South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park

What South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park does

South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park is a family-run holiday park founded in 2006 and operated by owners David and Joanne (Jo) Bridgen, with a management team including Debbie and Phil Tonks and director Matt Bridgen. The park occupies 20 acres of Dorset countryside three miles from Poole, near the Jurassic Coast, and operates seasonally from March to January. It holds an AA Five-Star Platinum Award (maintained for ten consecutive years), a VisitEngland Five-Star Gold Award with a 99% quality score maintained since 2019, the Diamond Loo of the Year Award, and the AA Overall Campsite of the Year title won in 2021.

The company's core product is a diversified accommodation portfolio spanning serviced touring and camping pitches (from £28 per night) for caravans, motorhomes, tents, roof tents, campervans and rallies, alongside five distinct glamping formats (from £75 per night): hand-built star-gazing Mongolian yurts, shepherd huts, glamping pods with underfloor heating, nomadic bell tents, and restored Romany caravans. Underlying technology is commodity SaaS — a Gemapark-powered online booking engine, Sage Pay payment processing, Mailchimp for email marketing, Unify Protect for CCTV, and Google Analytics for site tracking. The firm monetises ancillary revenue streams including an on-site café (Coffee Mongers, Dorset Tea), the Airstream Manor's Tap Bar, visiting food vendors (fish and chips, Thai, pizza), cycle hire, an on-site shop and pet fees (£5 per pet per night).

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the park's own booking system and phone, supplemented by Booking.com and TripAdvisor for international reach, magazine-driven demand through Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome Top 100 Sites Guide, and affiliation through Premier Parks and HARPA. Customers are primarily UK leisure travellers segmented horizontally across families, couples, pet owners, motorhome enthusiasts, glamping enthusiasts and accessibility-needs guests, with no disclosed B2B concentration.

Name

South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park

Legal name

South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park

Website

https://southlytchettmanor.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Lytchett Manor is a family-run caravan, camping and glamping park in Dorset, England, on 20 acres three miles from Poole. It offers 10+ accommodation types including hand-built yurts, shepherd huts and glamping pods, serving UK leisure travellers and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holiday Park Accommodation

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (72121), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Glamping Resorts (Luxury Tents, Domes, Yurts) (THAGAOAC), Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB)

Keywords

• Caravan park accommodation
• Camping pitches
• Glamping holidays
• Holiday park site
• Touring caravan pitches

Headquarters

HQ city

Poole

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Touring and Camping Pitches: Revenue from renting out pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes, tents, roof tents, and camper vans. Includes fully serviced pitches with electric hook-up, waste disposal, and TV connection.
2. Glamping Accommodation: Revenue from shepherd huts, glamping pods, star-gazing yurts, nomadic bell tents, and Romany caravans. All units sleep up to four guests (two adults, two children).
3. Food and Beverage: On-site café serving coffee, pastries, cakes, and cream teas. The Manor's Tap bar serving drinks. Visiting food vendors including Surf and Turf fish and chips, Funky Fries, Taste of Thai, and new pizza van.
4. Cycle Hire: Bike rental service from reception with helmets, puncture repair kits, and locks included. Multi-day discounts available.
5. On-site Retail: Well-stocked shop selling holiday essentials and local produce. Gift shop.
6. Facility Fees: Charges for boat/jet ski parking, pet-friendly accommodations (£5 per pet per night), and various guest services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

South Lytchett Manor operates a multi-accommodation holiday park on a 20-acre countryside site three miles from Poole, Dorset. The park sells serviced touring, camping and motorhome pitches alongside five distinct glamping accommodation types (star-gazing yurts, shepherd huts, glamping pods, nomadic bell tents and Romany caravans), supported by on-site food and beverage, cycle hire and rally group bookings. Bookings are taken direct via the park's own website and phone, and through Booking.com and TripAdvisor, with pricing from £28 per night for pitches and from £75 per night for glamping, plus a £50 deposit.

