Studland, Dorset – Nortent Skjul Bivvi Camp
Mid- June 2026
This trip reminded me that sometimes plans go wrong.
I have camped on both sides of the peninsula before and know the area quite well. This time, however, plenty didn’t go to plan.
Here is the YouTube link to the kit video of everything I took, including why I went with the Nortent Skjul setup: A beach camp in Dorset was the plan.
I crossed from Sandbanks on the chain ferry and followed the harbour-side coastline.I collected so much litter along the shore that I had to divert to Knoll Beach Café to find a bin and dispose of it. I then walked away from the busy café area in the direction of Knoll beach and the ferry.
It was bird nesting season, so I stayed on the main paths and avoided sensitive areas as I checked out Little Sea, which is the inland lake.
For the full write-up, including photos and route details from my Walk, you can read the main blog post here: Exploring Studland Peninsula, Dorset.
The beach stayed busy until late, and I wasn’t able to set until a little after 10pm. I found a small clearing amongst the beach grass at the back of the beach.
At around 12:30am, I was woken by a group of people walking along the beach carrying a powerful torch. They swept the beam across the sand and directly over my camp, lighting up the grass around me.
They continued down the beach, turned inland, and later returned the same way along the beach.
By then, I had quietly removed the pegs from the Skjul and dragged it a few metres behind denser grass cover. They passed again without noticing me.
Getting There
I parked in a free on-street space on Chaddesley Road in Canford Cliffs and walked approximately 1.5 miles (2.4km) to the Sandbanks Ferry.
A foot passenger ticket from Sandbanks to Studland costs £1.18. The return journey is free for foot passengers.
The ferry and Ferry Road are privately owned and operated.
Heads Up
The entire Studland Peninsula is a nature reserve and a sensitive environment. I followed the notices and signs, stayed on the paths, and avoided going further into the heathland due to it being nesting season.
The area is also extremely dry and vulnerable to fire during warmer months. I saw the remains of several fire pits and a smouldering fire that had been discovered and was awaiting to be extinguished by the fire brigade.
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Exploring Studland Peninsula in Dorset, including Little Sea, Knoll Beach, wildlife, litter picking and a night beside the coast.
