South coast (1 Viewer)

[ips]

Mid June were off darn sarf for 9 days got nothing booked just gonna go. Probably start dorset then work along sarf coast to cornwall then up west coast. Never been to dorset coast before so any reccomendations of places to go (little quaint harbours would be good) and sites with sea front or cliff top views would be great.
ips

 

[rainbow chasers]

best way to do it - just travel and book in as you get near!

Lots around new forset area - well worth stopping. Biggest is Sandy Balls which is well equipped with leisure facilities, well laid out and fully serviced. Has things like bike hire, internet, leisure centre etc on site.

If you are going Corfe Castle area, you will need to book ahead. There are lots of little ccc sites, which are very popular. Have a drive round some of the bigger ones first - a few we saw were a little undesirable in wareham. Great italian restaurant on the quay in wareham, Serg is fanatastic, food great and staff are all italian too! He has a formidable memory - if you return next year, he will remember your name and what you were talking about - being he is so busy, it never fails to astound me! Whilst you are there £24 will hire a little motor boat to trawl along the river, great on a nice day - pub is quayside too!

Lulworth and durdle door to be checked out too. You can watch tanks around here as well, the ground as seen on top gear amoungst many others. Monkey world is here too, there is a great old chimp here who hates the tank noise- he puts his fingers in his ears as they pass! Also there is the tank museum, Lawrence of Arbias cottage, tolpuddle martyrs etc.

Weymouth harbour nice at night - and great for the most expensive fish and chips in the world. Weymouth is jeckle and hyde town though- old dears and ice cream during the day, stab jackets and inner pockets only at night.

You must take the coast road out of weymouth via chickerell, and through abbotsbury - lovely proper dorset villages. Abbotsbury swannery is just below the steep abbotsbury hill, you get up there! Stop at the top and look at the view - only bit of weymouth i miss! It is nice! Fleet View campsite is on this road, and you can stop overnight without booking - the collector in the morning is pretty 'efficient' but the pitches are fairly ok, close to beach and allow dogs. They will post available pitches on the door when closed - pitch up, hook up and mrs wantyamoneypenny will wake you in the morning!

West bay is nearby, where they filmed that series.....can't remember what it was called - but pretty nice. Then there is Lyme Regis, fossil hunters haven - say hello to Brian Adams' gran while your there! lol!

Thats' dorset ideas for you anyway! lol! :thumb:

 

[madbluemad]

I can reccomend a trip to Monkey World, theres ample parking outside. We really enjoyed our stay in Weymoth and had no trouble at all.

Maybe we were viewed as being a couple of old dears eating ice cream and not worth beating up.

Dawlish Warren is a nice place, some good sea wall/beach walks down to Tiengnmouth, and not far too Torquay although I reckon Torquay has gone dow the nick a bit.

Have a Good Time.

Jim

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[ips]

Thank you both for very informative replys sounds like a nice area i cant wait

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Poole Quay, Tuesday night is Bikers Night up to 2000 bikes, nice and peacefull, no agro, Thursday night is Fireworks Night and Friday is Car Night, lots of specialist cars.

Overnight in the Thistle Hotel Car Park, £4 but pay the car park attendant in the morning.

Poole Quay Boat Haven, loads of yachts and Gin Palaces to drool over and plenty of pubs and restaurants along the Quay, boat trips around the Harbour and Coast.

Peter

 

[weekenders]

Poole Quay, Tuesday night is Bikers Night up to 2000 bikes, nice and peacefull, no agro, Thursday night is Fireworks Night and Friday is Car Night, lots of specialist cars.

Overnight in the Thistle Hotel Car Park, £4 but pay the car park attendant in the morning.

Poole Quay Boat Haven, loads of yachts and Gin Palaces to drool over and plenty of pubs and restaurants along the Quay, boat trips around the Harbour and Coast.

Peter

If you overnight in the Thistlecar park dont do as I did and go in hotel and pay receptionist, she charged me £8 for the night and had to leave in the morning, but ideal for Poole town as within walking distance, we love Poole and Weymouth, oh and dont forget to go to Portland Bill lighthouse, well worth a visit

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[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

Then there is Lyme Regis, fossil hunters haven

...and very busy during holidays, you won't be surprised to hear! Pretty town, which I dropped down into via some pretty steep roads. Be careful if you decide to try and miss the car parks on the way in, and drive into town instead, because

a) the streets can be very narrow (and I drive a Doblo ), and
b) if you follow the parking signs you can end up being sent back to the car parks halfway up the hill...guess how I know that oh: Make sure your clutch is in good working order too*.

Herring gull : tourist ratio.....approx. 2 : 1.

(* - not in Dorset, but if the hill-climbing stresses you out, the donkey sanctuary near Sidmouth is free and soooooo relaxing .)

