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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

Eweleaze farm - has anyone been, I have a few questions!...

43 replies

hazeyjane · 28/07/2009 10:15

I have booked a few nights in August for us and another family. Looking at the website it looks fairly huge, and suggests bikes for getting to the toilets, we have 4 under 4 between us, and so bikes might be pushing it, is it really that far to get to loos and showers? Are we going to have to pitch next door to them. Also how far is it down to the beach?

Mainly though, is it nice?(I'm panicking because I'm the one that googled and booked and don't want to feel responsible if it is crap)

Thankyou!

OP posts:
Original poster
hazeyjane · 28/07/2009 19:47

anyone?

please

OP posts:
3rdnparty · 28/07/2009 20:27

I'm going too...hadn't spotted the bit about bikes for the toilets ...guess we'll be getting a bucket with lid then! as got a 4 and a 3 with us!

on earlier thread said the sea view field gets packed and one on the right hand side would be less windy..

is supposed to be beautiful though so lets hope the weather will be kind.....we are there for nearly 2 weeks... and am a bit anxious as my idea too...

Original poster
hazeyjane · 28/07/2009 21:14

2 weeks - how fantastic!

Thanks for the tip about the sea view field, i'll do a search for earlier thread, hadn't thought to do that.

Apparantly the weather in August is supposed to be fantastic, so fingers crossed.

I spoke to a lady at the farm today, she sounded very nice and chilled, so I'm feeling a little more relaxed about it. I just worry about booking somewhere when I haven't seen it in the flesh.

OP posts:
kalo12 · 29/07/2009 20:52

we are going too. first timers. what is there to do in the area for 18monther? is monkey world worth the money at this age?
anyone got any vouchers / discounts for it?

kalo12 · 29/07/2009 21:24

does everyone have fires outside their tents?

HowVeryDareYou · 29/07/2009 21:40

It's beautiful. Lots of loos - at least 2 per field IIRC & the showers are the best I have ever had while camping.

Don't panic, you will have a great time!

HowVeryDareYou · 29/07/2009 21:44

Have remembered more about the loos - they are dug out with a proper toilet-in-a-shed on a pallet over the hole IYSWIM, each day a truck comes round & they clean the shed (spray) and put fresh sawdust in (to thow down - it is a compost toilet) & loo rolls. Every few days they dig a new hole, fill the old one & move the toilet. It's genius & they are honestly the best camping loos I've been in!

PfftTheMagicDragon · 29/07/2009 22:03

Haven't been but Eweleaze is supposed to be lovely. Met Office have now forecast a wet August though.....

superfrenchie1 · 29/07/2009 22:33

Sounds lovely - you'll all have great fun! I'm jealous, I want to go!

But be warned - our friends went last year with toddlers and said it was quite a steep cliff scramble (?) down to the beach. They had a great time, but when we were planning to go camping with them this year, they did not want to go back for that reason, they said it was a bit difficult / stressful - and they are THE MOST laid-back people you could ever meet. so we went somewhere else.

not trying to be a doom-monger - am sure it will be fine otherwise others would have also mentioned it!?

Fennel · 29/07/2009 22:40

We went last year, it was nice. Not too far to the loos. Yes a lot of people had campfires. Yes it was a bit of a steep path down to the beach, not THAT far but perhaps a problem if you have lots of babies and toddlers.

Beach too pebbly for my taste. If you go along to the west end it's got some sand, or it did last year.

Things to do in the area. Lots. Weymouth has a sea life centre, Portland bill has a little museum with pirate activities, there are lots of very expensive museums in Dorchester if you get desperate. Lots of tourist activities, fossil and dinosaur centres, child friendly pubs with playgrounds, that sort of thing.

Original poster
hazeyjane · 30/07/2009 09:52

Thankyou, lovely people!

I'm a bit of a list merchant, so am trying to write the ultimate list that will encompass blazing sunshine or big downpours!

The loos sound fine, I'm not too fussy about quality, but was worried it would be long treks to get to them.

Do you think the scramble down to the beach would be possible with a 3.5, 2.3, 2.9 year old and an 8 month old, if the 8 month old is in a backpack carrier? I'm guessing a pushchair is out of the question!

We normally stay around Corfe, Swanage area,and there is loads of stuff to do around there. The beach at Swanage is very oldfashioned seaside, and the little steam train up to Corfe is fantastic.

OP posts:
Fennel · 30/07/2009 10:09

The scramble to the beach is doable, we went up and down with surfboards and oars and so on last year. It's not a pushchair route. Just a steep path, as so many beaches in the south west are, especially the nicer less crowded beaches. It's the price of good coastal scenery with cliffs.

Weymouth nearby is old fahioned seaside with sandy beach, punch and judy, merry go rounds etc.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 30/07/2009 10:19

I managed the scramble down and up from the beach on my own with 2 young ones (5 and 6) so it is doable. But if it looks a bit steep just walk for another 5 minutes to the left (as you look at the sea) and there is proper steps down to the beach.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 30/07/2009 10:20

Monkey World is good, best playground I've ever been to. I think if you get a local attraction booklet from the tourist info place then there are often discount vouchers.

rnbsmum · 30/07/2009 10:41

I live on Portland and can vouch that there is tonnes to do. Abbotsbury is good, Childrens' Farm, Sub-tropical Gardens and Swannery. There is a Maize Maze with loads of activities, between Weymouth and Abbotsbury. If you buy the local paper (The Echo 35p) they have money off coupons for different places each day which give quite hefty reductions. Have a lovely holiday!

