Setthorns Caravan & Camping Site can be found a short distance outside the villages of Sway and Brockenhurst in the heart of the New Forest National Park. Our site is open throughout the year and welcomes motorhomes, touring caravans and campers, and tents onto the site. We offer a traditional camping experience at its best; there are no toilets or showers, but electric hook-ups are available for campers who come fully equipped with their own motorhome or touring vehicle.
All of the pitches you will find at our site benefit from being private and secluded, although you will find yourself sharing the site with our friendly neighbours, who are most commonly ponies and deers. There are great pubs and restaurants to be found both in Sway and in Brockenhurst, with many taking pride in serving only locally sourced food and drink, which you’re sure to find tasty and satisfying. Two golf courses can be found in the immediate area, while another New Forest National Park village, Burley, is a short distance away and is home to a variety of local events that take place all throughout the year.
Among other things, the New Forest National Park is famous for being a great place for walkers and cyclists to explore. The terrain is mainly gentle and inviting meaning people of all fitness and energy levels can head out on foot or two wheels. Elsewhere around the New Forest, it is easy to find places to play ball games, go fishing, or enjoy activities like archery and climbing.
As well as having the whole of the New Forest at your disposal, you are only a short drive from the south coast of England. Driving across the county boundary will take you into Dorset where you’ll come across Heritage Coastline and also experience the “English Riviera,” called so because of the natural beauty of its beaches and cliffs and the affluence of towns such as Poole that sit along the coastline.
You’ll also find Bournemouth, as well as Southampton and Portsmouth, within easy reach of the site, all great towns in their own right but also offering ferry services meaning the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, and even France are potential destinations for you to think about travelling to for a day while you spend time at our park.
We have the ideal base for you to explore the New Forest as well as the coastline and surrounding towns, why not come and take advantage of it all throughout the year.
Please note that there are no shower or toilet facilities on the campsite, therefore your own chemical toilet is essential.
Storage facilities, a well-sheltered site, Drinking water taps, Motorhome stop-off, Ice pack freezing, Premium Pitches,Select Pitch, Standard pitches
Longdown Activity Farm
A fantastic family day for everyone can be enjoyed at Longdown Activity Farm, approximately a 25 minute drive from Setthorns caravan and camp site. You can bottle-feed the goats and calves, feed the ducks, meet the pigs and cuddle the baby rabbits, with many more animals to see. After meeting the animals, the kids can explore lots of farmyard buildings and enjoy loads of great indoor and outdoor play areas including trampolines, a ball pool and the straw bale barn.
Liberty’s Owl Raptor and Reptile Centre
Holidays in the New Forest are perfect for animal lovers. Liberty’s Owl Raptor and Reptile Centre can be found approximately a 20 minute drive from Setthorns Campsite. Visitors to the centre can enjoy daily flying displays, see a wide range of birds of prey on display and visit the reptile house with snakes, lizards and more.
New Forest Wildlife Park
A 25 minute drive from the site is the New Forest Wildlife Park where you can see many animals including 3 species of otters, 12 species of owls, badgers, foxes and deer. Other mammals to be seen are the, lynx, wallaby and wild boar and even the highly endangered Scottish wildcat.
Beaulieu
A 25 minute drive away is the area’s premier attraction, Beaulieu, a haven for motoring enthusiasts. Visitors can find the world renowned National Motor Museum which has over 250 vehicles from every motoring era on display. Top Gear fans will be thrilled at the World of Top Gear where you can take a look around the cars from the challenges, get a rare behind-the-scenes view into the show’s production office, and enjoy clips of some of the best Top Gear moments. James Bond fans can view a fascinating exhibition of glamorous and genuine James Bond vehicles and props at the James Bond Experience. However for those of you not interested in motoring there are stately homes, historic buildings and beautiful gardens to explore.
Bluebells & Breakfast Trails
Nature lovers will love taking in the wonderful sight of the woodland floors carpeted with English bluebells during the spring season. For the very best places to see bluebells in the New Forest take a walk on the Bluebells & Breakfast Trails. Enjoy a locally produced New Forest Breakfast before following the trail by foot or bike.
Setthorns is a great destination for a holiday, with miles of forest to explore. There are fantastic events happening all year round from large festivals and concerts to local markets. Discover what’s on during the times your are visiting the New Forest, check out our events page.
One of the best ways to experience the natural beauty of the New Forest is by horseback. The New Forest is also the perfect location for cycling with miles and miles of traffic free tracks leading you into the heart of the forest.
The nearest village is Sway, 1.5 miles away or Brockenhurst is three miles from the site. There are many good local pubs and restaurants serving locally produced food; the nearest is 2 miles from the site. Burley village is five miles away with a variety of attractions and events throughout the year. Below is the Camping in the Forest guide to where to go while staying at Setthorns:
Overall rating
Based on 3 review(s)
30 Jun 2014
Site is great for forest access for walking and cycling, however the camping and caravan club and forestry commission need to make some investment. I have been to set thorns many times over the past 10 years but standard are slipping, one example is the bridge over the cycle track to get to the higher pitches, it has been out of use for some 18 months and still not open, the resultant diversion takes you on a pot hole extraviganza I have never driven over so many deep potholes, it is not good enough in this day and age to drive through a campsite seeing your caravan rock from side to side. Water points near our pitch was dirty and broken, every time I filled my aqua roll it had to be cleaned, the tap had recently been replaced and the wood enclosure around the pipes was now broken and rotten.
surrey 20 Feb 2010
My husband Martyn and i have been going to Setthorns for about 10 years and have never tired of it. We have even spent spent christmas and new year there. It's a great way to spend Christmas , as people even put lights up around there caravans.
We have been there winter, spring and autumn and each season there is always so much to see.For people interested in nature or photography it's a haven for wildlife. In the spring it's so wonderful seeing the new foals being born. You are so close to nature there as you are right in the forest. The pitches are a generous size, and they have the David Bellamy award now too. The wardens are very helpful and friendly too.
Setthorns Caravan & Camping Site, New Forest, New Milton, Hampshire
oxfordshire 12 Sep 2009
This has to be the most peacefull site I have ever visited, although there hundreds of pitches both with hookups and without, you are never overlooked as each pitch is at least 15/20 yds apart and each is divided by trees and bushes, most are on level but hard gravel standings, this visit was not our first and certainly will not be our last
if you want peace and quiet in the heart of the forest, with wild birds and animals in abundance then this is the site to come to, the staff are very friendly and the surroundings second to none. However there are no facilities other than fresh drinking water, electrical hookups,and waste disposal points.so you must be self sufficient!
Setthorns Caravan & Camping Site, New Milton, New Forest, Hampshire
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