A few miles west of Wareham in the Dorset countryside is where you’ll find Bovington Tank Museum, Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre – and Primrose Fields Campsite. This back-to-basics site in a hay meadow is perfectly located to visit all of the listed attractions plus it’s only seven miles north of idyllic Lulworth Cove on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. But it’s not only location that makes this campsite worth a visit, Primrose Fields is just about as lovely as its name suggests.
It’s a relaxed, summer-only site that opens to tents, campervans and motorhomes on high days and holidays from May through to September. It’s hosted by the incredibly friendly Christina whose grandparents used to farm here. Her vast single meadow is surrounded by mature trees and has not been cut for 50 years. As a result, nature thrives. It’s at its best in early summer when its native grasses are peppered with wild orchids and ox-eye daisies, all abuzz with bees and butterflies. Christina mows patches for campers but leaves parts of it long for wildlife.
The camping is similarly organic and, of course, it’s off grid. You choose your own spot in the field and settle in to enjoy its pleasures: greenery, birdsong and starry night skies. As befits a temporary campsite like this, facilities are temporary too. There’s a cluster of toilet cubicles in the centre of the field, equidistant from everywhere in it. They are of the portable kind but are pleasant as they are kept impeccably clean. Other facilities, showers and sinks, are in a timber building near the entrance.
Campfires are allowed in off-ground fire pits, which you can hire on site, with local wood and sustainably-made charcoal for sale too. If you've forgotten your tent pegs, guy ropes or anything else, there's a handy free-cycle area (next to the all important recycling bins) where campers can help themselves to camping bits and bobs that other visitors have left behind. And that’s about it – apart from the tree swing. It’s a small but important detail but one that your kids won’t forget; another of the simple pleasures of a simply lovely site.
Pitches at Primrose Fields aren't set, so you can make your camp anywhere in the wildlife meadow, picking a spot by the forest or one with heathland views. Most of the field is flat for easy pitching. Walkers, cyclists, watersporters, couples, families and kids are all welcome on site. Campfires are allowed within firepits, with sustainably sourced wood and charcoal available to buy. Firepits and large barbecues are available for use on site. For food and supplies, nearby Wareham has a good selection of shops, cafés and pubs. A café and farm shop is about a mile away and a pub is next to the site.Primrose Fields Campsite is so close to Monkey World (about two miles) that you can sometimes hear the gibbons from your pitch. Bovington Tank Museum is just a little further, three miles away. If that’s of particular interest to you, don’t miss Tank Fest which takes place over a weekend in July. The sheltered waters of Lulworth Cove, the limestone arch of Durdle Door and the fossils of Kimmeridge Bay are all within 10 miles of site and are some of Dorset’s best-loved coastal hotspots, well worth a visit. But there are quieter coves and bays within easy reach too. Host Christina is a local expert and happy to share tips with campers. She also loves hiking and biking and can you send you off in the right direction for either. Both the Frome Valley Trail and the Hardy Way are good places to walk in the countryside and there’s always the South West Coast Path.
There’s a pub, The Black Dog Inn, right next door to the campsite which is handy for a drink but for food, a better bet is The Seven Stars in Wool (three miles) or one of the many options in Wareham (four miles). There’s also a good cafe at Holme for Gardens garden centre, two miles away, which is great for breakfasts. In Wareham, perhaps try The Granary and The Quay which are both on the river. The Garden Gate Tea Room is a good option for an afternoon tea and The Salt Pig offers local, organic produce – both on its menus and from its counters if you want to stock up for your own campsite cooking. There’s also a good butchers in town, supermarkets and, on Saturday mornings, a market on the quayside. For basics, Wool has a Spar and a butchers too.
