Matley Wood Campsite

This is deliberately back-to-basics camping: grassland and trees take priority over toilet and shower blocks. Pitches sit in secluded woodland clearings, and the reward is a strong sense of actually being in the forest rather than parked beside it. If you want facilities, look elsewhere. If you want to unzip the tent into trees and open grass, this is the one.

• No toilets and no showers on site. You must bring your own chemical toilet; a chemical-toilet disposal point is provided.
• No electricity, so plan for an off-grid stay with your own lighting and power.
• Drinking-water taps are available.
• Parking is available, on a free gravel area serving the campsite.
• Pitches suit tents, trailer tents, touring caravans, motorhomes and converted vehicles, with seasonal pitches and rally or group use supported.
• The campsite is seasonal, not year-round, so check before planning a trip outside the main camping season.

Permits are collected at Denny Wood campsite reception on arrival, so factor that stop into your journey. Aim for a daylight arrival, as choosing a spot among the trees and finding the water taps is simpler before dusk. Pack a full self-contained kit, including your chemical toilet, water containers, torches or lanterns and cooking gear. Some visitors have found the ground stony enough to bend ordinary tent pegs, so stronger pegs and a mallet are a sensible insurance policy.

Walking and cycling start from the site itself, with routes reached around the campsite and the waymarked Waymark track 39 cycle and walking route passing through the campsite area. Note that some cycle routes require crossing the B3056, so take care at that point. Lyndhurst is nearby for shops and food, and Beaulieu's attractions are within reach by car.

Dogs are welcome. New Forest animals such as ponies and cattle roam freely and can share the surroundings. The official rule is simple: never approach or feed them. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the possibility is part of the character of staying here.

This will not suit everyone. There are no toilets, showers or hook-ups, so every comfort is one you carry in. The B3056 / Beaulieu Road runs nearby, and while some campers barely notice traffic, this is not a guaranteed-silent site. Accept the tradeoff and it is a genuinely restful place to camp; expect a serviced holiday park and you will be disappointed.