A Winters Day at Ringstead Bay

As a family we have challenged ourselves to visit every beach in Dorset and we made a good start in 2015 by ticking off Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Swanage, Portland, Charmouth, West Bay, Lyme Regis, Kimmeridge Bay and Burton Bradstock as well as the 7 miles of beach we have in our home town of Bournemouth.

Yesterday we headed to the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth and had planned to go up in the Sea Life Tower too but sadly it was closed. I was going to take the kids onto the beach in Weymouth but as we drove in I remembered seeing a sign for Ringstead Bay, somewhere which had been recommended to me but we hadn’t yet visited, so we headed back out-of-town in search of somewhere new to visit.

Ringstead Bay lies on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its natural beauty and fossils. The car park is a short walk from the beach and as we rounded the corner of the path to get a view of the beach it was a real “WOW” moment.

Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Bay has a pebble and shingle beach with some sand and Sebby wasn’t sure at first as the shingle was quite tricky to walk on, however he soon found his balance and headed down towards the water where they all threw pebbles into the water to make different sounds.

Ringstead Bay

There was lots of seaweed and other debris washed up on the beach thanks to the recent storms and we found a couple of mermaids purses, but Eliza was far more interested in spinning around and using the seaweed like a gymnasts ribbon.

We then headed around the corner and down the wooden steps to another section of the beach. This was framed by clay cliffs and the kids were fascinated by the soft texture of the clay which was dotted along the beach. We didn’t find any fossils as I didn’t want the kids too close to the cliffs as they are unstable because of the amount of rain we have had recently.

Ringstead Bay

We spent a good two hours exploring the bay and playing on the beach. We even spotted a couple of Cormorants on top of a pole who appeared to be having an in-depth conversation with each other.

Ringstead Bay

It was a lovely afternoon by the sea and we certainly be back when it is warmer as there is a small outcrop of rock which appears when the tide is low which we want to explore. We could just make it out as waves were breaking over it.

Ringstead Bay

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

41 thoughts on “A Winters Day at Ringstead Bay”

  1. I challenged myself to do this last year and must get back to it! Such a fab idea as we have so many lovely beaches here and so many I’ve never heard of like this one. Popping it on my list! Lovely photos x

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  2. Looks like you had so much fun. Although I always enjoy myself when I take the kids to a beach when it’s cold, I am really struggling with the cold whilst pregnant this time round! Stunning photos x

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  3. I love exploring new beaches, it looks like you have uncovered a real gem here and by the looks of it you were the only ones there.Perhaps it was just as well the sea life tower was closed, this looks just as much fun. Some gorgeous photos as always and now I can see where your Sunday photo comes from! It really struck me looking at these pictures how much the little ones are growing up, treasure these family trips, they are the ones you will remember. Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids.

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  4. Aww I miss being near the beach. Look likes you’ve a lovely one here. What a fab challenge to set. Could I ask you a huge favour please – if you get a mo please could you add it to http://www.cankidsgo.com (submit a place, beach) to share with other people out and about as to how family friendly it is. Thank you xx

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  5. This looks like a gorgeous day out. I love a trip to the beach. There is nothing quite like it. And a trip to the beach on a cold, wintery day is the best ever. I love the idea of this challenge. And I can’t wait to read more about it. Hugs Lucy xxxx

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  6. You certainly are lucky living near such a beautiful area of the coastline. I think my boys would enjoy looking for fossils too. I can not believe how big S is!

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  7. Sounds like a great family challenge! What a lovely day out, even in the cold and what a beautiful beach too. I really want to see more of that part of the world

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  8. What a fab idea of visiting all the beaches in Dorset. We’ve not ben to many but plan to this year. We’ve been to Sandbanks which was awesome. The beaches are always better when quiet. What a lovely family day out.

    Laura x

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  9. I love your ambition to visit all the beaches in Dorset. This one looks spectacular. Most of our local beaches are sandy. I think my kids would really enjoy a bisit to a pebble beach.

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  10. What a great challenge you set yourself, you’ve done really well since last year too. That is a fantastic way to explore new places. Personally I haven’t been to many beaches in the UK. I have heard Weymouth is beautiful, my neighbour in his 80s has family there, he spends a lot of time there in the holidays. I shall ask him if he has ventured to Ringstead Bay.
    Your little look super happy, it nice they are using their imaginations to play, seaweed skipping would be my choice too. 🙂
    Thank you x

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  11. SO beautiful – your photos are just gorgeous – I love your idea of visiting every beach – I would like to do that in Pembrokeshire this year, there are so many we haven’t been to. Kaz x

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  12. oh my gosh the movie is adorable, reminds me so much of my kids loving throwing peebles in the water and carrying Teddy even at the beach. Aspen always thought she was Ariel too #whatevertheweather

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  13. Looks like you had a great time on the beach. A really nice find! We visited Weymouth for the first time last October. Had a fab time and the beaches are great. We definitely need to return to explore more. #whatevertheweather

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  14. Wow i love how many you’ve been too so far! I love Ringstead Bay. I used to live in Lyme Regis and we used to do the same as you and go fossil hunting on all the beaches up and down the Jurassic coast. It’s amazing what you find! I used to love collecting driftwood to make stuff with. What a beautiful day out with gorgeous pictures of the little ones playing together. Thank you for sharing your adventure on #whatevertheweather x

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  15. It looks like a gorgeous beach to visit, the clay cliffs sound intriguing although I can understand that you would want to keep clear after all the heavy rain. I love how kids can entertain themselves so well when given the opportunity to explore. Good luck visiting all the beaches, have you got them mapped out? Thanks so much for linking up to #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x

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