Ringstead Bay Camping

View prices & book 9.5 125 reviews
Bell tent overlooking the ocean
Bell tent overlooking the ocean
Campers on site
Campers on the first weekend of opening
Guests sit outside of the bell tent
Bell tent on the grass
Grassy pitches
Bell tent with sea views
The campsite is based next to the coast
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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

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesTravel trailer sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 125 Pitchup.com customers

  • 66%
    10
  • 22%
    9
  • 8%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    3
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 3
PeacefulSpectacular sceneryHikers’ paradise

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 13
Arrival date (latest first)

Definitely recommend this site and will be back to visit again!

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Location and scenery.
Staff attentiveness to cleanliness of toilet, shower and washing up facilities.
Very warm welcome to guests upon arrival.
Charging facilities and use of fridge/ freezer.
Short scenic walk to beach, local pub and cafe (not ideal for pushchair and trolley but we managed and it was worth it!)

Disliked Current ground condition is not ideal but was told plans are already inline to improve this - it was still perfectly manageable.
More toilets, showers and washing up facilities would be better.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful location, max. 5 min walk…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Beautiful location, max. 5 min walk to beach, number of pitches limited so you get plenty of space, great for kids, clean facilities and friendly staff. Very limited mobile signal too so a great way to digitally escape.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fab site, will definitely be booking for next year.

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
 1
Lauren B.

Bell tent

Liked Super clean bathrooms and campsite. Lovely staff. The bell tent had solar powered fairy lights set up inside which was perfect for night time. Little path takes you straight onto the beach. No internet but I think thats a positive! Free phone charging lockers and fridge freezer space.

Disliked Nothing. Fire pits would be good, but definitely not essential.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Highly recommended site and i will be booking to come back next year

Overall

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

Bell tent

Liked Fantastic site. Wonderful location. All the basic camping essentials you need. Staff were polite and helpful. Toilets and showers clean and well maintained. And only a 2 min walk through a forest path to the beach.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful location and lovely coastal walks…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Amanda C.

Primitive grass tent campsite (solo, small)

Liked Beautiful location and lovely coastal walks , moments walk from the beach. Clean facilities and the staff are very welcoming and friendly. Would recommend if your wanting to get away from it all and enjoy the peaceful outdoors .

Disliked The Armoury is outside of the campsite which i found bit inconvenient . Apart from that nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

Close to the sea.…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Adam B.

Bell tent

Liked Close to the sea.

Disliked Distance away from the camp site of any phone charging facilities. Hard uneven ground. Very noisy snorer - pitches too close to one another.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I stayed here for two nights…

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
Jessica B.

Primitive grass tent campsite (solo, small)

Liked I stayed here for two nights and absolutely loved it. The location is stunning, with incredible views over the sea and direct access to the coastal path — I walked to Lulworth Cove which was amazing. At night it was so peaceful and quiet, with no roads or buildings around, just the most beautiful starry skies.
The facilities were spotless, with toilets and showers kept sparkling clean (the staff seemed to be constantly checking and looking after them). Speaking of the staff, they were some of the friendliest and most helpful I’ve come across — they made such a fuss of my dog Rodney, and even helped me clean him up when he managed to roll in something unpleasant!
It’s such a special, tranquil spot, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ll definitely be coming back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great place to stay

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely campsite - beautiful views of the hills and sea, great access to the beach and clean, functioning facilities
Friendly, helpful staff

Disliked Could have had slightly improved signage so route to beach etc was clear....but a minor technicality

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely recommend to others, and we’ll be returning!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Charlie M.

Bell tent

Liked The location of the campsite was excellent. It was a perfect location for camping as a family, or just as a couple.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Close to beach, good showers, pub not far.

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
James L.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Very close to the beach, hosts were very friendly and welcoming.
Showers very clean and high pressure.
Peaceful and campfires allowed.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Campfires allowed

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 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.

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 $33.65 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.