Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre

We had a brilliant time at the hen do raft building activity. Rachel was a great instructor, explaining things clearly so we could build strong rafts, and she also put together some fun games. The site had good changing facilities. We’d love to return and stay at the campsite.

The kids had an amazing time, and it’s a great location. We’d definitely visit again. The only drawback was that the shared toilets and showers were unisex and not very clean. We had our own facilities in the caravan, so it didn’t affect us much, but I wouldn’t have enjoyed the stay if I’d needed to use the public ones.

The grounds are lovely, and the campsite worked really well for children, with a little park near the tents. We had a fantastic time kayaking and would like to try some of the other activities on another visit. The quiet hours from 10pm to 7am were welcome, though the flight path overhead did interrupt the peace. One large group kept screaming and shouting until early morning one night, despite staff asking them to keep it down. The staff were very apologetic and said the group would be asked to leave if it happened again. Campers’ facilities could use improvement. The showers only trickled, had no temperature control, and lacked a shelf for glasses and other things. The washing-up basins were knee height and hard on the back, and the rubbish and recycling bins were too small for the number of campers. They were, though, cleaned regularly. We’d like to come back and try more activities.

The site sits right under Bournemouth airport’s landing path, though it’s well placed for the New Forest and the seaside, about 8 miles away. There are lots of outdoor activities available to buy, a small playground that children made good use of, and woods to explore. We camped with our caravan in the lakeside field. Our pitch by the lake was level enough, but pitches nearer the house slope. There’s no grey water disposal in this field, and most campers there had tents. Getting in means driving along a long, narrow, winding unmade road with big bumps and tight turns through trees, so it may be daunting for larger vans. The site was full, and its unisex toilet and shower blocks got dirty quickly. One block didn’t seem sufficient and needed more frequent cleaning. There was also some litter around the site.