Travel Information

Abbotsbury Swannery is a unique place to visit in your motorhome or campervan. The only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting Mute Swans. Space in the car park for motor homes with a coffee shop at hand. View their website for more information if you plan a visit.

Abbotsbury Swannery
New Barn Road
Abbotsbury
Nr Weymouth
Dorset
DT3 4JG
England

Telephone: 01305 871858

Bournemouth Aviation Museum has a large selection of aircraft. The museum preserves and displays the aircaft to the gerneral public they also have a few operational aircraft.

Bournemouth Aviation Museum.
Hangar 600,
Bournemouth Airport,
Christchurch,
Dorset.
BH23 6SE
Tel / Fax: 01202-58085

Bournemouth Airport opened as RAF Hurn Airport in 1941 and is situated 5 miles from Bournemouth. During World War II Spitfires, Wellingtons and Typhoons were used at the base until it was put-upon by American Squadrons in 1942.

In the 1950′s and 70′s Bournemouth Airport was extensively involved with aircraft production. Manufacture of the Vickers Viscount aircraft in addition to the BAC 1-11 jet aircraft were conducted at the site.

The airport is also utilised by 3 flying schools and as a facility to train airplane cabin crew for private and commercial airlines.

Nowadays the international airport is employed by Ryanair and other groups for flights to Europe and the United States of America.

Explore the area for your next holiday with Bournemouth Airport motorhome hire.

Bovington Tank Museum has the worlds largest collection of tanks and armoured vehicles in the world. That’s quite an achievement, and with over 300 vehicles to look at there is plenty to do here. The Museum has had a multi-million pound face lift and the collection has been arranged into three main display areas. Follow the tank’s story from its invention in 1915 through the 20th Century – and into the future. 33 of the most important tanks in history are in the new state of the art displays; including the world’s first tank, The Tiger tank and the Challenger 2.The Tank Museum is the museum of the Royal Tank Regiment & Royal Armoured Corps. There are also interactive displays for children to get involved and special events taking place during the year. On June  25th and 26th June 2011 there is a Tankfest with plenty of mobile tanks and action taking place and on November 5th there is a firework extravaganza.  Bovington Tank Museum could well be just the place to visit in your Dorset Campervan hire holiday if the weather suggests that the beach would be a bit chilly! Check the website at Bovington Tank Museum before setting out in your Dorset Campervan Hire to get opening times and admission prices.

The Tank Museum
Bovington
Dorset
BH20 6JG

Tel: 01929 405096

Open from March to September for non members as well as members, this site is surrounded by rolling hills not far from the West Dorset Heritage Coast. When driving to the site, d not take the Monkton Wylde turn-off, instead, follow the brown caravan signs to the Site.  Local fishing is available if you hold a current licence to fish and remembered to bring all your fishing tackle with you! The site has a good shop for all those basics and the market towns of Axminster, Beaminster, Honiton and Bridport are all worth a visit for local shopping and places to eat out.The Jurassic Coast of Dorset, which is now a World Heritage Site, can be found at Charnmouth. Take a trip out to Lyme Regis and see the stone harbour wall, known as the Cobb. Events here include a Jazz Festival, Life Boat Week (both in July) and Carnival Week (August). The whole family may well enjoy a visit to The Wildlife Park at Cricket St Thomas. You may be lucky enough to see baby lemurs or camels. If you are cooking in your Motorhome and want to use local produce, Free-range Wyld Meadow Lamb is available direct from the farm in Monkton Wyld, a couple of minute’s drive from Site, and from the new Site shop. Locally-baked bread is also available in the Site shop. Millers Farm Shop at Kilmington has an extensive range of vegetables and meat. The White House in Charmouth serves outstanding local produce. There are a great many attractions in this area which make Charmouth Camping and Caravanning Club Site a good base for your Dorset Motorhome Hire holiday. For detail of the campsites facilities and booking, click the blue text below.

Charmouth Camping and Caravanning Club Site
Monkton Wyld Farm
Nr Charmouth
Dorset
DT6 6DB
England

Telephone: 01297 32965 (No calls after 8pm please.)

