Details
Facilities
Toilets, showers (on a prepaid card system) and washing-up facilities all onsite. BBQs and campfires permitted but must be raised well off the grass (there are firepits for hire on a first-come-first-served bases; £5 for the duration of your stay). Logs for sale. Bell tents feature a double and two single beds (top sheet only, bring bedding), carpets and rugs, storage cabinet, mirror, mini fridge and recharging point for mobile devices. Outside, each bell tent has a firepit and BBQ and a double-ring gas stove is provided, along with four sets of cutlery, crockery and a washing-up bowl.
Suitable For
Glampers, campers, tents, campervans, motorhomes, caravans and dogs (on leads) – yes. Groups – by prior arrangement only.
Would guests be aware that for health and hygiene reasons under no circumstances are any pets allowed in our Bell Tents for whatever reason.
Whereas we are happy to accept pets would guests please make suitable arrangements for their pets for the duration of their stay with us.
Nearby
In 1789 King George III took a spontaneous skinny dip in Weymouth (10 miles) prompting the start of a classic English seaside resort. Today, the town remains popular with visitors enticed by a golden beach and revitalised harbour. Also on the to-do list: the Sea Life Tower (0871 423 2110) and for all you adrenaline junkies, take a high-speed ride around the bay with Weymouth White Water (01789 989 2317). Thorncombe Farm is only a 10-minute drive from the market town of Dorchester. Home to an eclectic mix of museums including: The Teddy Bear Museum (01305 266040), The Dinosaur Museum (01305 269880) and the fascinating Tutankhamun Exhibition (01305 269571). The son of a stonemason, Thomas Hardy was born near Dorchester in 1840 and became a local architect. After the success of his fourth novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, Hardy was able give up the architect game and concentrate on his writing. Nearby towns are recognisable in his novels, although given different names: Dorchester became Casterbridge, Lulworth became Lulstead, Tolpuddle became Tolchurch and Sherborne became Sherton Abbas. A life-size statue of Hardy stands in The Grove.
Food & Drink
Thorncombe Farm has a supply of meat cuts, mince, burgers and free range eggs (duck and chicken) for sale. Dochester, Puddletown and Bockhampton offer many different pubs, cafés and restaurants that cater for all tastes. Yalbury Cottage (01305 262382) produce creative yet classical French dishes using only the finest seasonal British fish, meat, vegetables and dairy products. The Wise Man Public House (01305 261970) is a 400 year old thatched pub in a quiet village. The food, presentation and service are all excellent, and dogs are welcome too. The Blue Vinny Public House (01305 848228) has a warm, friendly country ambience with a cool, airy modern interior. The food is home cooked and, where possible, the ingredients are seasonal and sourced locally from friends or trusted specialist suppliers.
Open
Easter–October.
Reviews
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Rated ★★★★★ over 44 reviews
★★★★★
Lovely campsite - Highly recommend
Everything you could need from a basic site - Toilets & Showers always clean and well attended. Some sloping pitches to be avoided. Helpful owners - Make sure you try the goat meat.
★★★★★
Lovely campsite
This was a great place to camp, clean fields (nice level sections too!). Owners were friendly and welcoming, the facilities were kept very clean. Fabulous views, great location, close the sea - what more do you need?. We will come back again! Thank you.
★★★★★
Hospitable,welcoming and a beautiful site
We received a friendly welcome and an unexpected bonus of being loaned a single air bed when our two double ones wouldn’t fit in our tent. The site was clean and well run and the view was lovely. Book a fire pit as these are well maintained and make a great focal point to any camping trip. There was lots of space and the site was really peaceful. We hope to be back again. Thank you.
★★★★★
Excellent
Beautifully located on this idilic working farm. Beautiful views. Very clean facilities. Perfectly located to many beaches and beautiful villages. The freshest eggs available everyday. Many bbq with thorncombes delicious meat. Kids absolutely loved the goats. Can’t wait to come back again. Next time trying the Bell tents. The owners were so warm and welcoming.
