Dan posted an update
a year ago (edited)
Knoll Beach, Studland, Dorset
Late September 2024
A beautiful place with beautiful views.
I visited this area before the summer for a recce and I promised to return once the summer had ended and the visitors had all left.
There are so many spots along the beach and in the dunes to choose from. I chose a kind of cove into the dunes but on the beach.
I’d never camped on a beach before and the sound of the waves was nice but I was unsure how high the tide would be and how close to the camp, but I needn’t have worried as it didn’t get anywhere close to where I had camped.
The view of the stars was awesome along with all the lights from the boats out to sea as they entered and exited Poole harbour.
The night I camped on the beach, the temperature dropped to below 5° Celsius / 41° Fahrenheit and it was beautifully bleak.
The beach had the feeling of remoteness despite the lights of Bournemouth in the distance.
There were only a few visitors in the area of the ferry as I arrived at dusk and I saw no one else on any part of the beach during the night or in the morning. I did see some people fishing and a few dog walkers near the ferry as I approached in the morning.
Coordinates:
50°40’09.8″N 1°56’35.9″W
Getting there:
I came via the Sandbanks’ Ferry as a foot passenger. The fare for a foot passenger is £1 from Sandbanks to Studland and the return journey from Studland to Sandbanks is free for foot passengers.
Check out the website for the cost of vehicles and the operating times https://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/ . A good tip is that the bus service from Bournemouth to Swanage includes the cost of the ferry in the ticket price. The bus number is the 50 Purbeck Breezer and there are bus stops all along Ferry road which runs through the Studland Peninsula.
This time of year the ferry isn’t busy but during the summer it is choker block with large queues for vehicles.
There is a car park on Ferry road not far after alighting from the ferry. It’s not a huge car park and is roughly 1 mile / 1.6 km from where I camped if you follow the coast.
During the summer, there are many vehicles that park along the road but I am unsure what the parking rules are.
Heads up:
Like I said, Studland gets extremely busy in the summer and most locals avoid the area. There are long queues for the ferry but it is possible to drive the long way around to get to the other side.
Ferry road is privately owned and the National Trust owns and maintains the heathland and beaches in Studland. During the summer months, they do frequent patrols and move on anyone who they find camping.
I camped on the Poole harbour side in June and I didn’t have any issues.The area is popular with dog walks all year around so you are more likely to bump into these guys.
Knoll beach is home to a popular and possibly the best known naturist beach in the UK. There’s a section devoted to naturists and there are signs warning you that you are entering the area and may see naked people.
About 9 pm I did start to hear music in the distance and the revving up of cars. I presumed it was coming from either the restaurant on Ferry road close to the ferry or car enthusiasts meeting up along the road.
The road is some way from where I had camped and walking through the heathland and sand dunes in the dark is treacherous, so I knew no one would be visiting.
#dorset #bivi #studland #knollbeach #beach
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