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General
Ringstead Bay is on the coast of Dorset and takes its name from the
Village of the same name at the western end of the bay.
OS Map Ref: SY7638813 .
Access & Parking
The naturist area at the eastern end of Ringstead Bay can be reached by
two methods.
For both of these take the A353 towards Weymouth from the roundabout one
and a half miles west of Owermoigne on the A352 Wareham to Dorchester
road. After approximately two miles watch for a sign on the left for
Ringstead. The turn is extremely sharp left. Follow this narrow lane
approximately a mile through the edge of Upton, up a hill to where a
rather small wood sign points right to Ringstead or left to a National
Trust Car Park
At this point a decision has to be made. Do you wish to turn right and pay
to drive down to the village or drive straight on to the National Trust
car park? The village route This will (1999) cost you £3.00
for the privelige. There is ample parking in the village and a kiosk
selling a surprisingly large range of goods at not too high a price.
The Naturist area is a good twenty minute walk east from the entrance to
the beach along a stoney beach. Part of this walk can be negotiated along
the lower cliff edge avoiding some of the increasingly smaller pebbles.
Free route From the National Trust car park there is a sparsely signed
path leading down to the more easterly end of the beach. This results in a
much shorter walk on the pebbles. This route does however require a fairly
long uphill trek at the end of the day.
Description
The beach is pebbles and pretty quiet with nice views across towards
Weymouth. With cliffs behind and chalk pebbles below the sun can be quite
hot.. There is of course the too often obligatory hike(trainers, at least,
recommended There is LITTLE or NO possibility of being "overlooked"
as with Durdle Dor there are several hundred feet of cliff and steep hill
behind. Few textiles venture this far, those that do pay no attention to
the naturists.
Facilities
None at the beach but food and beverages can be obtained at the village.
Toilets are available in the village.
Water Quality
No infomation, but remoteness from any major settlement suggests it
should be good.
Trip Report - Family visit, evening of 24 August 2002
"We parked in the NT carpark at the top. Views from the carpark and
on the walk down are spectacular. It took us 20 mins from leaving the
carpark to reach the beach. The route down seems to have changed from our
last visit about 10 years ago and was not clearly marked. It was a warm
evening, the atomosphere pleasant and relaxing with about 5 or 6 naturist
groups enjoying the beach. In our opinion well worth a visit, I'm sorry
the previous author (July 2002) did not enjoy the day. The return walk
from the beach to the car took 25 minutes ( our youngest is 11years old).
A great place well worth a visit."
Trip Report - by MikeR July 17th 2002
"I parked in the National Trust car park at the top of the hill.
Don't!
The twenty minute walk down the steep concrete road, through a farm and across a field is not one you'd do for pleasure. When I finally got to the beach I was not kindly predisposed towards it. The beach consists of golf ball and pea sized pebbles, a mixture that makes walking particularly hard work. I turned left and trudged along, passing a few textiles. After ten minutes I realised it was at least another 10 to the end of the semi circular bay, which would have meant a total return trip to the car of 45 minutes. Squinting, I could make out some textile walkers at the far end and a couple of sunbathers but I couldn't see if they were naturists (I suspected not). It was hot and daunted by the prospect of the return I decided not to press on.
On the return ascent to the car park I tried a route that promised more shade. Mistake! It added half a mile or more to the journey and the only people I passed en route had maps, serious shoes and rucksacks.
I didn't drive down to the other access point through the village (still £3, by the way). Instead I decided to head for Durdle Door hoping for better things.
Sitting here at home in the cool I wish I had persevered and walked all
the way - maybe there would have been a naturist nirvana at the end of the
rainbow. But this is not an especially nice beach and the walk, even if
you park in the village, is quite a hard one. I'd rate this beach 3 out of
10, but I can understand some would give it 7 if they didn't mind the walk
and if they were quite confident that naturism is OK here."
Trip Report - August 1999
We approached along the beach from the Village. We were almost at the end
of the bay before we saw any other naturists. Most were settled at the
back of the beach so as not to be too obvious to the few textiles passing
by to scramble along the rocks to the point White Nothe. There was, on the
day we visited, six couples and three or four single males who appeared to
be like everyone else there to enjoy the day. The beach was very peaceful
and those who were, I think regulars were friendly. During the afternoon a
few folk arrived at settled further out on the more open part of the
beach. We had a very enjoyable day.
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