Product overview

South Lytchett Manor is an award-winning caravan and camping park offering a unified holiday experience across touring, camping and glamping accommodations on a 20-acre countryside site three miles from Poole. The core product comprises serviced touring pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents with access to five-star heated amenities. Glamping options include five distinct accommodation types: Star-gazing Yurts (Mongolian yurts with skylights and log burners), Shepherd Huts (traditional curved-roof design), Glamping Pods (contemporary with underfloor heating), Nomadic Bell Tents (spacious canvas tents with artistic styling), and Romany Caravans (restored traditional wagons with period details). On-site facilities include the Café at the Gates, The Manor's Tap Bar (Airstream conversion), and visiting food vendors including pizza, fish and chips, and Thai cuisine. Additional services include cycle hire and rally group bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Touring Pitches (Caravans) Serviced pitches for touring caravans with electric hook-up, waste disposal and TV connection on the 20-acre park, available to leisure travellers from £28 per night.
• Motorhome Pitches Full-service pitches for motorhomes including electric hook-up, waste disposal, TV connection and dedicated parking for self-drive leisure travellers.
• Camping Pitches Grass pitches for tent camping with access to award-winning heated amenities blocks and full park facilities.
• Roof Tent Camping Pitches suitable for vehicles fitted with roof tents, positioned on the 20-acre Dorset park with access to all amenities.
• Camper Van Pitches Pitches for camper vans with park facilities and access to award-winning amenities blocks.
• Star-gazing Yurts Hand-built Mongolian yurts with crown wheel skylights for direct night sky viewing, gas-controlled log burner, Moroccan-inspired interior and kitchenette with coffee machine; sleeping four (king-size bed and two single futons); some units wheelchair accessible.
• Shepherd Huts Hand-built traditional curved-roof shepherd huts with compact kitchenette (two-burner hob, fridge, coffee machine), efficient heating, double bed with two pull-out single beds; pet-friendly options available.
• Glamping Pods Contemporary hand-built pods with underfloor heating, efficient space design, natural light, small kitchenette and comfortable furnishings, sleeping four (double bed and two single futon beds).
• Nomadic Bell Tents Spacious 5m diameter circular canvas tents with artistic interior styling, rich textiles, king-size bed and two single futons; access to award-winning amenities; pet-friendly options available.
• Romany Caravans Authentic traditional bow-top wagons lovingly restored with hand-painted exteriors, period details, private decking with outdoor seating and a cosy electric log burner; sleeping four.
• Touring & Motorhome Rallies Group booking option for touring and motorhome rallies with coordinated arrangements for multiple units.
• Café at the Gates On-site café serving barista-style coffee (beans from local supplier Coffee Mongers), Dorset Tea, freshly baked pastries, cakes, muffins, cream teas and homemade chicken eggs; open seasonally.
• The Manor's Tap Bar Airstream bar serving wine, beer, soft drinks and cocktails; open daily May-September from 4pm-8pm with a Happy Hour offering £5 selected drinks between 4pm-5pm.
• The Manor's Crust Pizza Wagon Handmade pizza van serving fresh pizzas from 4pm-8pm opposite The Manor's Tap Bar during peak season 2026.
• Cycle Hire Bike hire from reception with helmets, puncture repair kits and locks included; selection of adult, junior, child and infant bikes; multi-day discounts offered.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% quality score - AA Five-Star Platinum Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coffee MongersminorOthersLocal artisan coffee producer that delivers fresh coffee beans weekly to the on-site café.
• Dorset TeaminorOthersLocal tea supplier providing tea products for the on-site café.
• Surf and Turf (Fish and Chip Van)minorOthersLocal fish and chip catering business visiting the park twice weekly during high season on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Funky FriesminorOthersDorset-based mobile catering business specializing in fries with unique toppings. Visits park on Mondays during shoulder and high season.
• Taste of ThaiminorOthersThai food catering van serving favorite Thai dishes at the park during season.
• HARPAcoreOthersHoliday and Residential Park Association membership providing industry representation and standards.
• St Peters Finger (Hall and Woodhouse)minorOthersLocal pub 10-minute walk from park. Offers free bottle of wine voucher (with purchase of two main meals) for park guests.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Hipcamp: Outdoor-stay marketplace aggregating campsites, glamping and unique stays across the UK and US. Comparable as a demand-side aggregator and benchmark for the wider outdoor-stay category.
• The Green Escape: Dorset-based glamping operator offering shepherd huts and bell tents in the Purbeck/Dorset region. Directly comparable on Dorset location, glamping product mix and small-scale owner-operated model.
• Featherdown: Network of UK farms and countryside sites offering glamping-style accommodation including yurts and bell tents. Comparable on the glamping portfolio mix (yurts, bell tents) and rural positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Haven Holidays: Major UK holiday park chain with coastal parks combining touring, touring pitches and entertainment. Comparable on family UK holiday-park positioning and amenity-driven stays, though much larger and more entertainment-led.
• Center Parcs UK: UK family short-break resort operator with lodges, on-site dining and activities. Comparable on the family short-break positioning and on-site amenity density, though at substantially higher price points.
• Parkdean Resorts: Largest UK holiday park operator with 65+ parks across touring, camping and lodge segments. Comparable on the caravan/holiday park core product but operates at national chain scale versus South Lytchett's single-site, owner-operated model.

Others

• Canopy & Stars: UK glamping and unusual-stay booking platform/aggregator. Comparable as an ecosystem channel rather than direct competitor; relevant for distribution-side context.

Direct peers

• Away Resorts: Multi-site UK holiday parks operator with touring, glamping and lodge accommodation. Closest comparable on combining touring pitches with bespoke glamping accommodation in regional UK locations.
• Forest Holidays: UK cabin and glamping operator offering premium woodland accommodation with on-site facilities. Comparable on the premium experiential outdoor stay positioning and on-site F&B and activity layer.

Regional players

• Shorefield Holidays: Family-run Dorset/Hampshire holiday park operator with touring, camping and glamping units. Highly comparable on regional Dorset positioning, family ownership and the mix of pitches plus distinctive glamping units.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/campsitedorset
• YouTubeyoutu.be/il11rIDxfzo
• Facebookfacebook.com/campsitedorset
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-lytchett-manor-caravan-and-camping-park-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/campsitedorset

Compliance18 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park