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The Inside Park
Down House Estate, Blandford Forum DT11 9AD England
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About
4.5
#3 of 7 campsites in Blandford ForumLocation
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to VisitEngland.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family
Property amenities
Free parking
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Convenience store
Self-serve laundry
Location
Down House Estate, Blandford Forum DT11 9AD England
Getting there
67 Restaurants
within 5 miles
127Reviews1Q+A11Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
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Learn more about our review moderation.
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Detailed Reviews
What can I say, this place is fab. The Kids love it and we love it. I don't know what the previous reviewers are moaning about.... of course there are lots of children its the middle of the school holidays!! Yes, the kids can be a bit noisy in the evening, but the games room by the reception is closed due to Covid which means they have no where else to go. I love the fact my children play man hunt (hide and seek) in the woods in the evening with all the other children. Kids being kids and not at in front of the TV for a change! Marvellous
The play area is closed by the on site manager just before sundown and walks around the site around 11pm to make sure people are keeping noise to a minimum (What more can you ask??) The management is friendly, always welcoming and will always help if you need assistance.
The site itself is well maintained, clean and tidy. The washing up area has just been renovated and looks lovely and bright. The washrooms are clean, they do get a bit muddy especially when is been pouring with rain , but there is not much you can do about mud, it is camping after all not a 5 star hotel lol
The shop has all the essentials.The pitches and of a good size and plenty of room to move about, you can set up your tent or caravan as you wish your pitch not restricted or regimented which is great.
We usually travel here as a family but have had friends join us in the past, I love the fact you are able to request a specific area in the park, we like to be in the dog free area next to the play area, handy to keep an eye in the kids. If you want peace and quiet there is a wooded area which is at the opposite area of the play park (We like this area when we go camping without the kids! Haha
Overall the campsite is great and would recommend to anyone, please ignore the moaners!
The play area is closed by the on site manager just before sundown and walks around the site around 11pm to make sure people are keeping noise to a minimum (What more can you ask??) The management is friendly, always welcoming and will always help if you need assistance.
The site itself is well maintained, clean and tidy. The washing up area has just been renovated and looks lovely and bright. The washrooms are clean, they do get a bit muddy especially when is been pouring with rain , but there is not much you can do about mud, it is camping after all not a 5 star hotel lol
The shop has all the essentials.The pitches and of a good size and plenty of room to move about, you can set up your tent or caravan as you wish your pitch not restricted or regimented which is great.
We usually travel here as a family but have had friends join us in the past, I love the fact you are able to request a specific area in the park, we like to be in the dog free area next to the play area, handy to keep an eye in the kids. If you want peace and quiet there is a wooded area which is at the opposite area of the play park (We like this area when we go camping without the kids! Haha
Overall the campsite is great and would recommend to anyone, please ignore the moaners!
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautifully clean. Excellent toilet and wash up area. Amazing playground for older children. Great bike rides through the woods. (we managed the easier routes) reception gave us a map of the routes on arrival. Pitches are very spacious and on booking you could ask for the main field area or there are several snug areas that are more secluded.
Well stocked shop which is not over priced like many sites.
Good quality food Van's serve takeaways 3 nights a week. We tried the pizza and fish n chips. Both very good!!
Distancing rules in place in the toilet block, reception/shop and wash up area. Anti bac available on the door.
We did notice on our last visit that the anti bac on the playground had disappeared. We thought it was a great idea though. Lovely dog friendly site with woodland walks a plenty. We have had several visits and we keep returning.
ps dont expect to get any phone signal! However there is a hotspot near reception.
Well stocked shop which is not over priced like many sites.
Good quality food Van's serve takeaways 3 nights a week. We tried the pizza and fish n chips. Both very good!!
Distancing rules in place in the toilet block, reception/shop and wash up area. Anti bac available on the door.
