basics camping with plenty of space, kids and dogs everywhere. Charlie found so many kids to play with. The vans doing hot food and cold drinks were a bonus we knew nothing about previously, and kids all played in a big pile of hay provided. A 10 minute drive to the beach the next morning 🤗. A great trip, we’re coming for 2 nights next time
Great site lots of space
We enjoyed our time at the campsite. It was nice to be able to choose your spot for the tent and the showers were great.
Idyllic!
We had an idyllic 4-night stay over May half term with our kids and dog. We liked the freedom of being able to find our own pitch and ended up in the heart of the flower-scattered field with loads of space around us and a beautiful sunset view. We found the amenities great for a pop up site. The food trucks, beer truck and morning coffees were a fantastic touch. The showers were surprisingly good for being a non-permanent fixture. We didn't ever have to queue for the loos and as long as we didn't turn up for the shower bang on 5pm when they opened for the evening, didn't have to queue there either (we didn't find the shower times inconvenient - they were well advertised and easy to plan around). Beautiful walks straight off the site, and fabulous forest, beaches and pubs nearby too. And we found the staff delightful - super helpful and friendly. All in all, a roaring success and we look forward to returning some day soon.
Not quite what we expected
As pop up sites go it seemed to be free for all and no rules. Where it could’ve been a lovely stay it was ruined by others. Dogs on leads rule didn’t seem to apply, dogs running into our tent going through our food with no owners in sight. In New Forest you can expect ponies to try this (although not on this site as it’s all fenced). Limited shower opening times and just one washing up area didn’t make it the most relaxing stay either. A lot of money for very little.
Great location, needs a bit of tweaking
Really good location, lovely flat field with plenty of space. Easy to get around the New Forest and surrounding locations, would highly recommend Liberty Bird of Prey centre not far away (https://libertysfalconry.com/). Shower cubicle is rally good, as our the toilets. We arrived the weekend they had just opened (28/5/21), and they had some food trucks, plus a beer truck every evening of the weekend. What does need improving is there needs to be toilets doted around the field. It's a big area and the main block is near the entrance. Nothing wrong with the toilet, it's just a walk for little legs (and that middle of the night pee). There are some other portable loos but a couple in each corner of the fields would be a real help. Same could be said for the wash up area, it's over by the showers, and a few standpipes dotted around with a washup area would be great. Final comment would be on the food area, bit of lighting and a bit more hay for the kids to climb on and play with. All of these are minor gripes and we will definitely be back.
A Chilled Stay
This is a large, flat area so plenty of room. Surrounded by the New Forest and therefore great for dog walking and exploring nature. No need to actually drive off of the site if you are so inclined but if you do there is so much to see in the area both inland and by the sea. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the loo’s and showers are clean. This is a basic site and is what camping is all about. We had stunning weather and did not leave our little oasis except to walk the dog - very relaxing.
Great potential - but lacking in basic amenities
Well located campsite to the beach and New Forest. A lovely landscape and flat pitches. However, really lacking in terms of basic amenities - not enough toilets or showers for number of campers. There was nowhere apparent for campers to brush teeth etc (we asked and were told to just find a bush)- and no hot water sinks for washing up. Shower bloc was closed from 8pm and between midday and 5pm adding to this problem. We stayed on the opening weekend so hope there are plans to fix these issues as this could be a brilliant site.
Superb Open Camping
Superb open camping at The Old Airfield. We had a great time and really enjoyed all.
Wood Smoke and Buttercups
Our view was a beautiful meadow full of buttercups and birdsong. In the evenings the nostalgic aroma of wood smoke from countless campfires filled the air as we watched the sun set against myriad peaks and domes of silhouetted canvas. We found The Old Airfield to be full of love for the outdoors, adventure and a return to simpler times. ❤️❤️❤️
Entry level campsite
Large open field with temporary facilities. Fire pits were allowed but the wood cost was expensive for what was provided. Definitely recommend sourcing elsewhere. Showers and toilets clean, but shower availability was limited to small time windows which was inconvenient specially as they closed at 8pm. Washing up facilities very basic. Field was well covered with grass and pitches flat. Few deep holes which made night time toilet trips a little challenging.
Open skies, nature and pizza
The Old Airfield was great, plenty of space to choose from and to play games. Even though it was a bank holiday weekend, it didn't feel at all crowded. There was a food truck the first night, but on Saturday and Sunday there were local beers, pizza and strawberries van, great if you don't fancy cooking! The showers were also excellent. What I would say could be improved are the portaloos and washing up facilities, which were quite basic. However the compostables loos were good and maybe the site could have another set in the furthest field? Would definitely repeat, great location to explore the new forest and local breaches.
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