Ringstead Bay Camping

View prices & book 9.4 94 reviews
Bell tent overlooking the ocean
New
Campers on site
Campers on the first weekend of opening
Guests sit outside of the bell tent

  • Peaceful, rural site surrounded by woodland on the Jurassic Coast Path
  • Within five minutes’ walk of Ringstead Bay, a dog-friendly beach
  • On a working dairy farm with a shared fridge and freezer; café nearby
It pays to pack your walking boots for Ringstead Bay Camping, a peaceful, family-friendly site on a working dairy farm adjacent to the Jurassic Coast Path. Break them in with a five-minute walk to dog-friendly Ringstead Bay, before tackling the longer strolls to famed Durdle Door (under two hours’ walk) and Lulworth Cove (an extra 30 minutes of walking). This rural site should tick a lot of boxes, with its two and a half acres of relatively flat grass. There’s immediate access to footpaths from the site, but if your dog needs a quick run-around, there’s also an on-site (and off-leash) dog exercise area. You're also welcome to park next to your pitch. Nearby Ringstead Bay is a sweet spot for swimming, paddleboarding, windsurfing, surfing or launching a small boat. Let the children have a rummage through the rockpools around the reefs. Down by the bay (10 minutes’ walk or a five-minute drive from the field), there’s a café and shop with a kids’ play area and food like freshly made breakfasts, baps, woodfired pizzas and scampi and fries (ask for a takeaway if needed). They also stock basic camping essentials. Prefer to make your own meals? The on-site communal building, The Armoury, has a shared fridge and freezer. It also has lockable charging points for small devices. Elsewhere on site, there are toilets, showers, washing-up sinks and drinking water. You’re welcome to set up a fire, as long as it’s raised off the ground. The sheltered field has woodland on three sides, so access is via a private road through the woodland. Look out for the sea, Weymouth Bay and the Isle of Portland through the trees on the southern side. And here’s a nice fact about the field: it once held an American military establishment, so original bunkers, outbuildings and a World War II lookout are nearby.

Site type

Tent sites 40
Rent a tent 10
Open now
Opens July 25
Please note
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jul 25 to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 63%
    10
  • 23%
    9
  • 9%
    8
  • 2%
    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
3

98% would recommend this site to a friend

98% would stay here again

What customers say

Ringstead Bay Camping is a peaceful, roomy spot with great sea views and forest access to a quiet beach. Guests love the super-clean facilities, friendly staff, and handy fridges/freezers/charging. Some noted uneven ground and facility distance. Recommended for a relaxing coastal nature trip.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 10
Arrival date (latest first)

Amazing views, 5 min walk to the beach. 30 minute walk to…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Daniella K.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Amazing views, 5 min walk to the beach. 30 minute walk to lovely pub along the coastal path and then the other way it’s a 10 minute walk to a beach cafe. Toilets and showers are basic but kept really clean.
We couldn’t fault it, had such a lovely stay in this beautiful and peaceful spot and would definitely return again next year.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful site with stunning views and an excellent location.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
leigh j.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The view!!!! It’s a stunning site, set amongst the trees and with an amazing view of the sea. Next to a forest and right along the coastal footpath which has some breathtaking views.
Check in was easy and the staff made sure to keep checking that everything was good.
It had a lovely, family feel without loud music and disruption.
No WiFi which was actually fab!

Disliked The pitch was a bit sloped - we couldn’t really set up a table to cook outside because everything kept sliding off. The owners did say that they’re planning on rolling it to be ready for next season though.
I’d suggest more washing up facilities. These seemed to be busy and each time we had to queue for a while.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, we’ll be back

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Bell tent

Liked Very welcoming and friendly staff. Lots of space, lovely bell tents. Very clean and modern facilities. Short walk to beach.

