Our Hollands Wood campsite – a three-day plan for your New Forest getaway

Serene surroundings. Towering oak trees. Long stretches of lush green grass. Hollands Wood is a campsite truly brimming with beauty.

You could probably set up shop here and gawp at the backdrop for three days straight without getting bored. But given how there’s so much to do and see in this part of Hampshire, it’s worth tearing yourself away from the campsite to make the most of your time away. 

We’ve put together a three-day guide for your visit to Hollands Woods campsite, helping you to make every minute count, come rain or shine.

Day 1 – Get up close and personal with curious creatures

By the time you’ve navigated your way to Hollands Wood, picked a perfect pitching spot, unpacked your belongings, and sized up the surrounding area, you’ll probably be itching to get out and explore.

The New Forest Reptile Centre is a great place to start. Just a stone’s throw away from Hollands Wood campsite, it offers a fascinating experience with weird and wonderful scaly creatures. This ought to quench your thirst for instant adventure, and won’t require you to draw on your emergency energy reserves either.

Here, you can take a leisurely stroll through a series of display enclosures and exhibitions. Get up close and personal with an array of colourful creatures including frogs, snakes, lizards, and toads via Nestcams, discovery trails and podcast technology.

After exploring new creatures all afternoon, you can kick back at the campsite in the evening, and get some well-earned shut eye before your packed schedule tomorrow.

Day 2 – Head over to Beaulieu and Brockenhurst

When you wake up on Day 2 of your trip and feel the sunshine tickling the top of your tent, a smile will creep across your face as you suddenly realise where you are. Today is the first full day of your camping trip, and the world really is your oyster.

But what to do? You’ll be eager for adventure no doubt, and so will the rest of your party, but where’s the best place to get your fill for a thrill after a big campsite breakfast?

A visit to Beaulieu is the solution. After getting ready bright and early, head over to the New Forest Activity Centre, which is situated in the little village of Beaulieu (a quick fifteen-minute drive from camp). You’ll then have the option of hopping aboard a canoe, climbing onto a kayak, taking an archery lesson, weaving through the trees on a bicycle trail, or competing on a challenging rope course! If the weather takes a wicked turn and you want to get indoors, the world-famous Beaulieu National Motor Museum is mercifully close by, boasting some eye-popping attractions of classic and modern cars alike.

After a morning well spent in Beaulieu, head back towards Hollands Wood and swing by Brockenhurst en route. This gorgeous village is located less than a mile from your campsite and is home to the charming Brockenhurst Riding Stables – which is a great spot to visit if you want to make pals with some ponies. Children are welcome and the stable owners can match you up with a particular horse depending on your riding skills, allowing you to trot around the yard whilst learning all about these wonderful animals.

You will have earned yourself a big tasty meal after the day’s events, and there’s no better place to satisfy your stomach than The Huntsman Restaurant. This charming red brick building on Lundhurst Road is one of the most popular eateries in Brockenhurst, serving up charcoal oven steaks, wood fired pizzas, sizzling sausages with creamy mash, and a mouth-watering array of other dishes all day long.

If you’re not too full from that lip-smacking late-lunch-cum-dinner and the sun hasn’t punched out for the day yet, it’s worth waddling over to The St Nicholas Yew Tree on Church Lane just outside the town centre. Spanning 6.37m, this colossal yew is rumoured to be over 1000 years old, attracting tourists and tree enthusiasts from all over Britain.

Day 3 – Wander over to wonderful Winchester

As you yawn, stretch, and greet the morning sun for another day under a canopy of leaves, you’ll want to go for broke on any activities that’ve eluded you thus far. If possible, you really shouldn’t wave goodbye to the region without wandering over to Winchester first – which is easily one of the most attractive cities in the country.

After bundling everyone into the car and making the near twenty-mile trip to Winchester, your first port of call has to be the incredible Winchester Cathedral. Among the biggest cathedrals in Europe, this awesome architectural structure has some fascinating historical tales, and the public are free to roam within the walls.

When you’re done, grab a spot of lunch at one of the many nearby restaurants before heading over to Marwell Zoo – an animal sanctuary just outside the city spanning a whopping 140 acres. This magnificent menagerie houses hundreds of different species with a staggering range of animal exhibits to enjoy, including giraffes, tigers, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs, birds, fish, and reptile enclosures.

So there you have it – a jam-packed agenda for your getaway to the New Forest, whatever the weather might have in store. We’d love to see you at Hollands Wood for your camping holidays this year. Now that you have your itinerary at the ready, all you need to do is reserve a space at the site!