The top spot under canvas at Downshay Farm is undoubtedly Andrea’s Bell Tent. It’s pitched in the camping field belonging to a Dorset farm that’s been in the same family since 1956. The location on the Isle of Purbeck makes it a great base from which to explore the Jurassic Coast and the Dorset countryside. And the simply-furnished bell tent certainly makes a camping holiday here rather easy.
Andrea, who looks after the site, has put the tent up, furnished it with a proper bed and plugged in an electricity supply. She’s put a fire pit and seating outside and will even make the bed – if you pay a little extra. Toilet, shower and washing-up facilities are understably shared with your camping neighbours and kept impeccably clean. With all that taken care of, all you need do is turn up and start planning your Dorset adventures.
If you don’t already know, the Isle of Purbeck is not an isle at all but a peninsula at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, midway along Dorset’s southern edge. It’s a popular part of the UK with a great reputation among campers and lots of lovely campsites. Among them, this one is rather a little gem. The farm and the friendly welcome give it a homely feel and thanks to a steady stream of returning happy campers, it’s sociable too. But it’s that view that gives it the edge.
You and your camping neighbours can see all the way to the distinctive outline of Corfe Castle, about two miles away. You can watch as the steam trains of the Swanage Railway chug towards it and away. With temptation in sight and Harman’s Cross Station a very short walk away, it won’t be long before you find yourself on board. A nostalgic ride later, and you’ll be wandering around the castle ruins or headed for the sandy beach at Swanage which, by the way, is only four miles away.