Merley Court Touring Park

very clean, quiet and friendly. camping shop on site well stocked. club house very nice but opening hours only at weekends when we stayed in September 07. lovely views and walks. nearby market towns worth a visit. lovely beaches and coastal walks.

Excellent site, very helpfull and friendly staff. The toilet and shower facilities are superb and always kept at a very high standard of cleanliness. The on-site club house makes going out for a drink and/or a meal enjoyable for all, as no-one has to drive home!! Highly recommended.

A fantastic site and location. Friendly helpfull staff. Stayed here twice and enjoyed the experience. Only gripe is that since the ownership has changed to Shorefields and you wish to stay on for a couple of hours after the standard departure time you have to pay a full daily rate even when the park is not busy. I understand they are a buisness but there are many places that only require a small fee. Other than that its a great place for all of the family.

MERLEY COURT is a wonderful site and is kept very clean. A1 standars of cleaness of toilets showers and washrooms. lots of dog walks , laudry which also has a spin dryer so can wash own things without washing machine . The site is kept tidy and clean all the time we were there.the site has its own club house where we had alot of meals , with friendly and helpful staffyou can also go in for just a drink. We will deffinely go back again and thanks for a great holiday .

** This review was originally posted by Steve Marston from Oakley, Hampshire. **

I cannot recommend Merley Court highly enough. It is a beautifully presented touring park, with generous size, level pitches and immaculate toilet and shower facilities. I particularly like the fact that there are no static vans on site and that they cater purely for tourers and campers.

It is well situated for exploring Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset and it is in easy driving distance of some of the south's best beaches. The site it's self has some great leisure facilities including; a tennis court, table tennis, a large croquet lawn with equipment for hire, pitch and putt course and an out-door swimming pool to name but a few.

There is a great pub/clubhouse on site, which serves good food and also has a separate children's room with a selection of amusements.

All in all this is a peaceful up-market site ideal for couples and families with younger children.

** This review was originally posted by Rob Jones from Sheffield. **

This is to me the best campsite that I have ever stayed on. Every year it appears to improve in one way or another. The atmosphere on site is relaxed and friendly and the facilities are immaculate.

The site is located with numerous attractions - even for those wet days that we all hope we don't get!. If you have children then this is a holiday dream. The kids appear to find friends really quickly here playing in the playground, playing on the crazy golf etc. You always feel as though the kids are safe.

The site welcomes Caravans, Motor Homes and tents so basically you get a wide range of people on site - but to be honest it doesn't matter - if you are in a tent costing £30 or a motohome costing £100,000 - everyone is made to feel at home.

The pitches are all superb even if they go a little dry during the peak season (make sure that you take a good mallet to get the pegs in). The layout guarantees that you have enough space and that fire precautions are observed.

Drinking water suppllies are never far away and most pitches include the now obligatory electric hookup.

The toilet blocks are incredibly clean - and even when one is shut for cleaning there is never far to find the next open one.

It is a pleasure to wash up in the sink area and listen to the many camping tales that are shared in there. The water is hot and you don't get wet no matter what the weather outside.

The on site shop is extremely well stocked and again service is fantastic within there.

So what if anything could be done to improve on this site? - very little - maybe warm the outdoor pool up by a couple of degree's - but that is from someone who hates swimming in cold water so perhaps it is a little unfair.

I recommend this site to anyone - people who have never camped before try this site and they are hooked - they will never stay in a hotel again!

All in my humble opinion of course (and no Merley have not paid me to write any of this).

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2006

Behind the impressive entrance, with a multi-tiered fountain set off by ‘Merley Court Touring Park’ spelled out in large gold letters, there lies an equally impressive site. Set in mature woodland, Merley Court’s
160 pitches are bordered by carefully tended grass.
Top of this site’s many attractions is the Leisure Garden. This is a spacious, landscaped area with facilities for crazy golf, badminton, tennis, croquet, volleyball, boules and a children’s adventure playground. It will keep the kids happy for hours, and there is room for their parents to sit, picnic or stroll around nearby.
There’s an on-site bar and restaurant, and next to these is
a heated outdoor swimming
pool. Other facilities include
a well-stocked shop, which not only sells newspapers but also caravan and camping accessories. And if your dog is in need of
a make-over, there is even
a dog-grooming parlour on site.
Located on the edge of Poole, this 15-acre site offers easy access to Poole Harbour, Europe’s largest natural harbour, where you can take boat trips to Brownsea Island, one of the last strongholds of the red squirrel. You can also visit the lovely beaches of Sandbanks. The manifold leisure activities of Bournemouth lie in one direction, while the beautiful Purbeck Hills in the other.
You’ll get a warm welcome from the Wright family, who own Merley Court Touring Park, and they will take great pains to offer you the very best service.

