Ringstead Bay Camping

View prices & book 9.6 38 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
1/70
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.

Campground 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.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jul 25 to

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

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

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 38 Pitchup.com customers

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    10
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    9
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    8
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 3
Peaceful

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

Ringstead Bay Camping provides a peaceful, spacious getaway with great sea views and woodland access to a quiet beach. Guests rave about the super clean facilities (toilets, showers) & friendly staff. Helpful amenities like fridges, freezers & charging points are on-site. Some pitches are a bit uneven, and facilities are occasionally distant. A top choice for a relaxing coastal escape.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 4
Arrival date (latest first)

The facilities were fantastic and not a very far walk from the…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Rylan S.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The facilities were fantastic and not a very far walk from the beach! Amazing value for money and we had a fantastic time! We are planning on going back regularly. Real shame it is only a pop up as we wish we could go all year round!

Disliked The only downside of the camp was the location of the armory, would be ideal if they had a pop up cabin on site with the fridge and phone lockers for easier access. The walk was only 5 mins though so it was not too bad

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant location, clean facilities…

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
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Brilliant location, clean facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will be back!

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
Tracy C.

Primitive grass tent campsite (solo, small)

Liked Amazingly friendly and helpful staff!
Fantastic position 5 minute walk to the beach, woodland walks and perfect for the Coast Path!
Fires and dogs allowed!
Very spacious even when fully booked
Good to have phone charge, fridge, freezer facility
Quiet, no shop
Very clean toilets
Good washing up facilities with ecover!
Not great reception so had the excuse to switch off!

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely,.well planned out campsite. We will be back for sure.

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
 7
Bryony B.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Happy lads checking on the site regularly. Beautifully clean loos and showers.
Considerate, friendly campers, Excellent sea view and cracking beach through the woodland dell.
Perfect.

Disliked Slightly farmy underfoot but totally fine in the sunshine and understandable with a dry spring.. but could get muddy if we get a lot of rain so bring wellies if that's the case. Sorted.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely atmosphere Clean and good facilities Great location Friendly welcome…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely atmosphere
Clean and good facilities
Great location
Friendly welcome

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place for a cheap seaside escape.

Overall

9 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
Tom J.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely site with sea views and a short walk to the pebble beach. Good facilities with toilets and hot showers on mains water that were cleaned regularly. Also has fridges, freezer and charging points. Very helpful and friendly staff too.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Ideal location for a peaceful stay

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Beautifully clean hot water for washing up and close to the beach and other seaside resorts and places of interest

Disliked Fridge and charging station not with the pitches they are located at the barrier which you have to drive back

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for visiting us. As a pop-up campsite, we are not permitted to have any permanent buildings on the field. We therefore decided to renovate and make use of an existing building, located less than a 5 minute walk from the site. The building we use to house our fridges, freezer and charging points is The Armoury which has a rich history dating back to the Second World War. If you prefer to drive, it is a 1 minute drive from the site. Hope to see you again.

I loved it, can’t wait to come back.

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Cute site. Sea view, nice 5 minute walk to the beach.
Clean showers and toilets. Friendly staff.

Disliked The only thing I would suggest is having a separate tap for the drinking water. As queuing to get water whilst people washed up seemed to frustrate other guests in the camp.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your review. We do have a drinking water tap located at the side of the toilet block.

We look forward to seeing you again!

We absolutely loved our stay at Ringstead Bay Camping! If you’re looking…

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
Razvan Ioan P.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked We absolutely loved our stay at Ringstead Bay Camping! If you’re looking for a spacious, peaceful spot that feels like it’s far from civilisation but still close enough to everything you need – this is it.

The location is perfect. Just a short walk to the beach and lovely beach cafés, yet the site itself is quiet, open, and surrounded by nature. It’s the best of both worlds.

The host was absolutely lovely – warm, welcoming, and always quick to respond to emails. Communication was easy from start to finish, and any questions were answered promptly and helpfully.

One of the real highlights was the cleanliness of the site. The block of facilities was spotless throughout our stay and clearly cleaned multiple times a day. It made such a difference and showed how much care goes into running this place.

We genuinely couldn’t have asked for more. Can’t wait to come back again soon – this place is a real hidden treasure!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really lovely campsite! Highly recommend

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
Joanne N.

Bell tent

Liked Great Location
Clean toilets/showers
Good sized glamping tents (fit 6 people comfortably)
Easy access to the beach
Not overcrowded
Friendly staff

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

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 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

Bus
4.3 mi Marks and Spencer
6.2 mi South Station
11.6 mi Red Lion
Rail
4.3 mi Weymouth Rail Station
4.7 mi Upwey Rail Station
5.1 mi Moreton (Dorset) Rail Station
Ferry
4.2 mi Weymouth Ferry Terminal
17 mi Poole Ferry Terminal
17.4 mi Poole Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
25.3 mi 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 0.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bowleaze Cove 2.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Weymouth Lodmoor 3.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door West 3.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Durdle Door East 3.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentN/AExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Weymouth Sea Life Park and Marine Sanctuary 3.8 mi

Radipole Lake Nature Reserve 4.5 mi

Lulworth Heritage Centre 5 mi

The Tank Museum 6.7 mi

Lulworth Castle & Park 6.7 mi

National Trust

Max Gate 5.8 mi

Hardy's Cottage 6.7 mi

Clouds Hill 7.5 mi

Corfe Castle 13.3 mi

White Mill 17.7 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Ringstead - Osmington Mills - Osmington Walk 0.4 mi

Osmington Mills - Ringstead - Upton 0.5 mi

Ringstead Bay - Chaldon Down - Ringstead Bay 0.9 mi

South Down NT Car Park - Scratchy Bottom 0.9 mi

South Down Car Park - White Horse Hill - Osmington - Osmington Mill - Ringstead - South Down CP 0.9 mi

Local events

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

    Dorchester, England 6.7 mi

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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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 $23.96 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.