Camping in the UK with kids isn’t always fun. The combination of small children, the inevitable mud, lack of home comforts and unconventional sleeping arrangements can be a recipe for disaster. But when you own a camper van and you have little ones you have two options – either let your treasured camper go and replace it with a more sensible family vehicle, or you embrace the outdoor life and get on the road.
If there’s anywhere that’s suited to a kids’ camping trip it has to be the Dorset Coast, and this time we’ve timed it
right. After an summer of dreary rain the sun is finally shining and what’s more, we’ve sussed out the sleeping situation – we’re in the tent and they’re in the van where we can’t hear them.
Our first base, Eweleaze Farm, is at the end of a dusty farm track, off the main road near Osmington, just east of Weymouth. The campsite and organic farm is perfect for family camping – the pitches are spread out over several fields, so noise (yours or anyone else’s) shouldn’t be a problem.
Within minutes of arriving, the kids have scarpered – the owners encourage children to engage with the animals and the girls Minnie, three and Poppy, 18 months, are cooing over the pigs, goats and sheep. By the time we’ve set up camp it’s way past teatime, so rather than make an early dent in our stock of baked beans, we opt for a stone-baked pizza from the wood-fired pizza stall on site.
Durdle Door, the 140-million-year-old natural archway and most famous landmark of the Jurassic coast
The Dorset coast is one the best conserved coastlines in the UK. And whilst it lacks the wild ruggedness of, say, the Cornish or north Devon coastline, it makes up for it by being a showcase for 185 million years of the Earth’s history. So great is the geological value of this 95-mile stretch of coast that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This also means that building along the clifftop is pretty much out of the question, so the area remains unspoilt and as a result is mile after mile of outstandingly beautiful scenery.
On our first full day of camping we ease ourselves into the seaside mindset by taking the short walk from the farm to Eweleaze Farm Beach – a private shingle cove running out to a rocky headland. Secluded and small enough for children to safely explore, we spend the day paddling, digging holes in the sand and taking in the sea air. As the day draws to an end we look up to the site to see swirls of smoke climbing into the air – a free wood pile by the farmyard is on offer to everyone and the campsite is glowing with campfires.
Eager to make the most of our long weekend, we pack up and with a twinge of regret leave the relaxed 
atmosphere of Eweleaze. Headed east towards Corfe Castle, we park up at East Creech Farm, whose resident ducks and geese are an instant hit with Minnie and Poppy, although judging by the level of panicked quacking, I doubt the feeling is mutual.
East Creech Farm is in the Purbeck Hills, a broken ridge of chalk downs that stretches across the east of the county. It’s also close to the picture postcard limestone arch, Durdle Door. The stretch of coastal path between Lulworth and Durdle Door is one of the busiest in the country – more than 200,000 people tread this walkers’ super highway each year to see the natural architecture of the Dorset coast. And despite the initial steepness, the path is doable even for a three-year-old. With some moaning and a little carrying, we reach the high cliffs and then walk down onto the sweeping beach where the gentle lapping waves make it perfect for paddling and a picnic.
After a lazy afternoon on the campsite we plan our next stop, Shell Bay. Located at the end of Studland Peninsula near mouth of Poole Harbour, arriving at Shell Bay is like stumbling on a land of milk and honey – the four miles of white sand that gently slopes into the sea is backed by rolling sand dunes and topped with a delicious lunch spot for Mum and Dad. Serving local seafood, such as Poole Bay rock oysters and English Channel crevettes, the Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant and Bistro is a wonderful, if pricey, respite from sand sandwiches.
Shell Bay Restaurant - a lovely setting for a well earned hot meal!
We meander back along the sandy roads through the pine forests and gorse of Studland Heath National Nature Reserve to Corfe Castle, stopping to pick up a couple of bottles of Corfe Castle ale on the way. Sun-kissed and slightly giddy, before we’ve even taken a sip of beer, our family is tired but content. The Dorset coast has been good to us and the camper van is definitely back on the road and here to stay.
Where to Stay
Eweleaze Farm, Osmington, Dorset DT3 6ED
01305 833690 / 07812 736896
Open from 30 July – 27 August only
Adults from £7 per night. Children 0-3 free, 3-14 from £3.50 per night. Flat fee of £10 for each vehicle brought onto site for the stay.
East Creech Farm, Creech, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5AP
01929 480 519,
The campsite is open from 1 April – 31 October
From £11 per night for two adults plus accompanying children and vehicle.
Where to eat
The Springhead, Sutton Road, Sutton Poyntz, Dorset DT3 6LW
01305 832117
A country pub in a stunning village setting.
The Smugglers Inn, Osmington Mills, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 6HF
01305 833125, www.smugglersinnosmingtonmills.co.uk
A lovely family pub one and a half miles east of Eweleaze Farm.
The Shell Bay Seafood Restaurant and Bistro, Ferry Road, Studland BH19 3B
01929 450363, www.shellbay.net
Delicious, locally sourced seafood with a modern twist.
Grey Day Activity
Lodmoor Country Park, Lodmoor DT4 7SX
With its Pirate Ship Play Park, children’s Green Gym (outdoor exercise trail), an RSPB nature reserve and sea life centre, the 350-acre Lodmoor Country Park is a 15-minute walk from Weymouth, and will keep the kids amused when the sun is hiding.
