Bournemouth Holidays

Holiday parks in Bournemouth and Poole: pools, dogs and beaches

Hoburne Park and Sandhills sit a short walk from Christchurch beaches; Rockley Park is on Poole Harbour. 15 holiday parks compared on pools, shows, dogs and pitches.

Facts checked against official sources on 11 October 2026. How we research

Old Harry Rocks and the Purbeck coast from the air
Photo: Simaron, CC BY-SA 2.0

The table uses each park's own website for every cell. Where a park does not publish a beach distance or its open season, the cell says "not stated" rather than guessing. Pools, shows and dog rules change by season, so check the linked park page before booking.

Holiday parks near Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, checked 11 October 2026
Rockley Park
Operator
Haven
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Hamworthy, Poole BH15 4LZ. Small beach on park, downhill from most of it; Sandbanks named as the main local beach
Pool
Indoor with flume; outdoor closed for the rest of 2026
Entertainment
Shows, music, quizzes, discos; kids clubs
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes (fee not stated)
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No (not on Haven’s touring list)
Sandford
Operator
Parkdean Resorts
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Near Poole BH16 6JZ. A short drive to the beach
Pool
Indoor 13 Feb to 5 Nov 2026; outdoor 1 May to 31 Aug 2026
Entertainment
Live acts nightly; kids sessions
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, dog-friendly homes (fee not stated)
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
Not confirmed (see below)
Hoburne Park
Operator
Hoburne
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Christchurch BH23 4HU. A few minutes’ walk from Avon Beach
Pool
Indoor heated; outdoor May to September
Entertainment
Evening cabaret in The Venue; kids club
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, free
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Sandhills
Operator
Park Holidays UK
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Mudeford, Christchurch BH23 4AL. Separated from the beach only by a promenade
Pool
Outdoor heated, 1 April to 31 October; no indoor
Entertainment
Occasional, seasonal
Dogs in holiday homes
Not stated (lounge is dog-friendly)
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
Not stated
Hoburne Naish
Operator
Hoburne
Location and beach (as the park states it)
New Milton BH25 7RE. Direct path to Highcliffe beach
Pool
Indoor; outdoor May to September
Entertainment
Entertainment complex; kids club
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, free
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Hoburne Bashley
Operator
Hoburne
Location and beach (as the park states it)
New Milton BH25 5QR. Solent a 10-minute drive
Pool
Indoor; outdoor May to September
Entertainment
Entertainment complex; kids club
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, free
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Shorefield Country Park
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Milford on Sea SO41 0LH. Beach within walking distance
Pool
Indoor; outdoor 23 May to 31 Aug
Entertainment
Live music, comedy, themed shows
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a night
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
Yes, tents and tourers
Oakdene Forest Park
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
St Leonards BH24 2RZ. Bournemouth and Poole beaches nearby (no distance)
Pool
Indoor with flume; outdoor 23 May to 31 Aug
Entertainment
Live acts, themed nights
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a night
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Forest Edge
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
St Leonards BH24 2SD. Not stated
Pool
None on site (guests use Oakdene)
Entertainment
None on site (Oakdene)
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a night
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Merley Court
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Wimborne BH21 3AA. Not stated
Pool
None on site (guests use Oakdene)
Entertainment
None on site (Oakdene)
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a night
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No (caravan storage only)
Wilksworth
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Wimborne BH21 4HW. Not stated
Pool
Outdoor heated, 23 May to 31 Aug 2026; no indoor
Entertainment
No shows; street food and sports
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a night
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
Yes, touring
Sandy Balls
Operator
Away Resorts
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Fordingbridge SP6 2JZ, New Forest. Not stated
Pool
Indoor and outdoor
Entertainment
Events and seasonal kids events
Dogs in holiday homes
Many homes, max 2 dogs (fee not stated)
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
Not confirmed (see below)
Swanage Coastal Park
Operator
Shorefield
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Swanage BH19 2RS. Short walk from Swanage town
Pool
None
Entertainment
None: no bar or club on park
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, £9 a day
Open season
Not stated (summer tents 17 Jul to 6 Sep 2026)
Pitches too?
Summer tents only; no tourers or motorhomes
Swanage Bay View
Operator
Away Resorts
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Swanage BH19 2QS. Not stated
Pool
Indoor heated
Entertainment
Bar and lounge; no shows stated
Dogs in holiday homes
Yes, dog-friendly homes (fee not stated)
Open season
Not stated
Pitches too?
No
Ulwell Holiday Park
Operator
Independent
Location and beach (as the park states it)
Swanage BH19 3DG. Close to Swanage (no distance)
Pool
Indoor
Entertainment
Village Inn bar; no shows stated
Dogs in holiday homes
Some dog-friendly homes (fee not stated)
Open season
March to January
Pitches too?
Yes, touring, camping and pods

"Pitches too?" means the park also takes tents, tourers or motorhomes. If a pitch is what you are after, the campsite comparison in camping near Bournemouth covers touring parks without the holiday-park facilities.

Is there a Haven near Poole?

Yes: Haven Rockley Park is on Napier Road, Hamworthy, BH15 4LZ. Its own FAQ says the small beach on the park is downhill from most of it and suggests driving down, and it names Sandbanks as the main beach in the area. If you plan to drive to Sandbanks in summer, the Sandbanks parking page has the car park tariffs.

The heated indoor pool has a SplashZone and a flume. Haven's Rockley facilities page says a holiday booking includes 14 swim sessions, and that an indoor pool booking also covers the outdoor pool. The outdoor pool is closed for the rest of 2026, and Haven says 2027 dates are still to be confirmed.

