Riversidelakes is, in a word, magical.
Checking out campsites has got to be one of the best jobs in the world. Never more so than when we find one that surpasses all expectations. And Riversidelakes is an utter gem. A jewel. A gold mine…You get the picture.
Owners Maggie and Nigel are instinctive hosts. Born and bred in Dorset, Nigel lured Maggie, a former nurse, out of the Home Counties; they married, bought a farm, built a golf course, then fell into the business of property development and renovation. Maggie’s dream to run a campsite was next on the checklist.
Riversidelakes was already a much-loved secret among locals when the couple first arrived for a reccy. But it was winter and the site looked barren. Two years later the property was still on the market, and on a second visit in the spring they fell hook, line, and sinker in love. On the eve of summer 2010, the couple and their two sons took possession of 26 acres, five Chinese geese, one duck, one swan, a cat, 20 chickens, and the season’s entire bookings.
Horton is so near the M27 that the environs don’t yet look typically ‘West Country’; you could be driving through Kent or Hampshire, not among the old, stone towns of rural Dorset. Riversidelakes has hitherto retained an aura of secrecy, whether intentional or not. Low-key signposting (if you hit Drusilla’s Inn you’ve gone too far) does little to hint at the magic that lies ahead. But once you’re in, park up and head for reception, where you’ll probably meet Maggie.
Pile your gear on to a quad-bike trailer that will lead the way to your pitch or, if you’ve booked one of the lofty tree-edged pitches there’s a path you can drive along right to your grassy door, where you can unload before parking at the top car park.
The camping area comprises 12 acres of dreamy natural meadow and woodland, with three lakes enclosed by circumferential paths and thick shrubbery. Mown pathways lead to clusters of pitches separated by long, wild grasses that offer great privacy; all that sedentary campers can see of their neighbours are the wafts of smoke rising from their braziers. At dusk the overall vista resembles the basecamp of an intrepid expedition into the wild unknown. There’s a stillness in the air. Total enchantment.
Groups really do love it here, booking out entire pitch clusters. Each cluster bears its own helpful name. So you can choose your spot according to your needs – great lake views, proximity to the facilities, sheltered woodland, treelined, and ridgeway pitches, and isolated individual hideaways – you choose.
The middle lake and its old, battered boat are popular with swimmers. The pond-brown water, squidgy, muddy floor, or the thought of brushing against sea bream and carp may put some people off, but a lot of visitors just embrace their inner wild swimmers and hop in.
Many campers bring bicycles so their charges can tear along the paths. If they’re not doing that they’re climbing trees, playing on rope swings, or watching their dads fish. As for everyone else, they’re just kicking back and enjoying the magic.