★☆☆☆☆
Awful experience
We never made it to Thorncombe farm. When the owner was unexpectedly rude and abusive on the phone after I had rung for advice, I had no choice but to cancel our trip for August 2021. Myself, my husband and 3 children are devastated. It was our first ever glamping trip and our only holiday we had managed to book this year. We booked for us and our dog to stay in one of the bell tents. The cool camping website said that dogs are welcome and are to be kept on a lead on the grounds. Sounded perfectly reasonable to me. That was the only mention of a dog-policy. When it came to booking the bell tent, the option of paying an extra price for our dog came up - we added it and paid up for the whole thing. Once booked 2 confirmation emails came through. One from Cool Camping, the other from the owners at Thorncombe Farm. Both emails clearly confirmed all the details above. Both emails reiterated the dog-on-lead policy. All good on our end. We therefore thought that our dog would be with us in the bell tent, in her cage at night. There had been no reason to think otherwise at this point. On the 4th August I happened to be on the Thorncombe Farm website. As I read through it, in the middle of a vast amount of text, I came across a sentence saying that dogs were not allowed in the bell tents at all. A complete surprise and I was of course therefore worried about our booking. So I rang the owner for 2 reasons. Firstly to highlight that they need to add this policy to the booking website and to their own confirmation emails - to avoid confusion in the future. Secondly, to ask for his guidance on what our options were for our dog. What do other people do with their dog at night? We have never been camping before and so needed a bit of advice. I barely got a word in during the whole phone call. Just shouting, ranting and abusive behaviour. I was left shaking and crying. I had no choice but to cancel - when all I had rung for was guidance and advice.
★★★★★
Ideal site, facilities and location.
Ticks all the boxes. Bell tents very comfortable and the addition of a fridge, the awning and picnic table are welcome additions. Nice view from site, kids loved stroking the goats, clean facilities, no extras to use showers. Ideally located for exploring local sites and coast.
★★★★★
Nice little camping site
All you need and in easy reach of Dorchester, will use again 👍
★★★★★
Awesome campsite
This was the second time we have stayed here in the bell tents and can't recommend it enough. Great, clean facilities and the perfect size and location for a campsite. The bell tents are brilliant and we stayed warm and dry even in a thunderstorm! Our kids had a brilliant time playing in the field, we will definitely come back.
★★★★★
Sweet and simple
Sweet and simple campsite, we did Not even mind stag party over weekend. Our highlight is the goats, one of them loved being pet and "chatting to my husband", we called him/her ' GILL THE GOAT ' 🐐 . Very clean toilets and hot showers, even better if they were in the middle instead of the entrance or more of them for easier access but no issues at all.
★★★★★
Wonderful
So friendly and a very peaceful site, a great camping experience, thank you
★★★★★
Peaceful and relaxed week
Hosts are friendly and welcoming and that includes the gorgeous goats. We had the luxury of having the glamping field to ourselves most of the week. Clean and warm showers and plenty of toilets. Remember pots and pans if you are planning on cooking. The meat and eggs from the farm are definitely worth the effort. Will be booking again I'm sure.
★★★★★
Gloriously peaceful
This lovely place is exactly as described - simple, quiet, spacious, rural with basic but immaculate facilities, huge open fields to camp in and loads of space for madly energetic kids and dog run about in. There were only 5 other families there the weekend we stayed in July. The perfect antidote to busy, pimped-up campsites. We will. definitely go back. And the goats were SO cute and delicious 😉
★★★★★
Perfect
This is an amazing place to camp; quiet, spacious and extremely friendly. The campsite is very close to some local pubs and only a 20-30 min drive to Durdle Door and an extra 5-10 min drive to Lulworth cove - both beautiful places. We highly recommend this campsite to anyone who is wanting to visit this area
★★★★☆
Pretty spot for family escape
We stayed here on a trip with two families and it was an ideal place to relax and play. Plenty of space for the kids to run around, and nice clean, simple facilities. The kids were very taken with the cute goats. The only complaint was that we did have tractors driving through our field late at night collecting hay on one of the nights, but I think that was just bad luck. Friendly hosts and a very sweet campsite.