On the Isle of Purbeck, on the A351 Wareham to Swanage Road you can find Corfe Castle Model Village. The site is sloping but not overly steep. It is situated at the start of the world heritage site of the Jurassic coast. This is an attraction that was built in 1966 and is a replica in 1/20th scale of the castle village as it was in 1646. The model village is an attraction from another era and is still interesting to wander around and admire the labour and handiwork that went into its creation. There is something quite quaint and ‘old worldly’ about a visit and afternoon tea taken here. It took two years to build. Many of the houses were built by Jack Phillips, the builder, in the potting shed. The castle itself was built onsite on a specially created mound. The materials used are the materials the actual original buildings would have been built from. There are also Giant Games, fossil corner and a really nice courtyard tearoom. Corfe Castle Model Village is a peaceful place to wander around on a sunny afternoon on your Dorset Motorhome Hire Holiday. Check their website for further information and admission charges.There is limited parking in front of Corfe Castle Model village but another car park nearby at West Street. For setting your SAT NAV put in BH20 5EB, access to this is via the square. There is no information as to whether this car park can receive motorhomes so check it and see.

Corfe Castle Model Village
The Square
Corfe Castle
Dorset
BH20 5EZ
Tel : 01929 481234

Worth a visit if you love Beer. The Brewery Visitor Centre tells the story of Hall & Woodhouse through the ages and offers a unique insight into the workings of a brewery. Parking on the other side of the street. Visit their website for ticket prices and further information.

Hall & Woodhouse Ltd,
The Brewery
Blandford St. Mary
Dorset
DT11 9LS
England

This is a large site set in an old World War Two airfield on the edge of the New Forest. It has a woodland setting with New forest ponies that can often be spotted grazing close to the entrance to the site. If you are lucky you may also spot deer close by.  It is ideally situated for visiting the wonderful beaches at Bournemouth and Christchurch. This  is a large site with 700 pitches and the site opens between14th April to 31st October in 2011. The site has a small shop for essentials and there is also an excellent takeaway service. If you prefer a hot meal at the local pub you will need to travel to Burley which is your nearest village. In the village there are also a number of tearooms. Facilities on the campsite are good with the usual toilets, showers and a launderette. The nearest beach to the campsite is a twenty five minute drive in your Dorset Motorhome Hire to Barton on Sea. The campsite is very well laid out with plenty of space and it has also won a Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award. Booking in advance is always a good idea in the high season and more information can be gained by clicking on the blue text for Holmsley Caravan and Camping Site.

Holmsley Caravan Park and Campsite
Forest Road
Thorney Hill
Bransgore
Christchurch
Dorset
BH23 7EQ
England

Tel: 0845 137 633

If you are travelling around Dorset in a motorhome than you cannot miss a trip to Lulworth Cove.

Lulworth Cove is one of the most beautiful coastal locations in Britain and offers a Natural World Heritage coastline with spectacular scenery and many challenging and relaxing walks. The cove dates back over 10,000 years and the local West Lulworth Heritage Centre acts as a museum for the area with information on display for those wanting to learn more, or buy souvenirs!

Motorboat services are available to take visitors to nearby Durdle Door and Mube Bay or even more views and walks.

Lulworth Cove has even been used as a filming location for Far From The Madding Crowd (1967), Mansfield Park (1999) and Nanny McPhee (2005).

Lulworth Cove
Dorset
England

Dorset is a beautiful area to tour in a motorhome with acres of stunning beach and picturesque landscapes. There are also many historic sites to explore, such as Maiden Castle; one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hill-fort sites in Europe. The area of Maiden Castle amounts to that of 50 football pitches and the settlement dates back over 4000 years. There are plenty of information panels to guide visitors around the site to learn more about its history and significance.

Maiden Castle was even used as one of the filming locations for Far From The Madding Crowd (1967) which starred Terence Stamp and Julie Christie.

Maiden Castle
2 miles south of Dorchester
Just off the A354

Travel in your motorhome or campervan to see rescued monkeys and apes from all over the world. An interesting and enlightening place to visit. Check their website for more information and opening times.

Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre
Longthorns
Wareham
Dorset
BH20 6HH

Telephone: +44 (0) 1929 462537

This is an excellent site to use if you are visiting dorset and want a campsite within easy driving distance of Weymouth, Dorchester, Lulworth and Durdledoor.  There is also a train station within walking distance of the campsite and you can take a train trip into Weymouth if you want to leave the Motorhome behind at the campsite. The campsite has all the usual facilities, clean toilets and hot showers etc that you would expect including a small campsite shop that sells the basics. Located in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it is a perfect base for exploring the locality. Corfe Castle and the tank Museum are very close by. A fish and chip van calls twice a week to the site. There is also a pub close to the campsite that serves meals in the evening if you don’t feel like cooking yourself. This is an exposed country site with one hundred and twenty pitches which is open from the 1st April 2011 to the 9th January 2012. It is a leafy site to stay in, in your Dorset Motorhome Hire on the outskirts of Dorchester.

