Sandy Balls Holiday Centre

Been going to Sandy Balls for many years now, however think this year may be my last for a while, the staff are good and the park is nice and well maintained, however i have noticed the prices increasing, the food is limited and a tad expensive for what it is, but my main gripe is that there are now far too many lodges and pitches, especially since they now do basic camping. they now seem to be packing them in, however the facilities like the swimming pool have not kept pace, so expect to be frustrated waiting for a swim, or getting a seat to eat, also some of the activities whilst good are poorly run, over booked or cancelled at the last minute, they are starting to hit the kind of prices Centre Parks charge, with nothing like Centre Parks facilities or management.
Sandy Balls Holiday Centre, New Forest, Hampshire

We've stayed at Sandy Balls about 4 times. On all 4 occasions, we stayed in their holiday home caravans and found the water not hot enough and the caravans could have been cleaner inside. Also, the caravans are positioned too close together. Other holiday maker's vehicles made night time noisy and we were woken up at 6am each morning by the delivery van to their on site shop, clanking bottles, etc. We haven't always liked the attitude of their staff either. All in all, it's nice to get out of London and stay here, but it's way over-priced. They always seem to have some kind of building works going on too and we never get offered any discount. We've cut down on staying there now and just go for the day to the New Forest instead.

I stayed at Sandy balls a couple of years ago and it seemed to be a little pretentious for my liking. The park was clean, but there was a feeling of please do not touch anything. We did enjoy the holiday and would recommend it to friends, but if you prefer to have a slightly more relaxed and fun holiday i don't think this is the site for you.

Sandy Balls is the quintessential holiday park. It's been around for ever, and is run as a brilliantly oiled machine. I visited in the Autumn with my two young children. It was a little bit wet (we used the indoor pool and the soft play area) and a little bit dry (we took a lovely walk in Autumnal woods, all glistening amber leaves and toadstools, and we played in the great outdoor play area). The park strives to be eco-friendly, family friendly and to cover all needs. My only small gripe was that the bar food was a little canteen-like for my tastes. I can't comment on the lodges, but for a touring weekend, particularly when the weather might not co-operate, Sandy Balls is peerless.

The relaxed atmosphere of this park took over as soon as I drove through the entrance. I didn’t even have to get out of my car as I was warmly greeted with directions to my pitch and an information pack explaining the site facilities.

The park has 120 acres, but only 25 are used for touring pitches and other accommodation. The rest is maintained as forest. You can walk or cycle the paths that cross here, and I recommend taking a packed lunch down to the riverside recreation field. Best of all, the site is not over manicured; I wanted to feel close to the forest, and I did.

My pitch, like all the others, was a large gravel hardstanding surrounded by grass. It had electric hook-up, fresh water, waste water disposal and TV aerial point. There was plenty of room to manoeuvre the van into position and the surrounding mature trees and hedges provided good privacy.

Each of the three touring fields has its own clean, tidy washblock, covered dishwashing area and launderette. There are two play areas near the fields as well. The other facilities, including swimming pools, shop, restaurant, pub and spa, are located in the centre of the park. This area has been renovated and pedestrianised over the last two years, and now has the feel of a village centre.

It’s a great place to relax. The modern bistro serves a daytime menu of breakfast, lunch and snacks from 8am to 4pm. It also serves evening meals, but you may prefer to settle into the cosy Woodside Inn, which has a good range of main meals and a comprehensive children’s menu.

During peak seasons, the site puts on entertainment, but you can pick and choose what to attend. The staff are approachable and friendly, but more than that, they are accommodating. If you want a bike for just a few hours, or a few days, it’s no problem. If you need information on local walking and cycling paths, or attractions 50 miles away, the staff can provide that too. It does get very busy, however, in high season, so if you want tranquillity visit during the low season.

This park has the right balance in every area. It is very well maintained, but doesn’t lose the sense of being in the middle of the forest. There are enough facilities to keep families busy for a fortnight, but by putting them all in a central area, they are far enough out of the way that you can also come here to escape it all. And the price is low enough to leave you feeling that your stay was great value for money.

