Hoburne Naish Holiday Park review: "We're already working out when we can go back!"

Our verdict

Hoburne Naish sits on the clifftop at Barton on Sea, which means you get sea views, a proper breeze and the New Forest ten minutes up the road. For us, that combination was hard to beat. We stayed for three nights with our two boys, aged four and seven, and spent one day on site and one exploring Mudeford. It wasn’t enough - we’re already working out when we can go back for longer!

The park is full of young families and it feels like it. Staff were smiley and helpful in a way that didn’t feel scripted, the pool complex is genuinely good, and everything you need is clustered in one spot five minutes from the caravan. It’s not a luxury holiday and it isn’t pretending to be. The caravan was clean, new and well equipped, the food is functional, and a couple of the outdoor bits are looking tired. None of that stopped it being one of the easiest holidays we've ever had with small children.

Our favourite things:

• Indoor and outdoor pools with free access for guests, plus a shallow splash area with toys that kept the four-year-old happy for hours

• The decking with its little table and chairs, which became where we ate, played cards and had our coffee

• The five-minute walk to reception, pool, shop and restaurant, all in one place

• Mudeford beach ten minutes away: sandy, with a three-minute ferry and crabbing off the quay

• The atmosphere. Lots of families in the same boat, nobody bothered by a tantrum in the restaurant

How we tested

I stayed for three nights with my husband and our two boys, aged four and seven. This was our first ever holiday park, so we came at it with no benchmark and no idea what to expect. We holiday together as a family every time we go away, usually in cottages or apartments, so a caravan with a pool complex attached was new territory for us.

Location

The park is on the clifftop between Barton on Sea and Highcliffe, so you’re looking out over the Solent to the Isle of Wight. It’s a residential, quiet stretch of coast rather than a resort strip, which suited us.

The beach is about a 15-minute walk down the cliff path. It’s manageable with children and we saw prams making it work, but the path is rocky and it isn’t accessible for anyone with severe mobility issues. The beach itself is stony. For sand, drive ten minutes to Mudeford.

New Milton, Highcliffe and Christchurch are all close by for a supermarket run or a wander. The nearest big supermarket is a 15 to 20 minute drive. The New Forest is ten minutes away, which makes the park a very good base.

We drove from London and it took two and a half hours with no drama. Parking was a minute from the caravan door, which with two small children and a car full of food made a real difference. New Milton is the nearest train station and is a short taxi ride away, but we didn’t use public transport at all.

What’s the accommodation like?

We stayed in a two-bedroom, dog-friendly Select caravan: a double and a twin, with a bathroom and a separate loo off the double. The boys shared the twin. For four of us it was comfortable rather than cramped, and everything felt new and clean.

The kitchen had a fridge and cooker and was well equipped with plates, cutlery and pans. There’s a hoover, and you get washing-up liquid, a tea towel, a sponge and a couple of teabags and coffee sachets to start you off. No dishwasher and no washing machine, so factor that in for a longer stay. Bedding and towels are provided, but not beach towels, so bring your own.

There was a TV and WiFi, although the WiFi didn’t work for our entire stay. We told reception, someone came out to look, and it stayed broken. Not the end of the world for three nights, but it would be annoying on a longer trip or if you were planning to work.

There also wasn't any air conditioning or fans, which is worth knowing in July. The best bit was the decking with its little table and chairs. We ate out there, the boys played out there, and it stopped the caravan feeling small. Reception, the restaurant and bar, the pool and the shop are all in one area about a five-minute walk away, so nothing felt like a trek.

Extras cost extra: activities like archery and crazy golf are paid for separately, as are the arcades. Bring change for the pool lockers too.

What are the pools like?

There’s both an indoor and an outdoor pool, and access is free for guests rather than being sold in timed sessions, which made it feel relaxed rather than a scramble. We went twice and both times it was busy but manageable.

The facilities are the strongest thing on site. Family changing rooms, lockers (bring coins), showers, hairdryers, and a sauna and steam room. All clean and tidy. For younger children there’s a shallow splash pool with toys, which is where our four year old would have happily spent the whole holiday.

The opening times worked fine around us, though we didn’t need to be precious about timings.

What other facilities are available?

• Soft play: small, but the four year old loved it. Less interesting for the seven year old.

• Playground: basic. Fine for a quick run around, but our boys got bored fast.

• Arcade: exactly what you’d expect, and a black hole for pound coins. Budget accordingly.

• Crazy golf: paid for, and a bit scruffy. Cups and rubbish left from earlier players, and one hole closed off.

• Paid activities: including archery are available. We ran out of time and didn’t get to any of them.

• Evening entertainment: we didn’t make it to the club, but the restaurant and bar showed the World Cup final and my husband took the seven year old down for it. Good atmosphere, and very busy, which was to be expected.

What’s the food like?

The on-site restaurant and bar are nice and simple. You know what you’re getting. We had lunch there and picked up takeaway coffees. A jacket potato, sausages and a sandwich, plus ice creams and puddings for the boys, came to around £55. Fine, not fantastic.

What made it work was the staff. They were lovely with two tired, tantrum-y children and brought out small plates and cutlery without being asked. That counts for a lot at the end of a long day.

The shop is well stocked and good for top-ups, but a bit pricier than driving out. We brought food from home and would do that again, with a top-up run to the big supermarket 15 to 20 minutes away. We cooked pizzas in the caravan one night and ordered a takeaway another. There isn’t much choice from independents, mostly the chains on Deliveroo, and delivery takes a while. We also ate out in Mudeford, which was nicer. Next time we’d try one of the local pubs. We drove past several lovely-looking ones on our way in.

Two things to plan around: keep the caravan stocked with snacks, and book a table if you want to eat on site, because it fills up.

What is there to do nearby?

• Mudeford, 10 minutes’ drive: sandy beach, much better for children than the stony one below the park. Take the three-minute ferry across, have lunch, and go crabbing off the quay. This was the highlight of the trip for our boys.

• The New Forest, 10 minutes’ drive: ponies, walks and villages. We stopped off on the way home.

• Christchurch and Highcliffe, both a short drive: quay, castle grounds and somewhere to walk around when you’ve had enough of the site.

• The beach below the park, 15 minutes on foot down the cliff path.

There is far more within reach than we managed in three nights, which is why we want to go back for longer.

About the author

Zoe Kotsis is a Senior Planning Manager at Mumsnet, where she crafts creative partnership strategies that align brands with Mumsnet’s engaged community of parents.

She is also part of Mumsnet’s team of expert parent testers, where she creates unbiased and honest product and travel reviews that aim to help parents make the right purchase decisions to suit their needs.

Before joining Mumsnet, Zoe earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture. After becoming a mum of two, she took a risk and transitioned into marketing, seeking a better work-life balance and a new creative challenge. Her unique blend of design expertise and marketing know-how allows her to approach advertising with a unique perspective.

When she’s not brainstorming campaign ideas or writing reviews, Zoe enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, going to gigs, and watching true crime documentaries.

About the editor

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, where she writes, edits and optimises family-focused content designed to make everyday parenting that bit easier.

As a mum of three, Jenny brings first-hand parenting experience to everything she writes, with plenty of trial-and-error along the way. Her family travels have ranged from UK camping trips to more adventurous long-haul breaks, giving her a clear understanding of what really matters when travelling with children - from location and layout to those small but crucial details that can turn an average family trip into the best holiday ever.

She regularly researches and reviews family travel options, combining expert insight with real parent feedback from the Mumsnet community to help other families plan holidays with confidence.

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