Shorefield Holidays runs seven holiday parks in the New Forest and Dorset. Here is what it sells, what a cheap break costs, how booking works and how to pay less.
Who Shorefield Holidays is
Shorefield Holidays Limited has run holiday parks since 1958, when its founder, Dr Robert Pollock, bought a small caravan park in an old gravel pit. It still calls itself family-run, now over three generations. Companies House lists it as active (company 00607997, set up in July 1958), based at Shorefield Country Park in Milford-on-Sea, with no person or company holding significant control.
It sells self-catering stays in caravans, lodges, houses, treehouses and shepherd huts, plus touring and camping pitches. It also sells holiday homes to own on several of its parks. You book with Shorefield itself, online at shorefield.co.uk or by phone.
The parks and where they are
Shorefield’s park list showed seven holiday parks on 30 October 2026: two at Milford-on-Sea on the southern edge of the New Forest, and five in Dorset. Only Shorefield Country Park and Oakdene Forest Park have an indoor pool, a bar and evening entertainment. Shorefield’s FAQ says guests at any of its parks can use the facilities at all of them.
| Park | Where | What you can book | On site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorefield Country Park | Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, near the beach | Caravans, lodges, houses, treehouses | Indoor and outdoor pools, gym, bar-restaurant, entertainment, shop |
| Oakdene Forest Park | St Leonards, near Ringwood, Dorset | Caravans, S Pods, lodges | Indoor and outdoor pools, gym, bar, entertainment, activities |
| Forest Edge Holiday Park | St Leonards, Dorset, just off the A31 | Caravans, lodges, one house | Play area; nearest big park: Oakdene, a short walk away |
| Lytton Lawn Touring Park | Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire | Touring and camping pitches | Shop, showers, play area; nearest big park: Shorefield Country Park, 7 minutes’ drive |
| Wilksworth Caravan Park | Near Wimborne, Dorset | Caravans, a lodge, shepherd huts, pitches, a Tudor house | Summer outdoor pool, tennis, shop; nearest big park: Oakdene, 20 minutes’ drive |
| Swanage Coastal Park | Swanage, Dorset, on the Jurassic Coast | Caravans, lodges, summer tent pitches | Play area; no bar, restaurant or shop |
| Merley Court Holiday Park | Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset | Hot tub lodges, one caravan | No shop or bar; nearest big park: Oakdene, 20 minutes’ drive |
All seven take pets. Shorefield’s FAQ says every park closes from early January to early February, and Swanage and Wilksworth stay shut until 1 March. When we searched for 11 to 15 January 2027, only Shorefield Country Park’s houses and treehouses and Wilksworth’s shepherd huts and Tudor house were on sale; Wilksworth closes on 15 January. For other parks across the country, see our UK holiday parks guide.
Who it suits and who it doesn’t
A good fit for
- Families wanting pools and entertainment: included at Shorefield Country Park and Oakdene when you book direct.
- Dog owners: every park takes pets (charges below).
- Tourers and campers: Lytton Lawn and Wilksworth have pitches with electric hook-up, and Wilksworth has two shepherd huts for two.
- Couples on a budget: the one-bedroom S Pods were the cheapest units at Oakdene and Swanage in our November searches.
- People who want a quieter base: Swanage and Merley Court have no bar on site, and Forest Edge has only a play area.
- Wheelchair users: there is an adapted lodge at Shorefield Country Park and wheelchair-accessible caravans there and at Oakdene.
Less suited to
- Adults-only breaks: none of the parks is described as adults-only.
- Anyone with walking difficulties at Swanage: the park is on a hillside and Shorefield doesn’t recommend it for them.
- Light sleepers at Forest Edge: Shorefield warns of road noise from the A31. A few Lytton Lawn pitches hear the B3058.
- Remote workers: the free Wi-Fi is for light browsing, VPNs are blocked unless you apply to use one, and New Forest mobile signal can be patchy.
- Groups: single-sex groups of three or more, and groups of five or more adults, need approval before booking.
What a cheap stay costs
We searched Shorefield’s booking site on 30 October 2026 for two adults, no pets (a family of four for the summer weeks). Prices are for the whole stay. The site showed most as reductions from an original price, so we give both.
| Search | Price shown | Original price |
|---|---|---|
| Oakdene, S Pod (one bedroom, sleeps 2), Mon 16–Fri 20 Nov 2026, 4 nights | £159.54 | £227.92 |
| Shorefield Country Park, Seaside caravan (two bedrooms, sleeps 4), Mon 16–Fri 20 Nov 2026, 4 nights | £222.50 | £317.86 |
| Swanage, S Pod (sleeps 2), Fri 13–Mon 16 Nov 2026, 3 nights | £223.17 | £318.82 |
| Oakdene, Statement caravan (two bedrooms, sleeps 4), Mon 8–Fri 12 Feb 2027, 4 nights | £205.62 | £241.91 |
| Lytton Lawn, serviced grass pitch for a touring caravan, Fri 16–Sun 18 Apr 2027, 2 nights | £45.98 | £54.10 |
| Oakdene, Statement caravan (two bedrooms), Fri 30 Jul–Fri 6 Aug 2027, 7 nights, family of four | £961.23 | £1,130.87 |
| Shorefield Country Park, Statement caravan (two bedrooms), same summer week, family of four | £1,056.60 | £1,243.06 |
Every 2027 price was 15% below the original on the last day of Shorefield’s “Book Now for 2027” offer, which ended on 30 October 2026. Expect the original price after that unless a new offer runs. The gap between seasons is wide: the same type of caravan at Oakdene cost £205.62 for four nights in February and £961.23 for a family week in the school summer holidays.
