There’s no denying that Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck is a great place for camping and glamping. It has the campsites to prove it; some of them vast. But if you prefer things smaller and more secluded, how about a stay at glamping site Ower Farm? It’s home to just one yurt, one pod, and one wagon and it’s near just about everything you might want to visit. In fact, it looks over Poole Harbour itself. Stay here and you can take a three-mile walk or cycle down to Studland Bay, drive four miles to Corfe Castle, seven to the seaside town of Swanage, or 10 to Kimmeridge Bay. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are not much further than that.
So that’s your day trips sorted, but what of the farm itself? It’s a two-acre smallholding that’s home to free-range chicken, ducks, and geese, all looked after by your host Kevin. He looks after guests pretty well too—offering a full English breakfast delivered to your accommodation for a very reasonable extra charge. It’s a handy service, especially for those staying in the pod or the yurt, as these don’t have cooking facilities beyond a kettle inside and a communal campfire outside. If you want more than that, choose Ower Wagon which has a hob, a sink, and somewhere to sit inside and out. It also has a lovely view of the harbour, best enjoyed from the little elevated deck outside its front door. The pod is the simplest space, and the best value, but also shares the view while the yurt is a little more secluded and is the biggest of the lot, with space for a family of four.
Each of these accommodations has its own compost loo a few steps away but all share a rustic wash house built in a former milking shed where you’ll find two hot-water showers. This is not a purpose-built glamping site but one that’s grown up rather organically on the farm. As such it’s not a uniform place with all the bells and whistles of high-end glamping but it has more than the basics covered. It’s also full of charm. It’s rural, peaceful, and somewhere to get away from it all near Dorset’s lovely beaches—even in the height of summer.