We did notice on our last visit that the anti bac on the playground had disappeared. We thought it was a great idea though. Lovely dog friendly site with woodland walks a plenty. We have had several visits and we keep returning.
ps dont expect to get any phone signal! However there is a hotspot near reception.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here a couple of nights recently in our camper. We were on pitch 10 which was a grass pitch with electric. Bins & water taps nearby, mostly gravel paths once you’re past the reception / toilet / showers area. Pitches are not all level however unless you’re right in the middle of the dip as it is a bit like a ‘U’ shape with one side steeper than the other (needed wheel ramps for our van). Very large kids play area, good for small ones and medium ones! Football pitch with goals (although on the hill) and great access to walking and cycling trails front directly from the site. The cycle track is quite tough for little ones and hilly with lots of tree roots but my 6 yr old loved it nonetheless. Sheep, peacocks & lamas can be seen in the adjoining farm. Toilets/showers were clean & well maintained. Toilet waste station also near reception. Little shop selling the essential food & camping options although hours are limited (9am - 1pm & 3pm -5pm). Free WiFi around the courtyard by the shop & toilet entrance. Pretty quiet at night and most were quiet by 11pm. Well lit at night on the paths which is useful for night trips to the toilets. Overall a good family campsite.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This site has, as you will see gained many good reviews and, on that basis, we looked forward to staying there.
However – we found the reviews to be a million miles away from our expectations. The shop is good, and the site is pretty, the grounds and woodlands are excellent but that said, we have been to over 40 sites and nowhere has been quite as noisy and unmanaged as this.
But then perhaps this site would suite you in which case the following could be great selling points….
• There are no pitch boundaries to worry about (much like a scene at Glastonbury Festival)
• You can come in groups of 2, 3 or even 4 caravans and/or tents positioned as you please
• Your children are free to compete for who can shout or cry the loudest
• You and your children can ride bikes all over the place especially over awning and tent guy lines and are free to ride into other people cars and caravans
• Play ball games are allowed anywhere you can find a space
• You can bring big speakers so you can play loud music until 11:00 and then talk, shout and sing until much later
• You don’t need to worry about keeping the showers and toilets clean as the site doesn’t either and there is just one convenient place to empty your chemical toilet at the entrance
• If you are someone who doesn’t get on with your neighbours, then don’t worry - you don’t need to show any respect for anyone else on site or give any consideration to how much noise you or your children make
• If you are a conservationist you will very much appreciate the efforts the site owner has gone to, to ensure water conservation. The shower pressure has been reduced to a level that struggles to wash the soap off you let alone the dirt off the floor
• The owner has also cleverly combined the supply of waste water and drinking water with grey water emptying point - so you can splash bacteria filled grey water all over the drinking water tap (smart move in these covid times)
I could go on – but essentially, I am saying don’t come here for peace and quiet.
But if all the above is for your then this place will be perfect.
However – we found the reviews to be a million miles away from our expectations. The shop is good, and the site is pretty, the grounds and woodlands are excellent but that said, we have been to over 40 sites and nowhere has been quite as noisy and unmanaged as this.
But then perhaps this site would suite you in which case the following could be great selling points….
• There are no pitch boundaries to worry about (much like a scene at Glastonbury Festival)
• You can come in groups of 2, 3 or even 4 caravans and/or tents positioned as you please
• Your children are free to compete for who can shout or cry the loudest
• You and your children can ride bikes all over the place especially over awning and tent guy lines and are free to ride into other people cars and caravans
• Play ball games are allowed anywhere you can find a space
• You can bring big speakers so you can play loud music until 11:00 and then talk, shout and sing until much later
• You don’t need to worry about keeping the showers and toilets clean as the site doesn’t either and there is just one convenient place to empty your chemical toilet at the entrance
• If you are someone who doesn’t get on with your neighbours, then don’t worry - you don’t need to show any respect for anyone else on site or give any consideration to how much noise you or your children make
• If you are a conservationist you will very much appreciate the efforts the site owner has gone to, to ensure water conservation. The shower pressure has been reduced to a level that struggles to wash the soap off you let alone the dirt off the floor
• The owner has also cleverly combined the supply of waste water and drinking water with grey water emptying point - so you can splash bacteria filled grey water all over the drinking water tap (smart move in these covid times)
I could go on – but essentially, I am saying don’t come here for peace and quiet.
