Here's our pick of campsites in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Long Meadow – Camping New Forest Site

Brockenhurst

Perfectly located in the heart of the New Forest, Long Meadow offers 100 spacious pitches with a choice of electric hook-up, grass and hardstanding. The modern facilities promise clean toilets and hot showers. Situated within walking distance of the quaint village of Brockenhurst, there is direct access to the stunning New Forest with cycle and footpaths connecting you to days of fun exploring the forest. Long Meadow is a short drive away from many popular local attractions including Paultons Park and Beaulieu Motor Museum, along with the coastal towns of Lymington and Milford on Sea. 

Fishery Creek

Hayling Island

Fishery Creek Touring Park is a tranquil oasis that runs parallel to a tidal creek connected to Langstone and Chichester Harbours, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A 10-minute stroll from the site leads you directly to the beach. Amenities on site include The Galleon Cafe Bar and a tidal slipway which is a great place for all sorts of water-based activities..

The park is a mixture of well-drained grassland and shingle pitches in varying sizes. Creek-front and lakeside prime pitches are hugely popular with fantastic views. Every pitch is provided with electric hook-up and easy access to nearby water points.

Find out more: Fishery Creek

Chichester Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Southbourne

Pleasant and welcoming, this marvellous little site boasts a great spot within easy reach of fantastic sandy beaches like West Wittering and Selsey. The historic cathedral city of Chichester and its superb harbour are also close by, along with the shops and restaurants of bustling Portsmouth. Based in a former orchard, Chichester Club Site is sheltered with tree-lined borders and has plenty of conveniences including showers, toilets, laundry facilities and a dishwashing area. 

Find out more: Chichester Club Site

Hill Cottage Farm

Fordingbridge

Award-winning Hill Cottage Farm is immaculately kept with small individual bays offering privacy, while still giving a feeling of size and space. All pitches have hardstandings, water and 16-amp electricity supply. The bonus of this campsite is the games room, with full size snooker table, pool table and darts. There are plenty of walks from the campsite, and the village is nearby with a small supermarket. The campsite is very close to the New Forest. 

Appuldurcombe Gardens

Ventnor

Award-winning, five-star holiday park situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are 40 static caravans which are situated within a secluded walled orchard, which was designed by the famous architect Capability Brown, while the touring, motorhome and camping area is within sheltered grassland with upland views of Stenbury Downs. Here 130 pitches are available on grass or hardstanding, with some fully serviced. There is a tranquil area for relaxing and nature watching. An outdoor heated pool is overlooked by a bar/lounge area. Amenities include a laundrette and children’s play area.

Find out more: Appuldurcombe Gardens

Heathfield Farm Camping Park

Freshwater

The campsite is open and level with easy access to 75 generously spaced and marked pitches, 60 of which have electric hook-up. There is also a limited number of Premier View pitches with great views across the Solent towards Hurst Castle. Trees and hedgerows give shelter to most pitches. There is also a wild flower meadow with lots of space to exercise dogs. The large separate playing field is ideal for all ball games and has two public barbecue areas with picnic tables. The camping park is located just two miles west of Yarmouth Ferry Terminal and one mile north of Freshwater town centre, which has a good selection of shops and eateries.

Find out more: Heathfield Farm

Whitefield Forest Touring Park 

Ryde

Set close to the sandy beaches of Ryde and Sandown, with a bus stop just 100m from the entrance, this campsite is set in the ancient woodland of Whitefield Forest and has pitches for motorhomes, caravans and tents. There are many trails to explore directly from the site, which has been sympathetically developed in conjunction with the Forestry Commission. Wildlife is encouraged and red squirrels are a common sight. Facilities include a smart modern toilet block with wheelchair-accessible facilities and baby-changing, and an outdoor play area. The area is great for walking and cycling.

Find out more: Whitefield Forest

The Orchards

Newbridge

The Orchards is a five-star campsite nestled in the countryside with views of the downs and the Solent shores. In the area are sandy beaches, rugged coastline, and pretty villages to explore. The touring and camping fields are set in five gently sloping paddocks with most pitches enjoying the panoramic countryside views. The pitches are made up of grass or hardstanding, all with hook up electricity. Facilities on the campsite include spacious showers, bathroom, baby change, disabled and laundry. Campsite has a shop, takeaway, indoor and outdoor pools, coffee shop and play area.

Occupying the majority of the southwest corner of Hampshire is the New Forest National Park. Perfect for walkers and cyclists, the forest is full of walking and cycling trails and is home to ponies and a host of wildlife. There are also pretty villages to visit such as Beaulieu, Burley and Lyndhurst. 

Confirmed as a national park in 2009, the stunning South Downs stretches from Winchester and Petersfield in Hampshire, to Eastbourne in East Sussex. The pretty market towns of Petersfield and Alton are worthy of regular visits, with Queen Elizabeth Country Park, near Petersfield, being the location of the highest point of the national park – Butser Hill. It’s 270 metres high, offering panoramic views. 

With a 60-mile-long coastline you can be assured that Hampshire is also a great choice for a beach holiday. Connected to the mainland by a bridge, Hayling Island boasts more than three miles of Blue Flag beaches; a combination of shingle, dunes and long stretches of sand revealed at low tide. The water is shallow, making it excellent for swimming, especially at West Beach, which is considered to be one of the best on the island. Windsurfing was invented here and it remains an excellent destination for watersports enthusiasts.

Home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, Highclere Castle has an interesting history. During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers. It’s famous as setting for Downton Abbey, too. There are over 200 rooms in the castle and extensive gardens to explore.

In the southeast of the New Forest, Beaulieu is home to various attractions including Palace House (one of the first stately homes to open to the public), the spectacular remains of Beaulieu Abbey, plus extensive gardens. It is the wonderful National Motor Museum that is the big pull for most visitors. You can spend an entire day meandering through the history of cars from the earliest days right through to today’s models.

Experience unforgettable views from Portsmouth’s stunning 170m-high, spectacular Spinnaker Tower. Those with a head for heights can cross the glass Sky Walk and see the ground below – and then, perhaps enjoy coffee and cake in The Clouds, 105 metres above the harbour. Historians should head for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to see the HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship, HMS Warrior, Britain’s first iron hulled, armoured battleship, built in 1860, and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s preserved warship that sank, close to Portsmouth.

The historic city of Southampton offers a top shopping destination, the WestQuay centre, and superb art and heritage attractions. In the Old Town you will find the refurbished Tudor House and Garden, and Titanic enthusiasts can follow the Titanic Trail to explore the city’s Titanic related sights. There is also an award-winning art gallery, plus a choice of theatres and other galleries.

Winchester is a cathedral city on the edge of the South Downs National Park and the resting place of Jane Austen. It is well-known for its eleventh century cathedral and for the Great Hall which houses King Arthur’s mysterious Round Table. A short distance from the city is Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium which is ideal for a day out with children.