Other UK Godshill
Sandy Balls Holiday Village
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated August 2026 · paw rating built from 7 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You're basing yourself in Godshill / the Other UK and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- Pet-mentioning reviewers spoke positively about the dog-friendly setup
Worth knowing
- Pet limits: max 2 pets, Breeds and crossbreeds covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act are not accepted, including the XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa, and any dog legally required to be muzzled cannot stay - research-verified; the fee isn't published, so confirm the charge when you book
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 7 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 779 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 7.7/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: August 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Please note that dogs are only allowed upon request and subject to approval. Please note that dogs will incur an additional charge of GBP 45 for stays of 6 nights or fewer and GBP 60 for stays of 7 nights or more per pet. A maximum of 2 dogs is allowed per accommodation.
- Dogs are welcome in every accommodation type on the park, including the top grades.
- Dogs must be kept tethered at all times while on the park.
- Dogs must not be left in the accommodation unattended.
- Two of the park's eating places welcome dogs and serve a dog menu.
- There is no size limit on dogs, as long as the dog fits through the door.
- Dogs must be house trained and kept on a lead wherever that applies.
- On-site pet amenities: dog shower in the Knightwood lodges.
- Restricted breeds: Breeds and crossbreeds covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act are not accepted, including the XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa, and any dog legally required to be muzzled cannot stay
Pet-friendly summary
Sandy Balls Holiday Village is a large, facility-packed holiday park in the New Forest near Fordingbridge, and it is set up for dogs on a scale most parks are not. The park's own dog policy covers every accommodation type on site, including the top grades, two of the eating places welcome dogs and serve a dog menu, and the Knightwood lodges have a dog shower for washing off the forest.
The forest is the real reason to come here with a dog. Walks start more or less at the lodge door, with open heath, woodland tracks and New Forest wildlife on all sides, while the park itself has pools, bars, a shop and an activity programme if there are children to entertain as well. Guests travelling with dogs mention a doggy welcome bag on arrival and staff who will place a more reactive dog in a quieter, better-positioned lodge if you ask.
The costs need planning for. Dogs have to be requested and approved in advance and carry a per-dog charge that steps up on longer stays, and guests have been caught out by that not being obvious at the point of booking. The figures, the two-dog limit and the park's lead and supervision rules are all set out below.
The bigger caveat is condition. Lodge quality varies a lot across the park: some are modern and genuinely lovely, others are described as tired and basic. Cleanliness is the recurring complaint, and it lands hardest on the units that take dogs, with guests arriving to hair across carpets and soft furnishings and to a strong smell of dog or damp in the bedrooms. Booking a higher-grade lodge and reading recent feedback on that specific unit type is time well spent.
Sandy Balls suits active families with a dog who want a big New Forest base with plenty to do, and who are happy to pay the per-dog fee and choose their lodge carefully. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Dogs welcome in every accommodation type
- Dog menu at two on-site eating places
- Dog shower in the Knightwood lodges
- Forest walks from the lodge door
- Per-dog fee and advance approval needed
- Lodge condition varies, book a higher grade
About this hotel
Sandy Balls Holiday Village is a large holiday park set in the New Forest near Fordingbridge in Hampshire. Lodges and caravans sit among the trees alongside pools, bars, a shop and a full activity programme, with forest walks starting at the door and dogs welcome in every accommodation type on the park.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Sandy Balls Holiday Village, Godshill, SP6 2JZ