Ringstead Bay Camping

View prices & book 9.4 79 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
1/100
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 25 July
Please note
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (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 hen/stag 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, 25 July to

Site types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesRV & Motorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

9.4

Overall rating from 79 Pitchup.com customers

  • 62%
    10
  • 22%
    9
  • 11%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 3
PeacefulSpectacular scenery

97% would recommend this campground to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Ringstead Bay Camping is a quiet, roomy spot with ace sea views & direct woodland access to a chill beach. Guests rave about the spotless facilities (toilets, hot showers) and the legendarily friendly staff. Handy fridges, freezers & charging points are there too. Some found the ground a bit wonky in parts, and facilities a bit of a trek from pitches. All up, it's a ripper for a relaxed, back-to-nature coastal escape.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Facilities,

Disliked Road, expensive

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant site and perfect location.

Overall

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Absolutely loved the new site . We are fairly local leaving just 45 mins away and love ringstead beach . I'm the past we have always stayed at rosewall camping just along the road for a quick fix camping trip which we love as a site but have always driven to use beach at ringstead . This new camping site although simple its location ticks all the boxes . Even though it has mobile loo and shower blocks both spotlessly clean and always hot water for washing up and literally a 100 yards back from the beach is perfect . We loved it . Sadly we had to leave a day early as my daughter wasn't well but hoping to return next week for a couple of nights .

Disliked Zero

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing site 👌

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 4
Nathan O.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Fantastic stay!. The location is amazing overlooking Ringsread Bay. A 5 min walk through the woods and you are right on the beach. Fast phone charging boxes and lots of fridge and freezer space.
The staff are all so friendly and helpful and work really hard all day and eve to keep everywhere spotless.
The washing up station, toilets and showers are great. There are plenty of showers and we never had to wait. The staff keep them really clean and having plentiful hot water after a day on the beach was very welcome.
Plenty of room for everyone and great sea views. We would definitly recommend the site and will be returning.

Disliked Would have preferred being able to hire a firepit rather than take our own, but it wasn't a deal breaker

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good value & close to beach.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 1
Mark r.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Good flat ground and short walk to beach through woods.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved the location, only a short walk through a wood to the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 5
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Isobel B.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Loved the location, only a short walk through a wood to the beach. Nice big open field with sea views.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ringstead Bay. This is a…

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

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ringstead Bay. This is a wonderful site very close to the beach and the woods. Fabulous walk to Osmington mills and to a lovely pub. The cafe is so handy with lovely food situated 5 - 10 minutes away. Campsite facilities brilliant especially having a fridge and freezer and phone charging area. I would definitely recommend. Staff amazingly helpful.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay and I would highly recommend to anyone.

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
Dil P.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Clean toilet and warm bathroom were gtrat. Campaite was located 2 mins away from the beach.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A large family group camped together and Ringstead was perfect for what…

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
 1
Sam G.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked A large family group camped together and Ringstead was perfect for what we needed. The ground was flat and the space available was fantastic. Facilities were always clean and tidy and people were on hand when needed. The easy access to a beautiful beach was a huge plus. We were told that bookings were limited so the site was not overloaded, this made the stay very enjoyable for the whole family who aged from 1 years old to 72!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location by the sea, short walk to pebble beach.…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Location by the sea, short walk to pebble beach.

Disliked Not enough toilets (2 male, 3 female in a trailer with limited privacy). Some campers drive at high speed across field almost hitting children and dogs.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We are sorry you didn't enjoy your stay at Ringstead Bay but wish you had raised your concerns with us whilst you were here. We actually have 4 female cubicles and 2 male cubicles as well as 3 urinals. We are always working to keep the facilities clean and this is reflected in all of our other reviews.

We have had no concerns raised about campers driving too fast on site but if we were to witness it, we would deal with it.

Everyday, we try to speak to all of our campers to make sure there are no problems that we can assist with.

Obviously we are not the campsite for you.

Lovely quiet site so close to the beach. Very friendly staff, who…

Overall

8 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
 1
Amanda S.

Unpowered grass campervan, tent or trailer tent site

Liked Lovely quiet site so close to the beach. Very friendly staff, who checked in on us which was a really nice touch. Clean and spacious toilets.

Disliked Didn’t dislike anything but would be better if the site had Wi-Fi as the you couldn’t use hot spot on phones as the signal in the area is very poor.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Beach access Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump point Electric car charging point(s) 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 6 September 2025 – Saturday 6 September 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 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?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site 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 $37.51 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.