Practical Caravan Top 100 Parks Award 2008

Set among 120 acres of woodland in the New Forest Sandy Balls is bordered by the tranquil River Avon. It is a peaceful retreat at any time of the year. Every pitch is concrete or gravel hardstanding, surrounded by grass and equipped with electric, water, drainage and satellite TV hook-up. The washrooms and launderette are conveniently located. The site also has a play area, indoor pool, restaurant and bar on site.Bicycles can be hired for riding through nearby Sandy Balls Wood and the New Forest, and activities are arranged for children.

Practical Caravan Top 100 parks Award 2007 Regional Winner

Sandy Balls is more than just a caravan site. With the level of amenities it has to offer it’s more akin to a small village. It has a Spar supermarket (larger than most), a village-style pub, both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a health and fitness suite, a cycle hire depot, riding stables… in fact, the list of facilities goes on and on.
Sandy Balls also boasts an Italian restaurant, a takeaway food service, a gift shop and a tourist information centre.
The spacious pitches are set over 120 acres of New Forest woodland and parkland on the Hampshire-Dorset border. This is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the River Avon lapping at its western banks.
Dedicated walkers may wish to try the Avon Valley footpath or wander along one of the many country paths through the New Forest. The beaches of Bournemouth and Poole are about half an hour’s drive away. (Allow more time in high season, when there is rather a lot of traffic.)
You may need to book early for high season, since the centre understandably becomes very busy. And be careful driving along the access roads, which are popular with children for cycling. But that’s part of the attraction: this is a busy place for people who like lots going on.

Practical Caravan Great Escapes recommended park Nov 2006

It’s hard to be bored at Sandy Balls. There’s so much to do, with a gym, cycle hire and swimming pools for the active. For a more leisurely holiday, try the village pub-style bar or the Italian restaurant, or relax in the TV room or sauna.
For a family-oriented site, Sandy Balls is very pretty, set in 120 acres of woods and parkland with the River Avon close by. It’s convenient for exploring the New Forest, and the beaches of Bournemouth and Poole are a short drive away. It’s popular, so you’ll need to book ahead to stay in high season.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2006

Sandy Balls is more than just a caravan site. It’s more like
a small village, with more amenities than many villages
can muster these days. It has
a Spar supermarket (larger than most), a village-style pub, both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a health and fitness suite, a cycle hire depot, riding stables… in fact, the list of facilities goes on and on. Sandy Balls also boasts an Italian restaurant, a take-away food service, a gift shop and a tourist information centre.
The pitches are set over 120
acres of distinctive New Forest woodland and parkland on the Hampshire-Dorset border. This is
an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the River Avon lapping at its western banks.
Dedicated walkers may wish
to try the Avon Valley footpath
or wander along one of the many country paths through the
New Forest. The beaches of Bournemouth and Poole are about half an hour’s drive away. (Allow more time in high season, when there is rather a lot of traffic.)
You may need to book early
for high season, since the
centre understandably becomes very busy. And be careful driving along the access roads, which are popular with children for cycling. But that’s part of the attraction: this is a busy place for people who like lots going on.

Practical Caravan Top 100 Parks Awards 2005

With its friendly, relaxed atmosphere, this medium-sized site has been awarded a five-star rating by the British Tourism Council, and it’s easy to see why. The park is beautifully maintained, and provides old-world charm alongside up-to-date facilities. Advance booking is always advisable due to the park’s popularity.
The two toilet and shower buildings are clean and well-equipped, providing visitors with facilities of the highest standard. Pitches are large and grassy, mostly level and laid out around the perimeter of the site and divided by grass and fences, with hardstanding ones available. The site entrance is wide and easy to spot, and security consists of a key-operated barrier.
A shop sells basic groceries, and a well-equipped playground is sited on soft bark chippings. But the park’s greatest asset is the sheer tranquillity it offers its guests. Each season at the park has a different feel, with the surrounding countryside clothed in a changing wardrobe of colours.
Many guests don’t stray far, preferring to stay on-site and enjoy the peace. If you do tear yourself away, the surrounding area offers great attractions, such as Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens, Ightham Mote, Bodiam Castle and Battle Abbey. Beach lovers will be in their element with Hastings and Camber Sands both within easy reach.