★★★★★
Warm, friendly and accommodating
This is a perfect place to take children. Everyone here are kind and happy to answer the questions of a 4 and 8 year old ref the goats! Clean and tidy and quiet, nothing was too much trouble Thanks so much :)
★★★★★
Fantastic Family Get Away
If you are looking for a camping experience among farm animals, in a field where you can feel 'miles away' yet still be 5 minutes from the convenience of a city (Dorchester has much to offer for visitors, especially children), Thorcombe Farm is an excellent choice. The host is relaxed and friendly; the amenities are clean and modern and depending on where you decide the pitch up (the Glamping is right next to the toilets and showers), the furtherest you need to walk in 5 minutes (with little legs) and nothing, including the dish washing facilities which are all covid friendly 'pockets', ever felt 'busy'. We really enjoyed our stay - the children didn't want to leave. And when asked if our 8 year old preferred the last site with a playground, he answered, "I'd rather run around in circles here with a ball and see the goats". There is a chill, calm atmosphere and if you linger near the gates at twilight you might even see a bat or two! Highly recommend! If you ask, there are also burgers, sausages and eggs available on site - what else could you ask for? The only thing we will do differently next time is hire a fire pit to complete the experience.
★★★★★
Chilled out and not crowded
Absolutely loved our stay. Owner super fr, as well as the goats😊 clean facilities and no unnecessary extras. Totally recommended. We stayed as a family of 4 plus doggy.
★★★★★
Wonderful campsite with great facilities
Turned up in the pouring rain to a friendly welcome lifting our spirits! Campsite is lovely, very clean facilities and great location next to Puddletown forest. We enjoyed watching the goats play in the morning - great fun! We stayed in our own tent but the bell tents and gazebos outside them looked well equipped and spacious. Will definitely stay again, come rain or shine!
★★★★☆
lovely location
Brilliant location with lots of beautiful walks on the doorstep. Spacious field with decent facilities. Would visit again.
★★★★★
Very relaxed couple of days
A lovely quiet (apart from the goats which caused much hilarity!) site, plenty of space and privacy, and not too far from the coast. We all had a very enjoyable time.
★★★★★
Relaxed, quiet, friendly
Would highly recommend this relaxed, quiet campsite. Ness was really friendly, and the goats were highly entertaining. Will definitely return if visiting Dorset again, as it's only a short drive from the Jurassic coast.
★★★★★
Nice site open late in the year
It’s good that they open later in the year than many sites. Our pitch was spacious and sheltered from the wind. All the tents were in a fairly small field, but there weren’t many of us so it didn’t feel cramped. No views over rolling countryside, but the goats in the next field are friendly. The showers and toilets are in portacabins, and we found them to be very clean and more robust than in other campsites we visited this year. We were not charged for showers, which at this time of year could be a little bit hotter. The location is good, but the local pubs are a bit too far to walk to. We tended to have an early pub supper then come back to the wonderful fire pits and red wine. The owner was welcoming and helpful. Overall recommended for a peaceful, comfortable stay.
★★★★★
Peace and relaxation
Stayed here for a fri and sat night - lovely, peaceful campsite with all the facilities you will need, friendly owner, attractive setting and with enough nearby to keep everyone happy. Would definitely return
★★★★☆
Rustic comfort
A good base for doing lots of things in Dorset. We stayed in one of the bell tents which was brand new this year (2020) and it was immaculate. Comfy beds, decent size fridge, plug sockets and charging points, canvas storage shelves with plates and cutlery. Then outside a gazebo with picnic bench, cooking facilities and a fire pit/bbq. The field was very well kept and the toilets and showers were nearby. They weren't amazing, but they were perfectly adequate. A 5 minute drive to nearest supermarket meant eating in was easy, but only a 20 minute drive to Weymouth Harbour if you fancy fish and chips. The kids loved feeding the goats. A really great few days. Highly recommend.
