Church Farm Campsite, Church Knowle, Dorset
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Campsite: |
Church Farm Campsite |
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Location: |
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Suitable for: |
Families or couples |
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Price: |
£15 per night for non-electric grass camping pitch |
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Website: |
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When: |
4 nights in August 2020 |
Here at Piggl we prefer a back to basics campsite with peaceful surroundings and easy access to outdoor activities and excursions. You won’t be able to book Church Farm Campsite on any websites; they don’t even have their own website, but that makes this small, simple campsite even more appealing. We actually had to pick up the phone and call the host Kath to book our pitch!
THE CAMPSITE:
The camping field is located on a working farm in the charming little country village of Church Knowle which is an easy, five-minute drive into the surprisingly popular town of Corfe and a twenty-minute drive to the Dorset coast.
In the summer holidays of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, the campsite was operating as bookings only and had 15 non-electric only camping pitches for campervans, caravans and tents in one field with a slight slope, but enough flat land around the edges to suffice. The campsite also has two Shepherds Huts for hire which have been renovated into idyllic little camping pods with a bed and their own small garden, parking and toilets, fenced off from the rest of the campsite. Host Kath will come and find you on the evening of your arrival to take cash payment from you and have a friendly chat.
FACILITIES:
A converted shed on the edge of the field houses the main campsites bathroom facilities which are split into two rooms; one with a toilet and basin and the second room containing a toilet, single shower enclosure and basin. A 20p donation is requested into the honesty box to over the gas for hot showers. The facilities are basic, but clean and tidy with loo roll, hot water in the shower and regular cleaning. There are also outdoor, covered double washing up sinks and a drinking water tap.
During our visit the campsite was full, but with only 15 pitches it was lovely and quiet day and night. Campers were a mix of couples and families in vans, caravans and tents and over some friendly fire-pit chats we discovered that many were repeat visitors to the campsite as they enjoyed the quiet surroundings and laid-back vibes.
NEARBY:
Church Knowle village is surrounded by the rolling Purbeck Hills with plenty of walking routes. The village itself has some charming stone houses, a small playground and playing field and most importantly The New Inn Pub which is only a two minute walk from the campsite. TIP: We recommend booking your dinner table in advance as this popular pub fills up fast.
The food menu at The New Inn is varied with plenty of fresh fish, portions sizes were generous and overall, the meal was great. The staff were also friendly, welcoming to families and were coping well with the ‘new normal’ of one-way systems and socially distanced table service. They also had a hatch out to the garden for those wanting to order food and drinks to eat in the beer garden.
Within easy reach of the campsite is the popular village of Corfe where the National Trust property, the ruins of Corfe Castle attracts busy crowds and can make driving through and parking somewhat tricky (nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle). We managed to secure a free, one-hour parking bay on the Highstreet and opted to follow a National Trust history walking path around Purbeck Hills looking in on the ruined castle instead of braving the crowds. I would recommend this common history walk to avoid the crowds and to still get a breath-taking view.
If you are a National Trust member then you can take advantage of free members parking at some of the more popular beachside car parks. We visited Studland Bay and donned our wetsuits for swimming and bodyboarding in the sea.
Alternatively, head to the abandoned Tyneham Village when you can park, explore the church and empty stone houses left by Tyneham Villagers in 1943 who had to evacuate as the military wanted to use the area for training. A short one mile walk (about 20 minutes) from the village on a waymarked gravel path leads to Worbarrow Bay - part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The Bay is not overcrowded with visitors and is a wonderful location to swim or to access the coastal path walks.
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE:
No complaints from us as long as you don’t mind a more basic camping life. The close proximity to Corfe Village did make traffic heavy at peak times.
WHAT WE LIKED:
A quiet, friendly and laid-back campsite wonderfully located to access Dorset’s coast and of course, the pub!
FIND THIS CAMPSITE:
ABOUT US:
We have been travelling in campervans for over 15 years, taking in the best that the UK and Europe has to offer. By sharing our adventures, insights, recommendations and reviews we hope to inspire you to explore more!
Take a look at Piggl CAMPERVAN - a uniquely designed, campervan kitchen, bed and bike storage system for VW T5 and T6 Transporters. An industry leading product, available to anyone wanting to undertake their own van conversion – without compromising on function or style.