Ringstead Bay

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Ringstead Bay
Ringstead Bay and White Nothe.JPG
Ringstead Bay with White Nothe to the east in the background
Dorset UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Ringstead Bay
Location Dorset, England
Coordinates 50°37′51″N2°20′16″W / 50.6309°N 2.3378°W / 50.6309; -2.3378
Part of Jurassic Coast, English Channel
Managing agency National Trust
Website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ringstead-bay

Ringstead Bay, with the small village of Ringstead at the eastern end and the prominent headland of White Nothe at the western end, is located on the coast in Dorset, southern England. The area lies on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its natural environment and fossils. [1]

Contents

Ringstead Bay has a pebble and shingle beach with some sand. [2] [3] There are offshore reefs approximately 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi) in length at the western end opposite the village that are uncovered at low tide. This forms is intertidal zone between the low cliffs to the north and the English Channel to the south.

The Ringstead Coral Bed a geological formation exposed at Ringstead Bay, hence the name. [4] [5] [6] It preserves fossils dating back to the Jurassic period.

Immediately to the east are the white chalk cliffs of White Nothe, dominating the bay. Below is Burning Cliff. [7] It is possible to walk to the top of White Nothe and back, with views of the bay and across to the Isle of Portland. [8] It is also possible to walk to Ringstead Bay on a circular walk from Lulworth Cove to the east, via Durdle Door and White Nothe. [9]

Ringstead Bay also has a nudist beach that is a 20-minutes walk east of the main Ringstead beach. [10] [11]

Access

Ringstead Bay is accessible by way of a private road with a car park at the end near the sea and Ringstead village. There is an alternative free car park in the National Trust area further inland, with footpath access to the sea via a 15–20 minute walk.

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Nothe</span> Headland in Dorset, England

White Nothe is a chalk headland on the English Channel coast at the eastern end of Ringstead Bay, east of Weymouth in Dorset, England. The area is well known for its geology and fossils. Its flanks are the result of prehistoric landslides and the inaccessible slopes of the undercliff provide a secluded wildlife habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringstead, Dorset</span> Coastal village in Dorset, England

Ringstead is a small seaside village located on the coast in Dorset, southern England. The area lies on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its natural environment and fossils. Ringstead Bay and White Nothe are to the east. Bran Point and Osmington Mills are to the west.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bran Point</span>

Bran Point is a small headland on the Dorset coast in southern England, about halfway between the small villages of Ringstead to the east and Osmington Mills to the west. There is a picturesque cliff-top path between the two villages via Bran Point.

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Durdle Pier is a disused 17th-century stone shipping quay, located on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England; part of the Jurassic Coast. It is found close by Yeolands Quarry, on the east side of the island within the area of East Weares and Penn's Weare.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringstead Coral Bed</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ringstead</span> Deserted medieval village in Dorset, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimmeridge Ledges</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Cliff</span> Cliff in Dorset, England

Burning Cliff is a cliff under the White Nothe headland at the eastern end of Ringstead Bay, in Dorset, England. The area is well known for its geology and fossils.

References

  1. "Ringstead Bay". UK: National Trust . Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. "Ringstead Bay". thebeachguide. UK. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  3. "Ringstead Beach". Visit Dorset. UK. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  4. "Ringstead Bay". UK Fossil Collecting. UK: UK Fossils Network. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  5. "Collection: Ringstead Bay (Ringstead coral bed) England, UK". mindat.org. UK. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  6. Winder, Jessica M. (21 March 2014). "Jurassic Coral Fossils at Ringstead". Jessica's Nature Blog. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  7. "Burning Cliff, West Dorset (DT2 8NG)". getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. UK: Ordnance Survey . Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  8. West, Ian. "Ringstead Bay to White Nothe, Dorset". Geology of the Wessex Coast of Southern England. UK: University of Southampton . Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  9. Durdle Door & White Nothe circular, The South West Coast Path National Trail, UK.
  10. "Ringstead Bay Dorset". Naturist / Nudist Beaches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. UK: Saturday Walkers Club. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  11. "Ringstead Bay news from the Dorset Beaches". dorsetbeaches.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.