 

[meanders]

If you park in the car park on the left approaching Lyme there are designated motorhome spaces overlooking the bay and the parking is cheap, and we noticed several car parks in Dorset cater for motorhomes also

 

[weekenders]

Baiter car park in Poole caters for motorhomes and motorhomes with jet ski/boat trailers, it was £6 for all day last year this year it's £8, has slipway to launch boat, nice to just sit there watching nall the boats going into the harbour

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[vwalan]

best have no plans. we travel with the game that says if there is a road between you and the sea ,you are on the wrong road. sometimes it makes for a quickening of the heart. its not always possible and you have to allow a little bit. just done barcelona to santander via gib,and i tell you its a bit scary in a 5er with a mate in a truck as well. have fun theres so many places for you to see enjoy every minute. cheers alan
good at reversing now ,up hill or down dale.

 

[ips]

Many thanks to all who rteplied there are some great ideas there I will print the full post and keep it in van in readiness for our june jollies.
ips

 

[Dalek]

We are staying at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Club in July in our Motorhome, cant wait

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[2bob]

hi try little sea haven ) if you want 2 park over night use rd to littlesea
dave

 

[isitfriday]

we love dorset, kimmeridge bay etc.
we noticed that the car park at the pier end of swanage which is on the hill overlooking the bay does overnight parking but would be only any good for small vans, there are lots of little CL sites that we use around the steam train terminals this enables you to get into swanage without driving.
hope you enjoy it,

 

[Mandaxxx]

Caravan & camping Club has a CL near Abbotsbury an main road, just a farm, no animals anymore-farmer given up but you can walk all over his farm-we saaw Woodpeckers, deer, heard the owls and found where they live-in the old disused farmyard. Very peaceful & cheap!
Dawlish is lovely-black swans, Dawlish Warren you can stay overnight in carpark. Head for the beach and turn off right on small r/about just before Railway bridge (which you will not get under) and head right through car park to outer limits-grass/rough ground/bits of tarmac, it is quite ok, we stayed ther 2 nights last summer and it was good.
Walk under bridge for beach and a good pub with good food.:thumb:

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[wills5138]

We stayed on a little CS a couple of years ago in St Gabriels, Morecombelake.
I think it was part of the NT estate there.
Sloping and nothing but a cold water tap and a very basic CDP but very peaceful and overlooking Golden Cap. Absolutely superb.
Golden Cap could be accessed from the site along with the South West coastal path.
Seatown in one direction, Charmouth in the other.

 

[old-mo]

Caravan & camping Club has a CL near Abbotsbury an main road, just a farm, no animals anymore-farmer given up but you can walk all over his farm-we saaw Woodpeckers, deer, heard the owls and found where they live-in the old disused farmyard. Very peaceful & cheap!
Dawlish is lovely-black swans, Dawlish Warren you can stay overnight in carpark. Head for the beach and turn off right on small r/about just before Railway bridge (which you will not get under) and head right through car park to outer limits-grass/rough ground/bits of tarmac, it is quite ok, we stayed ther 2 nights last summer and it was good.
Walk under bridge for beach and a good pub with good food.:thumb:

Just a word of "Warning" I think the site you have mentioned is just as you go into the little village of Portisham,, The last village BEFORE ABBOTSBURY,,, you are advised not to go past portisham with a large RV,,,, Abbotsbury can become very congested and narrow with a nasty bend that lorry`s and bus`es struggle at some times to get round, also it is the coast road to West Bay and the hill out of Abbotsbury is possibly one of the Steepest Hills in Dorset..

Abbotsbury Hill is about 2 miles in length,, and in old terms it used to be marked/signed gradiant 1 in 4.. "Just a Tip".. :thumb:

 

[Brisey]

A few weeks ago, we stopped at South Lytchett Manor just outside Poole. It is a full facility C&CC listed site, is very clean and tidy, I think we paid about £17 per night. The bus stops right outside the site entrance, our bus passes were accepted and we had day trips to Poole, Weymouth, Swanage and Corfe Castle. Wherever you go have a great time, Dorset is a lovely county.

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[ips]

Wow even more ideas and suggestions, 6 wks and counting :thumb:

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

When in Poole you just gotta try Storm fish restaurant in High Street just off the quay-owner and his mates catch most of the menu themselves.

Mike.

 

[ips]

Well we are now 2 weeks and counting and could do with a stopover around gloucstershire idealy a couple of miles offf the M5. Next to a river would be great but open to offers so any reccomendations ? Caravan Cub cl or private ??

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[geoff1947]

Plymouth

If you get to Plymouth stay at the Riverside site (deals for under 50's see ad in MMM) Give me amail and I'll see if I am there and can give you a free trip off the sights !!

 

[woodyold]

Hi ips, you could try Beacon Hill touring park , just off the A35 between Poole and Wareham ,. nice site with fishing lake etc and just right for touring the Poole / Bournemouth area .:thumb:

 

[ips]

Beacon park looks ideal and cheap too. How far a walk to poole ?

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[davvidof]

West Bay

http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/pdf/j/6/West_Bay_West_Bext_parking_leaf_-_web.pdf

 

[Dalek]

We have just come home after a weekend in Weymouth, staying at the Sailing Academy. £12 a night, with EHU and water, also emptying point for toilet. Not sure if you have to be attending a sailing event to be able to stay. Going to Lymington this coming weekend but slumming it in a hotel .