Haven Rockley Park website →

Parkdean Sandford is the other big operator park on the Poole side, at Holton Heath, BH16 6JZ. It is inland ("a short drive to the beach", in Parkdean's words), with an indoor pool open 13 February to 5 November 2026 and an outdoor pool from 1 May to 31 August 2026. It sells caravans, lodges, glamping and touring pitches.

Sandford Holiday Park website →

Which holiday parks are closest to the beach?

Three parks state that they sit next to or a short walk from a beach, and all three are east of Bournemouth in Christchurch or just over the Hampshire line:

  • Sandhills, Mudeford. Park Holidays says it is separated from the beach only by a promenade. The holiday stock it shows is mainly apartments; its outdoor pool runs 1 April to 31 October and has no lifeguards.
  • Hoburne Park, Christchurch. "A few minutes' walk" from Avon Beach, with an indoor pool and a seasonal outdoor one.
  • Hoburne Naish, New Milton. Hoburne states direct path access to Highcliffe beach, and it sells sea-view lodges.

Sandhills Holiday Park website →

Hoburne Park website →

Hoburne Naish website →

Shorefield Country Park at Milford on Sea says the shingle beach is within walking distance. Hoburne Bashley is inland: Hoburne gives the Solent as a 10-minute drive. Avon Beach is a Christchurch beach with its own summer dog rules, set out on the dog-friendly beaches page.

Bournemouth holiday parks with entertainment

Parks with evening shows on site: Rockley Park (shows, music, quizzes and discos, plus a new Tiger Club Show), Sandford ("live acts nightly"), Hoburne Park, Naish and Bashley (cabaret and Hoburne Hosts), Shorefield Country Park (The Landing Stage) and Oakdene Forest Park. Sandy Balls lists events and seasonal kids' events without detail.

The quieter parks say so plainly. Swanage Coastal Park states that it has no bars or club facilities on the park, Wilksworth offers street food and sports instead of shows, and Forest Edge and Merley Court send guests to Oakdene for pools and shows.

Shorefield Country Park website →

Oakdene Forest Park website →

Holiday parks with indoor pools

Ten parks in the table have an indoor pool: Rockley Park, Sandford, Hoburne Park, Naish, Bashley, Shorefield Country Park, Oakdene, Sandy Balls, Swanage Bay View and Ulwell. Outdoor pools are summer only, and the dates differ: Shorefield parks open theirs from 23 May to 31 August, Hoburne from May to September, Sandford from 1 May to 31 August 2026.

Sandhills and Wilksworth have only an outdoor pool. For a hotel with a pool open all year in town, see hotels with pools in Bournemouth.

Which parks take dogs, and what do they charge?

Hoburne says dogs are welcome at all its parks and "pets go FREE", with an optional welcome pack at £14.95, according to its dog-friendly holidays page. Shorefield charges £9 per pet per night in its holiday homes (Swanage Coastal Park words it as £9 per pet, per day).

Haven, Parkdean and Away Resorts all state that dogs are allowed in some or all of their homes but do not give a fee on the park page, so it shows only at booking. Sandy Balls limits it to two dogs. Sandhills does not say whether dogs can stay in its accommodation, only that the lounge is dog-friendly.

One Christchurch park with caravans to hire is pet-free: Meadowbank Holidays on the River Stour, according to its accommodation page. It is mainly a touring site, so it sits in the camping comparison rather than the table above.

Hoburne Bashley website →

St Leonards, Wimborne and the New Forest

Shorefield runs a cluster of smaller parks north of Bournemouth: Oakdene and Forest Edge at St Leonards, and Merley Court and Wilksworth near Wimborne. Only Oakdene has an indoor pool, and the Shorefield park list shows which ones share its facilities.

Forest Edge Holiday Park website →

Merley Court Holiday Park website →

Wilksworth Caravan Park website →

Sandy Balls is further out at Fordingbridge in the New Forest, with lodges and caravans. Its park page links to touring and camping but gives no pitch details, so confirm with Away Resorts before planning a pitch there.

Sandy Balls website →

Swanage parks across the harbour

Three parks are in Swanage, on the Isle of Purbeck. From Poole they are reached by the Sandbanks chain ferry or by the road round Poole Harbour. Swanage Coastal Park and Swanage Bay View have no shows; Ulwell Holiday Park states that it is open from March to January, the only park here to publish a season.

Swanage Coastal Park website →

Swanage Bay View website →

Ulwell Holiday Park website →

Frequently asked questions

Can you pay to swim at Haven Rockley Park without staying?

Only as part of a seasonal day pass. Haven's festive day pass at Rockley runs through November and December and includes an hour in the indoor pool, at £20 for adults and £15 for children aged 2 to 15 (Santa's Grotto £10 extra). It is sold online only. No year-round swim-only pass for non-guests is listed.

Can you live on a Haven caravan park?

No. Haven's ownership advice page says a park cannot be used as a permanent residence and that owners can stay in their holiday home for up to 60 consecutive days at a time. Hoburne's ownership FAQ says the same about permanent residence, with an owner season of 7 February to 6 January.

What is the 5 caravan rule?

It comes from Schedule 1 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. A site certificated by an exempted organisation, such as a camping club, does not need a caravan site licence as long as no more than five caravans are there for people to live in at any one time. It applies to small certificated sites, not to holiday parks like those above.

Related guides

Prices, rules and policies change. Everything on this page was taken from the hotel, operator or council concerned and checked on 11 October 2026; check with them before you travel. Spotted something out of date? See how we research.