But if all the above is for your then this place will be perfect.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Richard Cooper, Owner at The Inside Park
Responded 28 Aug 2020
#This is a combined response to several recent negative reviews# We are sad and at the same time cross the families have been so hugely disappointed by their visits to our Park. With the extra Covid measures in place, everyone arriving is asked to take responsibility for their safety and behaviour, particularly of their children and supervision is key. Unfortunately this is not always happening and despite repeated reminders it is impossible to police parents and children 24/7 The washrooms are cleaned twice daily but 200 to 300 people in wellies do make a mess so inevitably there are times between cleans the floors get dirty - we get that. We care very much about the standard of our service, and obviously disappointed anyone leaves here considering our management to be poor as all our staff do work extremely hard to hopefully provide the good experience our customers both expect and deserve.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed at the Inside Park Blandford Forum has scrupulously clean showers and toilet. The small park is very well maintained and efficiently run. Located in a rural setting quiet and tranquil. A very interesting play park for the children with play equipment not found in the usual play parks. Lovely walks straight out of the park. No on site restaurant but fast food deliveries from Blandford Forum. A very efficient caravan storage with a service if required for taking out and returning the caravan to storage very reasonably priced.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Cleanliness
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was a really super site, especially for our family camping trips. We camped here last year and were very pleased to be back again this year. It is absolutely perfect for our two girls (2 years old and 3 years old). The play park is close and great for all ages. The facilities are very usable with nice big spaces which is helpful with children. The washing up facilities are good and it’s nice that they’re indoors with lighting. They have managed social distancing well and the staff are friendly and helpful. The shop came in very handy for ice lollies during the hot weather we had during our stay. This year we took advantage of one of the walking routes and enjoyed seeing the alpacas. This year, we have paid more than this site charges on other sites and got so much less on those other sites. It is definitely the one which we will return to again and again.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Been going to the Inside Park for many years, great site, pitches are large and the staff are friendly and helpful. It can be a bit noisy in the children’s holidays with children playing, but you get that anywhere. You can see from year to year that they are always making improvements around the park.
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Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great campsite, clean toilets & showers, brilliant playground. Each pitch had plenty of room, picnic benches were welcomed. Park is locked at 9pm, children did then continue to play until just after 10pm but not excessively noisy. There is a wooded walk around the site also suitable for mountain bikes but there is little else to do within easy walking distance of the site.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Booked to stay here for 2 nights at the end of July, the children were having such a good time they begged me to add an extra night. The manager was great in sorting this.
Lovely pitch (118 I think) at the top of the hill overlooking the park, lovely big pitch. Picnic benches to utilise.
Hand sanitiser all over the site.
The park was ace for all the children, lots of bits of the site to explore.
We went to the neighbouring village and found a lovely spot by the river.
Visited many sites over the years but children and I agreed we loved it here!
Lovely pitch (118 I think) at the top of the hill overlooking the park, lovely big pitch. Picnic benches to utilise.
Hand sanitiser all over the site.
The park was ace for all the children, lots of bits of the site to explore.
We went to the neighbouring village and found a lovely spot by the river.
Visited many sites over the years but children and I agreed we loved it here!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is the 6th year of our regular stays at The Inside Park. Always very clean and well kept. The pitches are very well spaced, although a degree of caravan levelling side to side is often needed, as well as front to back. We are usually here as a family group: our 3 caravans; all stored on site; we utilise the tow in/back service. Our grandchildren have always loved coming here; although the older ones (now 15) have grown out of the excellent children's playground facilities. Football is also their thing, but the pitch is on quite a slope. The town is about 3 miles away, walkable, but cycling or the car is the preferred option if needing more provisions than the onsite shop has in store.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
no they do not
"Use Google maps to find the Park Sat Navs can take you to the wrong side of the estate"Read full review
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandDorsetBlandford Forum
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Claim Your ListingTHE INSIDE PARK - Updated 2024 Reviews & Photos
Frequently Asked Questions about The Inside Park
Which popular attractions are close to The Inside Park?
Nearby attractions include Royal Signals Museum (3.6 miles), Gorcombe Extreme Sports (1.3 miles), and Blandford Fashion Museum (1.5 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at The Inside Park?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free parking, kids activities, and self serve laundry.
What are some restaurants close to The Inside Park?
Conveniently located restaurants include The White Horse Inn, Yellow Bicycle Cafe and Deli, and The Cricketers.
Are pets allowed at The Inside Park?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to The Inside Park?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Milton Abbey (4.3 miles).
Is The Inside Park accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.