Practical Caravan Great Escapes recommended park Nov 2005

Exotic plants, fascinating architecture, flowers until late autumn and
green shrubs abound. The sense of space here is incredible: 15 acres of
carefully tended grass and mature woodland ensure that even when the site
is full, it never feels crowded. You can play crazy golf, badminton,
tennis, croquet or volleyball in the leisure garden.
The site offers easy access to Poole and Brownsea Island, while
Bournemouth and the Purbecks are both a short drive away.

Practical Caravan Top 100 Parks Awards 2005

You could be forgiven for thinking you were entering the grounds of a country house when driving into this site. Throughout the park there are exotic plants, fascinating architecture and carefully sited statuettes, and and an abundance of flowers and green shrubs even in late autumn.
The 160 pitches are laid out in rows, separated by trees, flowers, grass and hedges, and are approached by good-quality Tarmac roadways. There is a wonderful sense of space here; 15 acres of carefully tended grass and mature woodland ensure that even when the site is full, it never
feels crowded.
Years ago, this was the site of Merley Bird Gardens; the old landscaped aviaries are still there, minus the birds. This area now contains the leisure garden, where you can play crazy golf, badminton, tennis, croquet and volleyball. It also contains one of the three children’s adventure playgrounds on the site, all of which recently underwent complete refurbishments.
The grounds are owned and managed by the Wright family, who take great care to ensure that the tastefully decorated facilities are always spotless. The three toilet blocks are more than adequate, the restaurant and bar areas are comfortable, and there is a heated outdoor pool.
The site’s location near Poole gives easy access to the quay and Brownsea Island, while Bournemouth and the Purbecks are a short drive away.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2004

You could be forgiven for thinking you were entering the grounds of a palace when driving into this site. Throughout the grounds there are exotic plants, fascinating architecture and carefully sited statuettes, and even in late autumn flowers and green shrubs abound.

The 160 pitches are tastefully laid out in rows, separated by trees, flowers, grass and hedges, and are approached by good-quality tarmac roadways. The sense of space here is incredible – 15 acres of carefully tended grass and mature woodland ensure that even when the site is full, it never feels crowded.

Years ago, this was the site of Merley Bird Gardens; the old landscaped aviaries are still there, minus the birds. This area now contains the leisure garden which has crazy golf, badminton, tennis, croquet, volleyball. It also contains one of the three children’s adventure playgrounds on the site, which are being totally refurbished for this season.

The grounds are owned and managed by the Wright family, who take great care to ensure that the tastefully decorated facilities are always spotless. The three toilet blocks are more than adequate, the restaurant and bar areas are comfortable, and there is a heated outdoor pool.

The site’s location near Poole gives easy access to the quay and Brownsea Island, while Bournemouth and Purbecks are both a short drive away.

Practical Caravans Top 100 Parks Awards 2003

Merley Court is in a truly delightful setting for a holiday, and you can either relax on site or enjoy the local sights and family activities, all only a short drive away. The touring area itself is well laid out and carefully landscaped, but the park’s pride and joy must be the newly developed Leisure Gardens. They are based on the original walled gardens which were once part of the Merley House estate and were designed in the late 18th century by John Nash. Recreations on offer in the park include croquet, crazy golf, boules, badminton, volleyball and basketball.

The garden theme continues around the 160 pitches, with shrubs, palms, smaller plants and urns decorating the immaculate lawns. All the touring pitches have 16A electric hook-up, and there are also 11 all-service pitches with their own fresh water supply, waste-water drainage and satellite TV connection. The club complex has a bar, restaurant, games room and family room. There is also a take-away.

Security is excellent: a £5 deposit is required for a site barrier entry card. There are three good-quality heated toilet and shower blocks on the site. A pool, children’s play area and tennis courts are among the on-site family activities, or you can visit the Tower Park leisure and entertainment centre nearby for even more choice.

The coastal resorts of Poole and Bournemouth are a few miles away. And, of course, there are the delights of exploring Hardy Country. Fishing, bike hire, horseriding and golf are available within five miles of the park. Dogs are allowed on-site outside the peak season, from the beginning of September to mid-July, and they can all make the most of numerous walks in the woods nearby.