Hoburne Bashley holiday park review: a peaceful woodland getaway in the New Forest

Our verdict

At the end of a long tree-lined drive within a large wooded estate deep in the beautiful New Forest, Hoburne Bashley holiday park is perfect for families looking to kick back, relax and enjoy a slower pace of life. From the relaxing indoor pool (no crazy flumes or slides here) to a calming game of golf on the site’s nine-hole course, this site is one of the best UK holiday parks for a relaxing stay as there are ample opportunities for all members of the family to unwind.

We stayed in a three-bedroom luxury lodge and it was by far the most comfortable and spacious accommodation we’ve experienced at any of the UK holiday parks we’ve visited. And just like the rest of the park, it was spotlessly clean. 

There are plenty of fun activities to keep the kids busy (note that many of these come at an extra cost), but the magnificent scenery demanded most of our attention and we found lots of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors for free, both inside and outside the site.

How we tested

I spent three nights at Hoburne Bashley holiday park at the end of August with my husband and our two kids, aged six and eight. We drove nearly three hours from our home in East Sussex to the park in New Milton, Hampshire.

What’s the accommodation like? 

Our 6-8 berth luxury lodge

We really struck gold with our Hoburne Bashley accommodation. Out of every UK holiday park we’ve stayed at, from Cardiff to Clacton, this privately-owned lodge was by far the most comfortable, spacious and cleanest accommodation we’ve experienced.

In contrast to our minimalist (but still gorgeous) holiday cottage at Lalandia Billund, our luxury 6-8 berth lodge at Bashley was full of personal touches. It felt warm and inviting, like dropping into an old friend’s house. The lodges were nicely spaced out, so we didn’t feel overlooked by our neighbours.

The three bedrooms were a good size, and the beds were very comfortable. There was a flat-screen TV in each bedroom, so there was no fighting over who had control of the remote for the main living room telly. The master bedroom had an ensuite shower and a toilet, which came in handy when everyone was trying to get ready to go out at the same time.

The master bedroom

The large kitchen was very well-equipped, and there was plenty of counter space, making it easy to whip up some culinary delights (well, pasta with tomato sauce). The kitchen also had a washing machine, a dishwasher and a decent-sized freezer (no tiddly freezer compartments here), all of which came in handy during our stay.

The spacious kitchen in our lodge

The living room was bright and airy, with several floor-to-ceiling windows and two large sliding doors opening out onto the decking. Two large, squashy sofas were pointed towards the TV and the inviting fireplace - ideal for some cosy family downtime. Meanwhile, the kids were delighted to discover an ottoman stool packed full of toys, dolls and children’s books.

Hoburne Bashley features caravans, lodges and cottages to suit all budgets, as well as lodges with hot tubs. Bashley is a dog-friendly site and there are plenty of pooch-friendly lodgings available as well as a dedicated dog exercise area.

We stayed in the Aspen area which was a short walk from the main clubhouse

What activities are on offer?

The indoor swimming pool at Hoburne Bashley

One of the first things we do as a family when we arrive at a holiday park is hit the pool. The main indoor Hoburne Bashley swimming pool is small, but pleasantly warm. There’s a large shallow area for very young children, but the pool is only 4ft/1.2m at its deepest point. There's a modest-sized sauna and a steam room, plus a small splash pad for younger children to enjoy. The splash pad was closed during our first visit to the pool. It was open for our second visit, but this time, disappointingly, we found the jacuzzi unavailable instead. 

There are no water slides, flumes or wave machines, so the main pool may be a bit tame for older kids.

The deeper outdoor pool felt more lively, with balls and inflatables flying about all over the place. The water was gorgeously warm, in contrast to the outdoor toddler pool which was freezing cold and, as a result, completely empty.

I was very impressed with how clean and well-maintained all of Bashley’s swimming pools were, although the outdoor pool had started to fall victim to the odd early autumn leaf. Which I guess just added to the immersive forest experience.

Speaking of the forest, there are lots of activities for families to enjoy in the great outdoors, including a free nature trail that takes you deep into ancient woodland, and a tree spirit trail with a prize up for grabs for families that manage to track down all 10 tree spirits. Kids will love the free elf and fairy trail, hunting for the magical creatures’ doors on trees throughout the park.

Seeking out magical creatures on the elf and fairy trail

There’s a comprehensive programme of daytime activities, some of which are free, but many incur an extra fee, ranging from £2 for Messy Makers craft activities to £12.50 for Mini Sky Trek, a low ropes course for kids aged between two and seven. The Woodland h facility offers supervised access to an outdoor classroom, bushcraft area and woodland play area, where children can enjoy activities including bug hunting, bee house building, bat walks, roasting marshmallows and listening to tales of the woods. All for an extra fee, of course.

What’s the entertainment like? 

Dino Karts, Hoburne Bashley’s alternative to bike hire

There’s a huge programme of daytime entertainment for toddlers to teens aged 14+, including archery, paddle boats, football, water polo and axe throwing. Some sessions are free but others range in price from £5 to £10 which is quite reasonable when compared to somewhere like Center Parcs.

