National Trust - Ringstead Bay — Attraction in Osmington

Turn off the A353 down the lane signposted Ringstead. Follow the lane and near the top of of hill there is a right turn down to a car park & cafe. It costs £5 to park near the cafe. If you want to park for free carry straight on to the National Trust Car Park which is free. From the NT car park there are great views over the bay to Weymouth & Portland. A great place to sit and enjoy the peace & tranquility. If you're feeling energetic you could walk down to the bay and the cafe. The hard bit is walking back up the hill. You can get down by leaving the car park at either end. Follow the track down the hill near the car entrance. You'll pass through a farm yard and pass the old radar station. . Leave the car park from the other end, through the gate, and follow track as it curves round down into Ringstead Bay. You pass a wood built church close to the cliff edge. Pause a while on a bench in the memorial garden. Enjoy the views. Whichever way you return you'll face a climb back up the steep hill. It might be more bearable after a tea or coffee from the cafe near the paying car...

This is a large car park in a location with stunning views and lots of footpaths.

As usual with the National Trust, it's only free for Members (and Blue Badge holders). Note that there's no machines - you will need your NT Car Badge or a smartphone (to pay).

Although the main attraction of the car park is the views out to sea and across to Portland Isle (which is well worth a visit in its own right), an added bonus is the easy access to a good number of footpaths in all directions. Head straight down to the pebble beach at Ringstead Bay itself, head east along the coast to find the "hazardous route" of the Smugglers Path, choose a westerly direction towards the kiosk & shop - take your pick.

Top tip: the Productive Panoramas "Portland & Weymouth" walking map (#49) is an excellent, detailed, waterproof guide for everything...

Scenic section of the Dorset coastline roughly midway between Lulworth Cove and Weymouth, with a large unspoilt shingle beach and great walks in both directions. The National Trust parking area (free for members) is a long walk from the beach, but well placed for stunning walks towards Durdle Door via White Nothe. In the opposite direction, a less challenging coastal path heads to Osmington Mills, with a pub and small coastal cascade. Ringstead Bay itself benefits from good views of the chalk headland to the east, and Portland to the west. The remains of two WW2 pillboxes can be seen, adding some historical interest. There are no National Trust facilities at the bay, which has its own privately operated paid parking area (higher charges apply during the summer season for the convenience of parking close...