★★★★☆
Great location and set up
We spent a couple of nights at Thorncombe. The goats were the main feature for our kids, watching them being fed and being able to pet them. Showers and toilets all good. We camped in the 1st field giving us space for the kids to play cricket and run around with the other kids. The location was great to access Weymouth Beach, Lyme Regis and Lulworth Cove. Such beautiful scenery. The best bit - the amazing lamb / goat burgers and sausages which you could buy onsite to cook on the open fire pits. Thoroughly recommened. Friendly and welcoming run farm.
★★★★★
Brilliant stay- a very accomodating place
We booked a large group party here for the weekend just gone. The owners were very friendly and accomodating from the start. Nothing seemed a hassle at all. The toilets were kept clean and tidy, along with the washing up station and showers. The washing up station was equipped with sponges and cloths, along with washing up liquid etc. The campsite displayed Co-vid posters and had hand sanitiser outside every facility. The campsite also offer the opportunity to purchase some goat meat. The bell tents looked lovely and cozy inside. A lovely, quiet and relaxing place which was very clean and friendly, would definitely reccommend and hopefully stay again :)
★★★★★
Fun was had by all
What a great campsite, with beautiful views and excellent owners. We wanted to get away for a few days and this was perfect. Campsite really well spread out and the kids made loads of friends and played sport until it was dark. Great meat from their farm shop too. Definitely revisiting this beautiful place again.
★★★★★
Basic camping
spent 3 nights at Thornecombe Farm. We had mixed weather but was rather nice listening to the forest trees blowing in the wind. Lovely big fireplace for hire, basic toilet and showers, lots of space to pitch and park. Friendly hosts, lots of wildlife with the resident sheep, goats, chickens and ducks. Also many visiting pheasants and gold finches.
★★★★★
A lovely quiet campsite
The campsite has 2 fields - one with bell tents for hire and the other a large grass field. Owners very welcoming. Sheep and goats on site. Handy for Dorchester and West Bay/Bridport and near other Dorset attractions. Showers and toilets a bit cramped but clean and social distancing easy if you plan ahead. The meat and eggs for sale were delicious!
★★★★☆
Relaxing with a great fire pit
Had a lovely if a little wet weekend at thornecombe. Site wasn’t too busy and had a friendly vibe. Liked the fire pits that were off the ground and had a grill. Had a great walk In the surrounding woods. Toilets were kept clean and had soap, sanitiser and tissues all the time. Toilets were tiny though and I never had hot water in the showers or to wash the dishes. There is only one sink for everyone to use To clean dishes so you need to keep an eye on fellow Campers to time this well and not get stuck in a queue.
★★★★★
Great location and facilities and a wonderful host
We loved our short stay at the farm. Ness was very friendly and welcoming. We loved our pitch in the second field with our own fire pit. It's only a short drive from Dorchester and easy to access all the wonders Dorset has to offer. The facilities were always clean and well stocked, the showers (only 50p!) were warm with loads of time. Washing up area as well stocked as well. We'll definitely be back! Thanks Ness and family!
★★★★★
Very peaceful camping trip with a lovely atmosphere.
Liked the location on the farm with the forest in the background. Cool goats as well.
★★★★☆
Lovely campsite- facilities let it down
We went away as four adults and two children, the children absolutely loved it as there were plenty of children to play with and they loved watching the goats, it was very big and spacious pitches and the owners were very friendly and helpful, I would say the only thing that let the campsite down was the facilities, the showers and toilets are filled with bugs and the toilet cubicles are quite cramped but they are kept clean as we saw the owners cleaning them regularly throughout the day! Overall we all had a lovely holiday.
★★★★★
Family friendly farm camping
Clean facilities with plenty of hand sanitizer. Very friendly and helpful owners. Great place for sightseeing Dorset, walking or just for relaxing.
★★★★☆
Relaxing Camping Experience
Our stay at Thorncombe Farm was really enjoyable. We were happy that people kept to social distancing and that there was lots of hand sanitizer provided. There are goats on the farm and you can rent fire pits. No views over the hills or sea, but you are in the nature and a short drive from lots of beautiful sites on the Dorset coast. We especially enjoyed visiting Abbotsbury.
