Dorset campsite recommendations for family with baby and three year old

[fedupofpeppa]

Thinking of going camping in Dorset for two nights with my dh, very active almost 3 year old and baby who will be 12 weeks (breastfed so dont need to worry about bottle sterilising etc) when I want to go.

My husband loves camping but I am not so experienced. Mainly as I seem to guarantee rain by putting up a tent. I have NEVER camped and it not rained.

Ideally would like a campsite which is relatively safe for the three year old to run around so not on top of huge cliffs, maybe have a small play park or something to keep ds entertained, okay toilet/ shower block etc. I would like somewhere beautiful so not a huge park filled with caravans etc. Also would be good if it wasn't too remote so we could maybe pop our for dinner rather than cooking all the time on the camp stove.

We would be up early as ds is an early riser so preferably a campsite where families are common rather than one where people stay up all night drinking etc.

Anyone been anywhere they would recommend? Also am I nuts taking a 12 week old baby when I am not an expert camper myself?

Freshwater at Burton Bradstock should be ok. It has an indoor and outdoor pool, bowling and a shop and cafe. as well a direct access to its own beach and a small play area. It has statics and a nice flat touring field. It's near Bridport and West Bay (now known as Broadchurch !). With children that young you'd be better driving to town as there's no pavement. Burton Bradstock itself is nice too, and has a fab cafe on the beach called the hive. West Bay has a harbour and really nice play park. There are a few other sites at West Bay too, one is a field which only opens in the summer, the other is called Parkdean West Bay. There are other sites further along the coast, but you need to watch out for the cliffs ! Let me know if you're going there, I'll get my umbrella ready !

We've stayed at Longthorns Farm before with our three, aged 7 down to 2. It was quite basic in that there was no 'entertainment', but clean shower block, spacious, could toast marshmallows and didn't feel like we were all piled in on top of each other (school summer hols). A big green space for children to run / play and alpacas to take for a walk. It's also right next monkey world if you wanted a visit.

Ours are also early risers, even when camping, so we tend to take quiet things to do first thing - books, colouring, drawing, or we show them to borrow our phones play games with headphones plugged in. From what I remember it was mostly families there anyway and the children were all having a good time.

Off to check out that Freshwater site now

We've just been to Graston Copse, outskirts of Burton Bradstock, (sister campsite to Freshwater, if memory serves). Quieter than the all singing, all dancing sites with en-suite everything, and the kids had a great time running amok!

And here : www.eastfleet.co.uk/ neat Weymouth (by car).

*near !