Dorset
Large family park near Poole with indoor and outdoor pools
Sandford Holiday Park sits in woodland at Holton Heath near Poole, a few miles from Wareham and within easy reach of both Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck. Run by Parkdean Resorts, it is a full-scale holiday park rather than a quiet field, with static caravans and lodges alongside a touring and camping area. The pitches in the touring section are notably spacious and largely level, set among mature pines that give more shelter than most Dorset coastal sites manage.
Facilities are the main reason families choose it. There is a heated indoor pool with a slide and water-spray features, plus a heated outdoor pool with a toddler pool and a musical wet play area for the warmer months. Beyond swimming there is evening entertainment, a convenience store, a fish and chip takeaway, an ice cream kiosk, bars and restaurants, sports courts, play areas and a dog agility course. Free wi-fi is available in designated areas around the park, with paid wi-fi in accommodation. Electric hook-up is available on touring pitches.
Pricing starts low out of season, from around fifteen pounds a night for a pitch, and climbs steeply through the school holidays. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads, and certain breeds are excluded. The location works well as a touring base: Corfe Castle, Studland and Swanage are all within half an hour, Wareham has a mainline station, and Poole Quay with its ferries to Brownsea Island is close by. If you want silence and dark skies this is the wrong site, but for families who want a pool and something for children to do on a wet day it is one of the more reliable options in the county.