What’s included and what costs extra
Bed linen is supplied and beds are made up. Basic Wi-Fi is free. Booked direct, the pools, bar and entertainment at Shorefield Country Park and Oakdene are included, also for guests at the other five parks. A pitch price covers up to six people, one car and one tent, caravan or motorhome with awning.
- Pets: £9 per pet per night in holiday homes, £3 on pitches, up to three pets, added when you book. Assistance dogs are free.
- Towels: not supplied in most caravans. A set costs £6.50 if added online, or £10.50 at reception.
- Choosing your exact holiday home: £50 a stay. Choosing a pitch: £10 a night, capped at £70. Blue Badge holders don’t pay.
- Faster Wi-Fi: bought at reception; the price isn’t published.
- Activities: crafts cost extra. At Oakdene one activity session for up to four is free when booked direct; more start at £5.
- Extra cars on a pitch: £4 a night.
- Security deposit: up to £250 may be taken on arrival (£350 for one house), refundable.
We found no booking fee in the terms or on the holiday pages, but we did not go through checkout, so check the total. Renting an owner’s caravan privately? Park passes are then compulsory: Shorefield’s 2026 tariff charges £26 per adult and £13 per child aged 5–17 for an off-peak short break.
Booking, deposits and cancellation
- Deposit: £50 or 20% of the price, whichever is more. For pitches it’s £7 or 20%.
- Balance: due four weeks before arrival (at once if you book later). No reminder is sent, and Shorefield can cancel and keep your deposit if you don’t pay.
- Price drops: if the price falls after you book, you don’t get the difference back.
- Cancelling: tell Shorefield in writing. You get back a share of what you’ve paid, less the deposit: 75% if you cancel eight weeks or more ahead, 50% at four to eight weeks, 25% at one to four weeks, and nothing in the final week.
- Changes: a name change is free. Changing dates or accommodation costs £25 plus any price difference, with no refund if it’s cheaper; within eight weeks of arrival it counts as a cancellation.
- Arrival: bring photo ID and proof of address. Most caravans are ready from 4pm, lodges and houses from 2pm or 3pm, pitches from noon; check-out is 10am (11am on pitches). See arriving at a holiday park.
Shorefield doesn’t sell holiday insurance and suggests buying your own; with the refund scale above, it’s worth having. We found no ABTA or ATOL membership claimed on its website. Paying at least part by credit card helps: Which? explains that Section 75 makes the card company jointly liable for purchases over £100 and up to £30,000. Booked through Hoseasons? Contact Hoseasons, as its own terms apply.
How to pay less
- Go midweek out of season. Shorefield says selected low-season dates are up to 65% below peak prices; our cheapest finds were Monday-to-Friday breaks in November.
- Start on a Monday. At Shorefield Country Park a two-bedroom Statement caravan cost £240.94 for Monday 16 to Friday 20 November 2026 (four nights) and £267.71 for the weekend straight after, Friday 20 to Monday 23 November (three nights), when we checked on 30 October 2026.
- Keep it short. Two-night breaks are sold too, with Sunday departures by 7pm. See our 2-night breaks and cheap weekend breaks guides.
- Book in a sale. On 30 October 2026 its End of Season Sale took 25% off February half term 2027 breaks for one week; in November 2025 a Black Friday sale took 25% off 2026 breaks. A later price cut isn’t refunded.
- Book your next break before you leave. Booked at reception during a stay, it’s 15% off, and you can claim the difference if the same break later sells for less (ask for this when booking; claim more than four weeks before arrival).
- Check what you qualify for. Guests with five stays in five years can join the Privilege Club for up to 25% off standard prices; the full 25% applies only when you book your next holiday during your current stay. NHS, emergency services, armed forces and teaching staff get 15% off by phone, showing ID on arrival.
- Pick the plainer options. S Pods and the Statement and Seaside caravans were among the cheapest units we found. Skip the £50 unit choice, bring towels, and use the park restaurants’ kids-eat-free offer (one child’s meal with each full-price adult main, until 31 December 2026).
More ideas: how to book cheaper holidays and saving money on holiday.
Alternatives to Shorefield
To compare other operators, see our pages on Haven, Park Holidays UK, Away Resorts and Pontins. Hoseasons also sells Shorefield stays, under its own terms. For a wider search, start with cheap caravan holidays in the UK, camping holidays or cheap UK holidays for families.
How we checked this: we read Shorefield Holidays’ own website (park pages, holiday terms and conditions, FAQs, special offers, Privilege Club and Wi-Fi pages, and its 2026 park pass tariff), its record at Companies House and Which?’s guide to Section 75, and searched Shorefield’s booking site for the prices above, all on 30 October 2026. We have not stayed at its parks. Prices and offers change often, so check them before you book.
Questions people ask
Yes, all seven. It costs £9 per pet per night in holiday homes and £3 on pitches, up to three pets. Dogs must be on a lead and not left alone, and some breeds, including the XL Bully, are refused.
Yes, if you book direct. Guests at any of the seven parks can use the pools, bar and entertainment at Shorefield Country Park and Oakdene. Some activities cost extra, and anyone renting an owner’s caravan privately must buy passes.
£50 or 20% of the price, whichever is more (£7 or 20% for pitches). The balance is due four weeks before arrival, without a reminder.
Only part of it, and never the deposit: 75% of what you’ve paid, less the deposit, eight weeks or more ahead, falling to nothing in the last week. Shorefield doesn’t sell insurance, so buy your own.
No. They close from early January to early February, and Swanage and Wilksworth until 1 March, though Shorefield Country Park’s houses stay open. All facilities close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Yes. Lytton Lawn and Wilksworth have pitches with electric hook-up, and Swanage opens a tent-only field over the summer holidays. A two-night April 2027 weekend on a grass pitch at Lytton Lawn was £45.98 when we checked on 30 October 2026.