Practical Motorhome Independent Site Reviews.

Sandy Balls combines the feel of an upmarket rural village with the benefits of an exclusive country club. The site offers a pub, supermarket, Italian restaurant, shop with off-licence and groceries, amusement arcade and children’s playground. There is even a village square with a bandstand. And, it’s all bigger and better than you’d get in your average rural hamlet.
But it is the country club aspect of this park that makes it special. The leisure centre is absolutely luxurious. There are two swimming pools with all the trimmings, as well as a fabulously well-equipped fitness suite, sauna, steam room, toning tables, dance studio, and a bewildering array of beauty therapy.
There’s also an excellent cycle centre which will hire you a bike and suggest a choice of routes to tackle. And, there are horse riding and livery stables where you can learn the basics, hone your skills, or take a hack into the New Forest.
Toilet facility buildings and pitches are all excellent, as is the general atmosphere of the place. It’s a huge site, yet the sympathetic layout tucked into the edges of the forest means that it never feels sprawling. The site roads pass beneath stately Scots pines and the pitches are clustered into manageable groups. Essential facilities such as rubbish and chemical disposal facilities are tucked away in wooden sheds.
Just down the road, a cattle grid keeps ponies inside their New Forest homeland, and you can’t throw a stone without hitting a thatched cottage or a country pub. There’s certainly no shortage of things to do here.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2004

Sandy Balls combines the feel of an upmarket rural village with the benefits of an exclusive country club. The site offers a pub, supermarket, Italian restaurant, shop with off-licence and groceries, amusement arcade and children’s playground. There’s even a village square with a bandstand. But they’re all bigger and better than you’d get in your average rural hamlet.

But it’s the country club aspect that makes it special. The Leisure Centre is absolutely luxurious. There are two swimming pools with all the trimmings, as well as a fabulously well-equipped fitness suite, sauna, steam room, toning tables, dance studio, and a bewildering array of beauty therapy. There’s also an excellent cycle centre, plus riding and livery stables where you can learn the basics, hone your skills, or take a hack into the New Forest.

Toilet blocks and pitches are both excellent, as is the general atmosphere of the place – it’s a huge site, yet never seems it. Site roads meander under stately Scotch Pines. Pitches are clustered into manageable groups. Bins and chemical toilet facilities, are tucked away in wooden sheds.

Just down the road, a cattle grid keeps ponies inside their New Forest homeland, and you can’t throw a stone without hitting a thatched cottage or a country pub. There’s certainly no shortage of things to do.

In case you were wondering about the name, the ‘Sandy Balls’ refer to dome-like sand and gravel outcrops. The estate was first called ‘Sanyballas’ in the 15th century.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2003

Sandy Balls must be doing something right – it has been in business for the last 83 years. Set on the edges of the New Forest, it provides the perfect spot for exploring the local area. The historic cathedral city of Winchester is just a short hop from the site, as is Southampton, Bournemouth and the rest of the South Coast, and if you are looking for something on a smaller scale, there are countless small villages to visit or places where you can simply get lost among the trees.

Sandy Balls is also a protected nature reserve so you will be certain to enjoy the flora and fauna as you settle in. The holiday centre itself is designed to blend with the forest surroundings as much as possible. Its wide range of leisure facilities are set around a village-style centre that serves as the focal point for a series of fields with very different terrains. At Sandy Balls you can pitch in the light woods, heavy woods or meadow. But wherever you go the facilities will be full service and of an extremely high standard. Electrical hook-ups (10-16A), water, drainage and TV connection all come as standard.

During the day you can take advantage of the first-rate gym, health club and indoor and outdoor heated pools. There’s also a supermarket with its own bakery, a take-away, restaurants, bars and a family room. Wide-screen TV is also available and children will enjoy using the games room and adventure playground in particular. Fishing, horse riding, boules, archery and balloon flights are just some of the other activities you can arrange on site.

But Sandy Balls really comes into its own at night. The park has won a Good Lighting Award from the British Astronomical Association for having lamps that allow visitors to appreciate the night sky. So you should have no problems star gazing on your way back from the local pub.