Dorset in the school holidays - nice or nightmare?

[mrsmalumbas]

Hi there, thinking of booking a quick week away with the DC's at the beginning of the school summer hols, we normally go offpeak but this is the first year we have been stuck with the school hols. Will it be awful i.e really crowded? Have visions of going down to the beach and it being absolutely mobbed. What d'ya reckon?

We are thinking of something like a mobile home/static caravan but on a smaller site not one of these huge ones - does anyone have any recommendations? Playground etc would be nice, near the beach would be nice, but otherwise we are not interested particularly in shower blocks, swimming pools, bars etc.

Thanks!

I have stayed in cottages in Dorset during the school holidays. Where we have been has always been quiet, I don't know about holiday camp type places.

We did struggle to get into Weymouth once though and the beach was horribly crowded.

We've rented a lovely cottage down in Dorset a couple of times and I love it. The place has a lovely garden and is tranquil and peaceful.

I agree with Fimbo... Weymouth was busy and difficult to deal with (we had two kids and a dog!)

There is a pebbly beach somewhere - long and thin and that's lovely.... we painted stones, plus you are well placed for day trips....

I would recommend it, but I'd stay off the beaten track, as it were.

We went to Studland Bay in August a few years ago. The weather was great so the beaches were heaving. DH hated it, but I've seen worse! The children had a fab time though, lots of playmates

This is where we stayed - Hooks Barn. Best cottage we have ever been it. The village of Thorncombe was lovely it has a nice playground for children and an outdoor pool that you can use. The only negative was that the roads are very very narrow (as are most parts of rural Dorset!).

We went to Charnmouth beach and that wasn't crowded. You can hunt for fossils there.

Chesil beach... that's the pebbly one we thought was lovely.

Melbury Osmond was the village. That's lovely too... very quaint.

dORSET IS LOVELY - THERE ARE THE BUSIER BEACHY ICRCREAM FUNFAIR TYPE PLACES LIKE WEYMOUTH BUT ALSO QUIETER PLACES - FAB FOR A MIX OF HOLIDAY.
sorry caps on didn't mean to shout and too lazy to retype

Thanks for your suggestions - Hooks Barn looks nice but am a bit at the prices of cottages generally - not that mobile homes seem to be any cheaper. Am used to narrow country lanes - we live in the Cotswolds!

I was wondering about borrowing a tent and going camping but DH is really just not a camping sort of guy - he likes his warmth and comfort, if you know what I mean - unfortunately he has 4* hotel taste and camping money!

PS Went to chesil beach at the age of about 10 with my parents and loved it!

We stayed in Swanage for a week in mid August 2 yrs ago.

It was fine, tho getting there was a bit of a pain (roads v busy).

Beaches were OK tho not up to where we normally go in terms of size or sand.

Studland Bay (NT) is highly rated but we found it fairly crowded. Nothing like those pix you see of resorts on the Med tho.

Lots of things to do was a plus - Corfe Castle, steam railway, Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island boat trip (holiday highlight for me).

Would your dh consider somewhere like this place near Swanage? There are a range of lodges / mobile homes and even yurts to rent. Then in the evenings you could walk him round the campsite bit and show him just how fabulous camping (tent) really is.

You need the softly softly approach!

We often go to weymouth and yes the beach can get crowded by lunch time but its not unbearable imho, still room to dig holes, build sandcastles, picnic, play ball etc.
There has only ever been 1 day when its "too" busy and that is carnival day, but there is plenty to do elsewhere.

Chesil beach is wonderful, we love it

We have stayed in a caravan park (I'm sure then dont use that term but thats what it is) it has its own swimming pool so even if beach is busy or weather is poor the kids are happy.

I did nearly pass out in shock when we arrived at Studland one afternoon in August, it was heaving beyond belief. What we tend to do in the summer holidays is get to the beach early for a few hours then come back and do other stuff where it isn't so busy.

Clary, where do you go?

MrsMalumbas - if you are prepared to walk a little way, the beaches of n Norfolk are ok in summer school hols - Holkham, Wells, Brancaster (if you walk along away from the car park).

my best recommendation is Rudge Farm Cottages nr Bridport- have been several times and love it...we have often spent holidays in Dorset during peak times and never really found it crowded with the exception of Lyme Regis

I don't know what prices are like in the summer, but I think Lymebayholidays.co.uk have reasonable cottage prices for our school not-easter hols.

There is a mobile home park at Lulworth right by Durdle Door/Man O War Bay. Stunning area and slightly less touristy as its a bit of a hike doen the track and cliff to gett the beach. does get busy in peak periods but you would not have to worry about parking if already there in the mobile home. Also close to Blue Pool which is a beautiful place and never gets as busy as other places (walk around forest and lake, stunning beyong belief imo) Moors Valley just up the Ringwood Road, Falmer palmers in nearby Sandford. WOuld def. advise leacng early when going off to ther places as then you can park and enjoy yoursenf and leave a bit earlier to avoid the 'rush hour; holiday traffic.

sory link to caravan park here

www.lulworth.com/holiday/holiday_park.htm

mrsm - we stayed here in August last year. Nice sized site with indoor and outdoor pool, caravans or camping. Short drive to Lyme Regis which is fab - bit further to Weymouth which in August was very busy.

Blu - we go to Pembrokeshire we love it so much.

The tide goes out a lot further than it seemed to at Studland, leaving miles (kinda) of freshly washed virgin sand.

(Like to keep it quiet tho or all the folk who go to Cornwall will go there instead )

Agree re Norfolk, excellent beaches. Can be a bit of a PITA to get to (depends where you are of course but the roads in Norfolk are not great - maybe that's part of its charm).

Oh forgot about Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, walk to D Door certainly worth it and totally doable with even small children. Quite busy again tho.

Aha!

I was casting my eye over a cottage catalogue from pembrokeshire this afternoon, and thinking how beautiful it looks. I have put it on my list.

N Norfolk is a total PITA to get to...and three quarters of my family live there!