We approached the evening entertainment at Hoburne Bashley holiday park with some trepidation. At several (non-Hoburne) parks that we have stayed at in recent years, we found the entertainment, and often the venue, horribly dated, including one comedian whose act largely consisted of repeated impressions of Frank Spencer and Zippy from Rainbow (in the 2020s, for goodness sake!).

Damian Patton and the bar at Hoburne Bashley

But entering the entertainment venue at Bashley didn’t feel like stepping into a time warp. The decor was fresh and modern, and the entertainer that night, the delightfully daft Damian Patton (of the Chuckle Brothers dynasty), kept the young audience engaged with some enthusiastic, intergenerational silliness and copious amounts of modelling balloons.

Our kids also enjoyed the Party Dances, led by an enthusiastic woman in a luminous T-shirt and light-up trainers, with some newer tracks alongside the old favourites that I probably danced to as a kid during my last visit to Bashley in the early 90s. Tots O’Clock and Squad O’Clock, which include games, stories and dances, is a popular draw for younger children.

Unfortunately, as the entertainment venue itself isn’t that big, we were unable to find a table when we arrived, which meant we had to play bingo with our tickets on our laps. We weren’t the only ones to have to do this either. 

On a separate note, I loved that Hoburne Bashley swapped numbers and traditional bingo calls for singalong hits, as this made the whole experience way more enjoyable. You can’t really feel sad about not winning £300 when you’re belting out the best of the Rolling Stones or a bit of Motown at full volume.

No ‘two fat ladies’ here - just swinging '60s hits

If you’ve booked a stay directly with Hoburne Bashley, entertainment passes are included in the price of a stay. If you’ve booked via a private owner on Booking.com or similar, you’ll need to book the passes (for access to the pools, activities and entertainment) at least 48 hours in advance for £40 per day for up to six people.  

What are the food options?

Brasserie 1912

Café h and Brasserie 1912, both located in the main clubhouse, offer a varied (and reasonably priced) menu of breakfasts, dinners and light bites, including kids' options. From traditional Sunday roasts and fish and chips to delicious poke bowls, there is something to suit all tastes.

If you’re concerned about food miles, you'll be pleased to know that Hoburne is big on using local suppliers at their restaurants, including the New Forest Ice Cream Company, Dorset Tea and the Isle of Wight Cheese Co.

Hoburne Bashley has a reasonably-sized on-site shop for those who are self-catering.

What other facilities are available?

The on-site laundrette and dog wash to keep the whole family squeaky clean

Hoburne Bashley holiday park is very dog-friendly. There’s a large enclosed dog exercise area at the edge of the park’s recreation ground complete with tunnels and other games to keep your pooch entertained. There’s even a handy dog wash to hose your four-legged friend down after a muddy woodland walk. And a laundrette if you want to pack light or need to deal with mid-holiday spillages. 

There are only four EV charging stations to serve over 500 caravans and lodges, and all four are located in the main car park. However, all were in full working order and delivered a very speedy charge.

What is there to do nearby?

Peppa Pig and family. Picture credit: Paultons Park

Three words - Peppa Pig World. Or, more specifically, Paultons Park, which is home to Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, Peppa, George and new arrival Evie, and is just a 30-minute drive from Hoburne Bashley. We’ve visited Paultons as a family over the course of several years, and although the kids have both outgrown Peppa Pig, there’s still plenty for them to do in the main park, including thrilling rides and traditional fairground faves including a carousel and spinning tea cups. George’s Wild Dinosaur Ride is a family favourite.

Although you won’t find any dinosaurs in the New Forest, the New Forest Reptile Centre near Lyndhurst, around a 20-minute drive from Hoburne Bashley, is the next best thing. Or, if you prefer your animals with a bit more fur, the New Forest Wildlife Park can be found off the A35 between Southampton and Lyndhurst.

The free-roaming ponies, cattle and a smattering of donkeys are the real stars of the New Forest and can often be found grazing on heathland or just chilling in the middle of the road (so be extra careful behind the wheel).

A friendly New Forest donkey in Minstead, who stopped to wash our car with his tongue

Going slightly further afield, the Isle of Wight is great for a day trip. You can make the crossing via ferry from Lymington or Portsmouth, or by hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde. Part plane, part boat, part bouncy castle, it's one of only two year-round public hovercraft services in the world still in operation (the other being in Japan). It’s very speedy and great fun.

Boarding Hovertravel’s Solent Flyer at Southsea

About the author

Laura Cooke is a freelance journalist and writer, based in East Sussex. She has travelled extensively around Europe and the UK with her husband and later with her two children, now aged six and eight. 

She has written travel content for Mumsnet, including reviews of her stays at Lalandia Billund, Hotel Cheyenne in Disneyland Paris, and on the Disney Dream cruise ship. Laura has also written travel articles for the Daily Telegraph and the Sun.