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Glen Orchard Holiday Park: The perfect base for exploring the New Forest & Jurassic Coast

April 15, 2018

Sleeps: (Based on a stay in Hardley) 6

Price: From £310 / week

Location: New Milton, Dorset

Glen Orchard Holiday Park is a small, family run caravan park on the Hampshire and Dorset border. With just 16 static holiday homes Glen Orchard has a very intimate and friendly feel with owners, Loraine and Jim Whittle now into their 5th season of welcoming guests to the park. The site is in the perfect location for exploring both the Jurassic Coast and the New Forest as we discovered during our recent stay over the Easter holidays.

Glen Orchard is tucked away down a quiet lane in the market town of New Milton, just West of Lymington. The caravans are laid out on pretty, landscaped terraces each with it’s own parking space and garden area. At the foot of the park runs a tree lined stream which provides a haven for wildlife and birds. The park is incredibly peaceful with the tiered caravans each looking out over the surrounding woodland down to the stream.

We stayed in Hardley, a six berth caravan near the entrance to the park. The living space, even for six of us was spacious and felt bright and airy. The lounge boasts views out to the gardens and surrounding woodland allowing you to enjoy your morning cuppa whilst checking out the bird life. In the evenings we were able to sit comfortably as a family of six and unwind in front of the TV. The caravan has central heating throughout which uses a pay as you go meter but we found the electric fire in the lounge was enough to keep us warm.

The kitchen is well equipped with crockery, cutlery and glassware. We also found cleaning essentials such as washing up liquid, tea towels, bin bags and scrubbers helpfully provided. I found cooking for our large family as straight forward as it would be at home on the gas oven. I really enjoyed cooking with the family busying about the place doing their own thing. One of the things I enjoy most about caravan breaks is the free flow of relaxed open plan living and this was certainly the case in Hardley.

In terms of sleeping Hardley provided us with two twin rooms and a double. The twins are compact but have plenty of storage. The double was very comfortable with ample sockets and shelving. As with most caravan stays we were required to bring our own bed linen (duvets were provided) and towels. The duvets which were provided were in pristine condition with additional blankets being available for each guest (we needed them in April!) We found that the nights were quite cold but the bedding provided was more than sufficient in keeping us warm.

Despite only being a small site Glen Orchard still had plenty to keep the kids entertained. Our toddler loved the enclosed play area where he could climb up a huge tree trunk, slide down the branches and spin at the top. Our older children spent hours playing pool, table tennis and table football in the games room. One of the perks of staying on a small caravan park is that on site facilities are very quiet…we often had the play area or games room entirely to ourselves..and if there were other families around we became friends very quickly!

We discovered a lovely forest walk right behind the caravans that followed the stream. The children loved exploring to in the woods and collecting pieces of natural treasure. Plus these evening family strolls were the perfect way to wind down after a busy day….and ensured everyone had a good night’s sleep!

Glen Orchard is in the perfect location as a base to explore both the New Forest and local coastline. Despite only spending a couple of days in the area we were blown away by how much there is to do just a short drive from the caravan park. Here a just a few of our highlights:

Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst is a bustling village in the heart of the New Forest. Perfect for pottering around the shops or relaxing at tea-rooms. It is also home to the New Forest Centre where you can discover all there is to know about the New Forest as well as meeting some it’s famous inhabitants.

Avon Beach, Mudeford

The perfect bucket and spade seaside beach. Enjoy fish n chips on the beach, paddling in the sea and building sandcastles. A short walk along the beach and you’ll find yourself at Mudeford Quay where you can have a bash at crabbing or catch the ferry to Hengistbury Head.

Hengistbury Head

An idyllic haven of pretty beach huts, fishing boats and long sandy beaches. The headland is perfect for exploring flora and fauna with miles of sand dunes lining this part of the coast…or just enjoy watching the world go by as you enjoy a drink at Mudeford House beach cafe.

Glen Orchard Holiday Park is a relaxing and friendly place to stay. We felt very at home and as the site was so small we were happy to allow the children a bit more independence. The ideal base for exploring all the New Forest and Jurassic Coast has to offer whilst offering a comfortable and affordable stay suited to families who are after a more sedate holiday park experience.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary stay at Glen Orchard Holiday Park in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1 Comments

  • Claire at Tin Box Traveller

    April 25, 2018 at 8:14 pm

    This sounds like a lovely little site and it’s in a fab location that I know well. The New Forest is a wonderful place for a holiday! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes

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