YMCA Fairthorne Manor Family Park and Campsite in Hampshire

Excellent site. The staff were really friendly & couldn't be more helpful.
The site is extremely pretty. There is a stream just right for building bridges & lots of trees to make dens. Plenty of room for the kids to run around safely.
A few pubs within walking distance & the small club house is very welcoming.
We didn't do the activities this time, but would Definately have a go next time, particularly if there are some available during the day.
My only comment is that there are not many showers, so could get very busy during peak times & no sockets in the shower block to dry your hair.
We have however, already re- booked!

As a group of three families consisting of 6 adults and 8 children (between 8yrs and 14yrs) we were looking for a site to satisfy our ever growing list of requirements. These include: being allowed to have a camp fire; decent showers; a hairdryer point; a stream for the kids to play in and no eco-loos (we had a bad experience of some poor ones!).
It’s a YMCA site that had, the day we arrived, started operating a Family campsite, so we had no reviews to read. In fact, I am almost reluctant to leave a review as it might get too busy!!! So how did it meet our criteria? Well, you can hire fire pits (although we took our own) and they supply wood at a reasonable price. The brand new shower/toilet/washing up facilities were great and there was power for hairdryers available in the Clubhouse building (also had male showers). The new toilet block would benefit from slightly more frequent cleaning (esp to keep them looking good) but it was their first weekend operating as a Family Campsite so still learning! As we filled in a questionnaire on leaving am sure this will be dealt with and if it had been a real problem then sure Steve, the very jolly helpful and friendly site manager would have sorted it out. The stream was great fun for the kids and not an eco loo in sight!
You can also hire large BBQ's, there is a small bar in the Clubhouse serving a good range of drinks (reasonably priced and good when the ice in the cool box has melted!) and also food – although we didn't try this but would be a good back up if wet! Also sell ice creams, milk, bacon and other camp essentials. The site is in a beautiful setting, quiet (apart from the Dawn Chorus!) and lots of flat grass for pitching (being an ex golf course), sheltered and a nice stream leading to the River. Then there is the added bonus of activities!! Our kids did archery, abseiling and kayaking which can be booked on arrival or on the day and again good value. The staff were all great and the addition of an overnight security person meant not being kept awake by rowdy parties (although it was also not overbearing so can still enjoy yourself!!). We only left the site to do a quick shop – there is a Co-op in nearby Hedge End and also a HUGE Sainsbury's (and M&S!) along with a Cotswold Camping should you realise you've forgotten something vital!! Botley village also good with pubs, restaurants etc and within walking distance. It met all our criteria…and some - we will definitely be back! Just hope not too many people find out about it…

We stayed at Fairthorne over the recent bank holiday weekend in our campervan. Was a very last minute booking as holding out for the weather forecast!

The site had only opened the previous day and was beautiful. Very large field - limited to 45 pitches so amazing amounts of room per person. There were some organised activities for children at no extra cost, plus some at a very reasonable rate - either way we were all kept occupied the entire weekend.

The site has a bar/cafe on site (with Doombar on tap - very nice!) and is easy walking distance to Botley. However there is plenty of space to wander around once you are there.

The only negative I would suggest is that the toilets were in a bit of a state by the end of the weekend ( and there are very few toilets and showers), but not so much as to impede on our enjoyment, of what really was a lovely weekend. Highly recommended, and already re-booked!!