LittleFriendSusan · 30/07/2009 18:15

We went for 10 days last August, and it was one of our all-time favourite camping trips .

We were in the field on the right hand side and there was loads of room, despite it being fully booked. Don't remember it being that much of a trek to the loos - in fact IIRC there were 4 toilets in our field, 2 blocks of 2 at either end. Showers I think we had to walk to the next field? We managed fine without bikes anyway!

Walk down to the beach was do-able (DS was 3 and DD 5 at the time), the first time we scrambled down and thought never again... and then we found the steps! Views are amazing from the top field. There was some sort of festival on at Weymouth while we were there with fireworks, etc and the Red Arrows flew over the campsite as part of their display - DS loved it!

We walked to Weymouth along the coastal path a few times which was nice. There was also a regular bus service from the next cove along (Bowleaze I think?) if you didn't fancy the walk. Couple of cafes etc on the way if you need to stop (we got caught in a torrential downpour one day so were very glad of the cafe!!).

We had quite a bit of rain the first week we were there so the site was a bit boggy - didn't want to get stuck in the mud so we were avoiding using the car where possible! Oh and our exhaust had fallen off on the (bumpy!) road into the site , which didn't help. Kwik-fit in Weymouth did a great job though

We had a campfire whenever we could - for us that's one of the best bits of camping, so that was a definite bonus! There are lots of hay bales around that you can get to sit on - it was great! The kids had lots of fun rolling around a big old metal barrel thing(silo?) around the field! Loads of kids around and masses of space for them all to play in - it really is fab and we will definitely return!

Trying to think what else we did while we were there? Lulworth Castle & cove, Durdle Door - good days out!

I'm sure you'll love it!

Original poster
hazeyjane · 30/07/2009 19:57

Wow, thankyou so much for all these replies.

I'm so excited now, and just wish we were staying a bit longer.

I like the sound of the pirate place in Portland Bill. I grew up in Bournemouth, and every Summer was spent in the Purbecks, I think it is one of my favourite places in the world.

OP posts:
kalo12 · 30/07/2009 20:29

when are you going hazyjane? We are going next week

Original poster
hazeyjane · 31/07/2009 10:25

We are going the week after, I will have to try to spot mumsnetters, maybe there should be a secret handshake or wave

OP posts:
3rdnparty · 31/07/2009 15:50

hi, we get there on the 14th ...well thats the plan anyway...just confirmed and paid when heard the news that August forecast now 'mixed' so can't change it now but may delay if Fri partularly wet...hate putting tent up in the rain...thanks for all the info everybody - just found some stuff on for kids at Corfe castle as well ..

movingon · 31/07/2009 16:54

HaHa! We went to there in august 2 years ago. Fab site. Huge. Great shop. Toilets everywhere but make sure you sing when you are in there! We piched in the sea view field as we were joining a wedding party there. We had a campfire with strawbales and gorgeous weather. Then next morning someone threw some gift paper on the fire. It caught then blew off and ignited the bales. within minutes we had a huge inferno. Had to move the cars quick and almost lost the tents. Had to send for the fire brigade which was rather embarrassing as firemans wedding. No harm done in the end but scary stuff. 2 nights later we lay watching the most amazing meteor shower then crawled to bed. Woke up at 1am with the canvas on our faces. Winds of steady 40mph outside gusting to 80! Torrential rain. All the loos blew away. Next day looked like a refugee camp with half the tents on the site wrecked and stuff strewn everywhere. We spent the day in the barn (which is a lovely place to chill out, especially after a hurricane!). Managed to salvage our flattened tents once the winds dropped. Was my son's birthday. One he will never forget! The owners were lovely. They kitted out people who'd lost everything and spent the next week towing out vehicles stuck in the mud!

To answer your question about beach seem to remember it being stony rather than sandy but you can scramble down off the site. We took kids bikes because there was loads of space for them to ride and they loved it but would have been fine without. We managed to fill a week easily and would love to go back but off to Scotland this year. Hope the weather improves......

kadgegoogoo · 09/08/2009 17:56

hiya, i too am going to Eweleaze farm on the 15th august , im really looking forward to it , we are going with friends and family and im sure the kiddiewinkles will enjoy it so much ,ha ha ha ha cant wait to be towed off hahahehehe.
it is so unusual to be able to have open fires and will be just like brownie_guide camp, wow that takes you back 25 years.
I have really enjoyed reading the info from all the lovely mums , gee thanks girls x x x x x

kadgegoogoo · 09/08/2009 17:58

hiya, i too am going to Eweleaze farm on the 15th august , im really looking forward to it , we are going with friends and family and im sure the kiddiewinkles will enjoy it so much ,ha ha ha ha cant wait to be towed off hahahehehe.
it is so unusual to be able to have open fires and will be just like brownie_guide camp, wow that takes you back 25 years.
I have really enjoyed reading the info from all the lovely mums , gee thanks girls x x x x x

Sunflower36 · 11/08/2009 16:20

I have just come back from Eweleaze Farm we had a wonderful time, weather was rotten on Thursday, had to have car pulled out of the mud, but rest of week was lovely - I want to book for next year!

The loos are great even the Eco ones, there are lots of showers - go early morning bet 7-8 I didn't have to queue once.

Buy haybales to sit on and wood to burn, its so idealistic - how camping should be. You'll have a great time.

kalo12 · 11/08/2009 18:30

i hated it!