★★★★★
Lovely farm campsite
We stayed a couple nights and really enjoyed our stay. Very friendly owners and great entertainment watching the goats, sheep, deer, buzzards and kites. Showers on a card system with plenty of hot water and time. Good washing up and recycling facilities. Booked our fireplace in advance and enjoyed the farm produce. Walked to The Wise Man for dinner one night. Loved our camping experience at Thorncombe Farm and looking forward to going back soon.
★★★★★
Peaceful few days
Lovely farm site only a couple of miles from Dorchester. Received a warm welcome from the owner and advice on where to pitch. A bit of road noise but we had read about that on previous reviews. Showers are by a 50p token purchased on arrival, plenty of hot water and a generous amount of time to shower so not a problem. Facilities always nice and clean with sanitaser provided. Nice little washing up area and recycling space . Everyone adhered to social distancing and pitches were nice and big. We had a lovely peaceful couple of days and would certainly return.
★★★★☆
Lovely location but basic facilities
We enjoyed our camping trip here, owners were helpful, and the location is pretty with lovely walks in the nearby woods. Lots of space between pitches and being allowed campfires was also really appreciated. However the toilets were in a non-permanent cabin and were rather smelly and cramped, and the showers were also very basic and had a lot of insects in them! Would recommend as long as you don't require any fancy or spacious facilities!
★★★★★
Great Campsite near Dorchester
A great campsite near Dorchester. I spent the weekend here camping and mountain biking, there is a great selection of trials nearby in a forestry commission wood. The facilities are well maintained, and there is meat and eggs available from the farmer who runs the site. Would definitely go again, and would heartedly recommend.
★★★★★
Peaceful, Friendly and Clean
Two of us stayed for the weekend and it's a lovely place and very peaceful. Plenty of space between pitches so it feels very safe. Facilities were clean and in good shape, and well stocked with hand sanitiser. I would recommend booking the fire pit in advance (call or email) if you would like to have a fire as these seem to go very quickly. The site has nice areas around for walking, and isn't too far from popular seaside locations too. Would certainly recommend to anybody looking for a quiet break!
★★★★★
Great site
We came for two nights camping and had a great time. The facilities were very clean, there was always plenty of hand sanitizer and soap, and there was tons of space between each pitch. It felt totally covid safe and you could even forget about the pandemic. We went for a long walk through the nearby woods and it was beautiful. The site is very chilled and quiet, there were groups of friends, family, and couples and everyone was respectful of each other. We also had some sausages and eggs from the farm, which were delicious! The hosts were very friendly and welcoming. The only thing I'd add is that the website says you can't reserve fire pits in advance but you can, and all had been reserved before we arrived, so I'd email the farm to reserve one next time. I really can't recommend Thorncombe Farm enough.
★★★★★
Lovely little campsite and wonderful hosts
My wife, dog and I stayed at Thornecombe Farm for six nights in July 2020. We had a lovely break away; the campsite was very clean and tidy, the hosts were very accommodating, the produce we bought from the farm was lovely on the BBQ and there was plenty of local activities to fill our days. We Would definitely recommend this campsite for anyone who wants to escape the rat race and have some relaxing stress free time away. We have already booked a return stay for August.
★★★★★
Thorncombe
We stayed there for night on our cycling trip through South England. It was so wonderfully peacefully. The goatees where lovely and made notice we never heard of them before. It was so great watching them playing like children do.
Thanks for the option to be there.
★★★★★
Peaceful, perfect
Just had a wonderful couple of days at Throncombe, it was so peaceful there. Although only a few other camping so that helped. Loads of space, lovely flat field for the van. We just lounged around most of the time & spent time playing with goats & horses :) We even witnessed the birth of some newborn kidds. I would highly recommend Thorncombe for a peaceful get away. The owners were lovely. We'll definitely be back. We took bikes & cycled around the countryside, we didnt venture into the woods but that's for our next trip.
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