Disliked Not all bell tents have a sea view.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful site with views of the sea, clean facilities and great staff

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite (solo, small)

Liked Accessibility, friendliness of staff, atmosphere and facilities at site

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great setting. The campsite was comfortable and clean. The people working there…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
No rating
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great setting. The campsite was comfortable and clean. The people working there were helpful and friendly. We’d come back - thank you!

Recommend to friends Visit again

camping at its best!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked amazing location, super friendly host, very clean

Recommend to friends Visit again

I had a wonderful stay and would definitely recommend to anyone!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Samantha H.

Primitive grass tent campsite (solo, small)

Liked Very clean showers and toilets. Lovely welcome to the site amd very informative. Great location to access the Coast Path.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place! We stayed in a bell tent for 3 nights. Very…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Bell tent

Liked Great place! We stayed in a bell tent for 3 nights. Very quiet, family friendly camp site, with very good and clean facilities. Close to the beach - 4 minutes by walk, with crystal clear water. Excellent pizza from beach Caffe. Close to the coastal walk, a perfect place to discover the surrounding area. We will be back.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great camp site. It is new and they are trying really hard.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Amy L.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The toilets & showers were pretty much always being cleaned which was great to see.
Lovely view & just minutes walk from the beach.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities,…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
6
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
2
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Facilities,

Disliked Road, expensive

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Beach access Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Fishing nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Ringstead Bay Camping

Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Farm

Dorchester

Dorset

England

DT2 8NF

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.63426°N
2.36157°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7 km Marks and Spencer
9.9 km South Station
18.7 km Red Lion
Rail
6.9 km Weymouth Rail Station
7.6 km Upwey Rail Station
8.2 km Moreton (Dorset) Rail Station
Ferry
6.8 km Weymouth Ferry Terminal
27.3 km Poole Ferry Terminal
27.9 km Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
40.6 km Bournemouth International Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Those who pack their walking boots can have a nice time mapping out potential routes. There’s a stunning route east to White Nothe (less than an hour’s walk). Osmington Mills (15 minutes’ walk or 10 minutes’ drive) and a popular 17th-century pub are in the other direction. Walk further west to reach Bowleaze Cove and Weymouth’s sandy beach and attractions like an aquarium and miniature golf. Driving to Lulworth (25 minutes)? Pay a visit to the abandoned village of Tyneham (half an hour), which can be visited when the firing ranges are closed, or take a round-about route to The Tank Museum (20 minutes) and Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre (20 minutes). If you’re going west by car, perhaps consider touring the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (35 minutes), Lyme Regis (an hour) and West Bay (45 minutes), the filming location for Broadchurch.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Ringstead Bay 0.8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bowleaze Cove 4.3 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 5.8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door West 6.1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door East 6.3 km Sea N/AExcellentN/AExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 6.1 km

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 7.2 km

Lulworth Heritage Centre 8 km

The Tank Museum 10.7 km

Lulworth Castle & Park 10.8 km

National Trust

Max Gate 9.4 km

Hardy's Cottage 10.8 km

Clouds Hill 12 km

Corfe Castle 21.4 km

White Mill 28.4 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Ringstead - Osmington Mills - Osmington Walk 0.6 km

Osmington Mills - Ringstead - Upton 0.9 km

Ringstead Bay - Chaldon Down - Ringstead Bay 1.4 km

South Down NT Car Park - Scratchy Bottom 1.5 km

South Down Car Park - White Horse Hill - Osmington - Osmington Mill - Ringstead - South Down CP 1.5 km

Local events

  • Dorset County Show (Saturday, September 6, 2025 – Saturday, September 6, 2025)

    Dorchester, England 10.8 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Dorset?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Ringstead Bay Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Ringstead Bay Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Ringstead Bay Camping? Those who pack their walking boots can have a nice time mapping out potential routes. There’s a stunning route east to White Nothe (less than an hour’s walk). Osmington Mills (15 minutes’ … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Ringstead Bay Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Ringstead Bay Camping? From $33.69 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.