Before you arrive
On arrival
As part of our contactless check-in, you’ll receive a welcome booklet full of information about the park, how to pitch up and our local area. We’ll also give you the latest BoB News.
Staying at Back of Beyond
Exclusively for adults
To stay at Back of Beyond or to visit, you must be aged 18 or over. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Arrival and departure times
Check in times are strictly 1pm to 7pm from 1 April-31 October (1pm to 6pm outside these times) for touring and camping. Glamping arrivals are from 2pm. Check out is by 11am on the day of departure.
Please do not arrive before 1pm as this could cause congestion or after 7pm as entry may be refused. We do have late entry lockers for guests who have stayed with us before – please ask us for details on this ahead of arriving.
Security
We operate a secure barrier system at the park entrance. When you arrive, we’ll give you a barrier card giving you 24 hour access to the park. This is free and we will not ask for a deposit. The card will be pre-programmed with the dates of your stay. Please look after your card, there is a £20 charge for lost cards. You must not use your card to give access to any other people.
When you leave, please drop the card into reception or the post box next to reception door. There is a 4 digit exit only code on the mail box.
Natural environment with dark sky
Being a natural environment, our park is a wonderful place to enjoy wildlife and to look up into a clear night sky to watch the stars. This means it can get very dark at night and it’s a good idea to bring a torch for getting around after dusk. Although we do our best to keep paths and tracks clear around the pitches and glamping area, natural surfaces can be uneven.
Peace and privacy
- We do not accept groups or guests likely to compromise the peacefulness of our park. The maximum number of guests occupying a pitch is 4. The maximum number of guests in a glamping unit is 2.
- Guests value the peacefulness of the park and we do ask for quiet between 10pm and 8am. (But we make an exception for the birds, who are especially busy from April to June!)
- Aerial drones are not allowed to be flown from, or over, Back of Beyond
- If you are staying at Back of Beyond at the same time as friends or family, please do not congregate on a pitch, but use communal BBQ and picnic areas
Reception and shop
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm or 8.30am to 7pm in peak season
We stock local produce where possible and we’re licensed to sell alcohol. Call in at the Reception Shop for:
- Basic provisions such as tea, coffee, juice, bacon, eggs, milk, bread, etc.
- A great selection of beers, ales, wines and local gin
- Self-service coffee machine
- Tea and treats, including our own Back of Beyond biscuits, cake, chocolate and sweets all made locally
- Back of Beyond honey from our onsite beehives
- Meat from Webb’s, an award-winning local butcher
- Local bakers’ products
- Calor Gas – official stockist with a comprehensive range
- Camping and caravan basics
- Purbeck ice cream for humans and Billy & Margot’s nutritious ice cream for dogs!
Breakfast service
Pick up delicious freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolat, pain au raisin, and baguettes for breakfast if pre-ordered the day before.
WiFi
There’s free WiFi around the Reception area, with a booster at the amenities block. The signal is therefore variable around the park. We do not recommend our WiFi for use of streaming videos or for working.
3G and 4G coverage across the site is overall very good on most networks.
Seating area and outdoor pop-up bar
Outside Reception you can sit around our fish pond at Monty’s Bar. It’s a great place to relax and make use of the free Wifi while enjoying a coffee or an ice cream.
Local breweries, distilleries and wineries also hold tasting sessions here from time to time.
Delicious food here at Back of Beyond
Visiting caterers and mobile takeaways
Traditional Fish & Chips, pizzas and gourmet burgers are just some of the hot meals served by the food vendors visiting our park. See our Food & Drink page for details.
Afternoon Teas and Charcuterie Platters
Whether you’re celebrating something special or just fancy a treat, these are made to order locally. Tea for Two and Cream Teas are full of homemade goodies and served on beautiful china. The charcuterie includes carefully sourced local meats and cheeses, plus homemade savoury biscuits and it all comes on a slate platter you can keep.
Find out more on our Food & Drink page.
Local restaurants and takeaways
There’s no shortage of eateries in our area! We can direct you to local restaurants and recommend takeaways that deliver to our park.
Amenities blocks
Our facilities are open 24 hours a day and are well-lit at night. We have an extensive cleaning regime to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness. In and around the amenities block 2 there is:
- Four heated, recently refurbished toilet and shower blocks with power-showers, ladies strip-wash cubicle, hand-dryers and hairdryers
- Disabled suite with ramp access
- Indoor and outdoor washing up areas
- Warm water dog wash
- Laundry room
- Freezers for ice packs
- Grey water and toilet disposal points
Motorhome service point
There is a drive-over motorhome service point for grey waste on the left side of Reception.
Electric charging station
A secure charging locker is located in the middle of the amenities block. It has two 3-pin sockets and two USB sockets – use it to charge phones, tablets and small laptops. The cost is 50p for 15 minutes.
Electric hook-ups
For safety tips and to find out about connecting, disconnecting and how to ensure light power usage, please see our Electric Hook-up Information Sheet.
Fire pits and barbecues
You can hire a fire pit from Reception, please make sure you understand the safety requirements outlined on the Fire Pits and Barbecues page.
Pubs, supermarkets and more close to Back of Beyond
For more information, see Our Local Area and check the Information Board by the entrance to the Pitch & Putt course.
- The Woodman – pub and restaurant near the entrance to our lane (dog friendly)
- East Moors Riding School – located on our approach lane
- Hurn Forest – Heathland and woodland with miles of tracks and trails, entrance opposite The Woodman
- The St Leonards Hotel – a longer walk away on the opposite side of the A31 towards Ringwood (dog friendly)
Our closest towns and shopping centres and large supermarkets are Ringwood, Ferndown, Verwood, Wimborne Minster and Bournemouth.
Find out more about our nearby towns, market days and the local area.
Buses, taxis and car hire
Bus information
There’s a limited bus service to Ringwood from the bottom of our lane – see route and timetable. Many guests find it convenient to get a taxi back – there’s a taxi rank in the main car park in Ringwood.
Local taxis
The fare from Back of Beyond to Ringwood town centre (or back) is usually £10-£12 each way but is likely to be more after 11pm at night. Please check when booking if you want to take a dog.
- Caller Call Ringwood (dog-friendly on request, also our preferred taxi company) – 01425 510202
- Red Express – 01425 474747
- Ringwood Taxis – 01425 480480
- New Forest Taxis – 01425 480280
- Hinton Cars – 01425 276888
- Ferndown Taxis – 01202 896666
- United Taxis – 01202 556677 /484848*
- PRC Streamline Taxis – 01202 373737*
*Upfront payment required for pickup in our area
Car hire
Want to leave your wheels at the park? All the companies listed below get busy at peak times, so please book as far in advance as possible. Pick-up services may be restricted by Covid measures and/or busy times for the rental firm.
Abacus Vehicle Hire in Ferndown is a local company about 6 miles from our park. The maximum age is 75. Contact: 01202 877790
Economy Hire in Ringwood have a maximum age of 70, but if you arrange car hire well in advance and have a clean license, they can go up to 75. Contact: 01425 474593
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has a base nearby in Ferndown, although bookings are centralised for the whole of the UK. There is no maximum age! Contact: 01202 892191
Walking and cycling
For information on walks from the park and places to visit for walking, see the page on our Local Area.
For cyclists, there are country parks, a major cycle route and the New Forest all within easy reach. See the page on Cycling for details.
Emergencies
For emergencies, we can be contacted out of hours on the Warden’s phone – 07843 167449.