Bridgewood Camping - Woodland camps

Bridgewood sits in Middlemarsh, a scattering of farms and cottages on the edge of Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about ten minutes north of Cerne Abbas and a short drive from Sherborne. The six acres of ancient woodland are managed by Sarah and Paul as a wildlife conservation project first and a campsite second, which shows: pitches are small clearings in the trees, each with its own fire pit, and the whole site takes just five tent parties at a time.

The woods do the heavy lifting. Reviewers mention deer moving through the trees in the early evening and owls at night, and the canopy is thick enough that you lose track of what time it is. There is no entertainment programme, no shop, no signal to speak of. The composting toilets are kept clean; showers are on site. It feels closer to wild camping than most woodland sites that actually call themselves wild.

The cabin and shepherd's hut bring a glamping option into the same setting, which means couples on a quiet weekend get the same fire-lit experience as tent campers. The nearby Hunters Moon Inn is three minutes by car or a fifteen-minute walk through the lanes. Sherborne, with two castles, a market, and good coffee, is a short drive in the other direction. The Jurassic Coast and Weymouth beaches are within thirty minutes.