Moreton Camping and Caravanning Club Site
Station Road
Moreton
Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 8BB

Telephone: 01305 853801(No calls after 8pm please.)

The Royal Signals Museum is the place to visit if you have friends or family connected with this famous army communications team and you want to learn more about its history to present day. Even if you cannot claim a connection with this famous military unit you are bound to find the history of military communication very interesting. From testing your skills at Morse code to admiring the skills of the code breakers there is a great deal to be learnt here. You can even learn about the secret life of a spy working in occupied france. The museum has a special section devoted to spy’s and code breakers. Closer to present day you can also see captured military equipment from the Falklands and the Gulf Campaigns. At the Royal Signals Museum we see how military communications progressed from the use of torches and sunlight, through flags, the Semaphore and the Shutter Telegraph, to Morse Code, the telephone and the wireless. The computer and successful decoding of the enemy’s Enigma and other codes used during World War Two; and beyond impacted greatly on what could be achieved not so long ago. Finally the visitor is brought to the present time with encrypted Satellite Communications and Integrated Battlefield communications. Before you set off on your motorhome hire holiday remember to pack identification for all your family and friends traveling with you. This museum is located on an army camp and visitors going to the museum must provide individual identification. Take with you your passport, drivers licence, credit card to prove your identity. Travel with your Motorhome hire to Blandford Camp which may be reached from the A350, the A354, or the A357, and the Royal Signals Museum is signed from the Blandford ring road.There is an admission fee.
Royal Signals Museum
Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8RH

Tel:01258 482248

Getting wet may not just mean the beach or having a shower. At Splashdown Poole, getting wet takes on a whole new meaning! You can brave the UK’s most exciting water flumes and have a huge adrenalin rush as you try one of the many water related rides. There is something for all ages from Toddler pools to the ‘Screamer’ in which you plunge down a sheer vertical drop into water. The name says it all! To get the best value for money go on a nice warm or hot day if you can as tickets are not cheap. If your family wants thrills and excitement on their Dorset Motorhome Hire holiday, then this is the place for them. For admission prices and opening times click the blue text for Splashdown Poole.

Splashdown Poole
Tower Park
Poole
Dorset
BH12 4NY

Actual fossils, skeletons and life-size reconstructions of Dinosaurs. Take the family to see this museum on part of your motor home tour of Dorset.

The Dinosaur Museum
Icen Way
Dorchester
Dorset
United Kingdom

Telephone:01305 269880

Originally part of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Memorial Cottages, built in 1934 to mark the Centenary of the Martyrs’ conviction. The museum tells the story of the foundation of modern day trade unionism.

Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum
Tolpuddle
Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 7EH

Telephone: +44 (0) 1305 848 237

This is a most convenient site for visiting Bournemouth(15 miles away) and the busy harbour at Poole. Situated in an area Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the edge of The New Forest, this is a lovely site to pitch in but it will require chocks as it is sloping in most parts. If you are approaching from Verwood on B3081 the site is on the right hand side, do not confuse with West Farm site. Travel south a few minutes to Verwood and you can find Andrews Butchers who sell locally sourced meats, they also offer Caravanning and Camping Club members a 10% discount. Stock up here for your summer barbeque! This is a good area for discounts as the Swans pub also offers discounts, this time as much as 20%. The Monmouth Ash pub also serves locally produce. From the site you are within easy driving distance of local attractions such as Wimborne Minster Model Town and Gardens. This is an exact replica of its namesake town in the 1950s. There is also Walford Mill Craft Centre. It has an exhibition gallery that includes craftwork for sale.The Dorset Heavy Horse Centre and Farm Park is a good place to interest those animal lovers among you with plenty of photo opportunities for the family. Your Dorset Campervan hire holiday has a great deal to offer all the family. For more information on this site click the blue text below.

Verwood Camping and Caravanning Club Site
Sutton Hill
Woodlands
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 8NQ

Telephone: 01202 822763 (No calls after 8pm please.)

The Mill Craft Centre shows exhibitions of contemporary crafts and there is a bistro restaurant on the same site.

Walford Mill Craft Centre
Stone Lane
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 1NL

Telephone: 01202 841400

The Weymouth Museum is on the first floor of the Brewers Quay complex. Admission is free of charge.

The collection includes local paintings and prints from the 18th to the 20th century and covers other ranging topics including development of the town as a traditional seaside holiday resort.

Weymouth Museum
Brewers Quay
Hope Square
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 8TR

Telephone (01305) 77762