Discovering the hidden beauty of Rame Head AONB
Rame Head is part of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is located just over the border of Cornwall on the west side of Plymouth Sound. This rocky headland divides Cawsand Bay from the wide-sweeping Whitsand Bay and provides natural protection to Plymouth Sound from westerly winds.
This forgotten corner of Cornwall remains untouched and is an escape to the wild while being just a short ferry hop from the bustling historic city of Plymouth. The southwest coast path meanders around the headland and through the villages on the way from Poole to Minehead and it is a gorgeous detour on a South West 660 road trip.
This post was written in collaboration with Unique hideaways which provides beautiful places to stay in unique locations across the UK.
Things to do on the Rame Peninsula
The peninsula contains Mount Edgcumbe House and Park, an 800-acre country park, Maker Heights once an 18th-century fortification and now a creative community as well as the wild and exposed Rame Head with its small medieval chapel, stunning views, wildlife and walks.
There are the twin fishing villages, Kingsand and Cawsand, to explore with sandy beaches, rocky coves and small narrow lanes, once the haunt of smugglers. Further along the coast on the wide expanse of Whitsand Bay are the villages of Freathy and Portwrinkle that can be seen from the headland. Inland Millbrook and Antony are small villages with their own character while Torpoint marks the northern end of the Rame Peninsula and Cremyll where the smaller ferry docks, is one of the links to nearby Plymouth.
This headland is the perfect place for a weekend away and has a number of beautiful options for places to stay with sea views. In the winter, when a westerly storm is blowing in, nothing beats being tucked up cosy watching the weather.
Walking to the Chapel at Rame Head
Driving out to Rame hamlet, the roads get narrow with high-sided hedges and passing places. The village church, St Germanus Church, which dates from the 13th century is on a sharp bend in the hamlet. The church has no electricity and relies on the unusual candle stick holders on the end of each aisle bench and the nave for light.
After the church, the road winds its way to the coast where a car parking area is found next to the lookout station. From here a kissing gate takes you out onto the headland where the chapel can be seen in the distance. It is a 10-minute walk across fields and then a final stepped slope up to the chapel. Take care in stormy weather as the chapel is extremely exposed and the winds can take you off your feet.
The chapel is within Mount Edgcumbe Country Park and is built on the site of an Iron Age hillfort and possibly later a Celtic hermitage. Records appear from 1397 for Rame Head Chapel so it was probably built sometime before this. The location of the chapel made the ideal location for watching and protecting the western approaches to Plymouth Sound where a bonfire was lit to act as an early lighthouse beacon.
Standing in front of the very simple stone chapel there are views out to Eddystone Lighthouse, across the wide sweep of Whitsand Bay and east towards Plymouth Sound and Cawsand Bay.
There are paths that follow the coast and it is possible to enjoy a circular walk along the cliffs or follow part of the South West Coast Path.
Discovering Cawsand and Kingsand
Cawsand and Kingsand are twin fishing villages, split by a small creek. Until 1844 Kingsand was in Devon and Cawsand was in Cornwall, but a boundary change brought them together in Cornwall. The villages flow into each other with brightly painted cottages that wind down to the shingle beaches. Garrett Street marks the old boundary with a marker showing the county border on one of the cottages.
Cawsand beach is made up of shingles and shells and it is a lovely spot for a swim in the clear water of Plymouth Sound. The rocks on the southern end of the beach are a good place to snorkel or discover critters in the rock pools that are exposed at low tide.
Above the villages is the large Maker Heights fort. This was built in the 18th century to protect from the French invasion, but like other forts including Brean Down in Somerset and The Mumbles in South Wales, it was never used.
From Maker Heights a woodland slopes away to the tidal creek, Millbrook Lake and Millbrook village. The wetlands here were created in the 1970s when the creek was dammed and provide a unique habitat for birds and plants.
Exploring the Gardens at Mount Edgcumbe Park
Mount Edgcumbe is a historic house and country park that covers 7km of the Rame Peninsula. The house was built between 1547 and 1550 and the Earls of Edgcumbe have seen the estate pass through the generations ever since. The house and country park is now a beautiful place to spend a day with walks, local crafts, adventure activities and homemade food.
The house has some interesting works of art and important tapestries but the gardens surrounding the house are Grade I listed for their historical landscapes that have developed since the 16th century. These include formal gardens, woodlands, and a deer park with the descendants of the deer introduced in 1515 under licence from Henry VIII still roaming the park.
The gardens look their best in the spring when the snowdrops and daffodils carpet the ground in white swiftly followed by bright yellow. Later in the spring rhododendrons and camellias can be seen on unique trails around the parkland. Hidden away in the parkland are forts, follies, an orangery and a ‘temple’. Paths lead down to small beaches and smugglers’ caves.
If you want to discover more historical houses then you may want to consider visiting Antony House or Port Eliot House. Antony House appeared in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and is another stately home that is worth exploring. In the summer months, the display of daylilies is stunning. Port Eliot House is a little more quirky with events throughout the year and a house with its very own style. The gardens at Port Eliot House have a hint of the tropical with palm trees and pools.
Wildlife Watching on the Rame Peninsula
Rame Head and the peninsula in general have an abundance of wildlife. One of the best places to see wildlife is Penlee Battery. This small nature reserve is on the site of a disused defensive battery used during the World Wars and has woodland and coastal meadows.
Along the cliffs keep your eyes open for ravens, buzzards and the occasional peregrine falcon. Tucked into the cliffs you may see fulmar and cormorants while out to sea it is not unusual to see a passing gannet.
The headland is well placed for looking out for dolphins and porpoises that often make an appearance swimming alongside boats heading into or out of Plymouth Sound. This is also basking shark country and the cliffs make a great vantage point for watching for these huge creatures.
The clifftop meadows are full of wildflowers in the summer months including the rarer bee orchid and with these meadows come a mass of butterflies and other insects that flourish in the landscape.
The rocky cove at Sandways Cellar that leads to a shell-covered beach as well as the two small beaches at Cawsand and Kingsand and Portwrinkle are good places for rock pooling, beachcombing or a short snorkel around the rocks where you can see anemones, crabs and maybe even a cuttlefish.
If you visit in the spring then the fields on the A477 roadside from Trerulefoot will be yellow with fields of daffodils as far as the eye can see. A stunning sight, even if not totally wild.
Places to Stay on the Rame Penisula
There are a number of places to stay around Kingsand and Cawsand, but this more remote area is a beautiful place to experience glamping in Cornwall. The places suggested below will allow you to have your comfort while being closer to the wildlife, the landscape and the weather. These cabins take you away from the bustle of life with no WiFi and limited roads.
Rame Head Lookout
This has to be the ultimate place to stay at Rame Head. The small cottage is located next to the Coast Watch Station and has views across the headland to the chapel on Rame Head and out to sea.
Captain Blake’s Retreat
High above Whitsand Bay on Captain Blake’s Point is this small cabin. It is an adventure to reach with no road access with the last section of access not being ideal for low cars. Even the track to the cottage is an adventure before you start the 700 steps along the South West Coast Path.
Rockwater Cabin
This cliff-top cabin is perfectly placed for walks along the wide expanse of Whitsand Bay. Steep tracks lead from the cabin to the beach or follow the coast path along the cliff top for stunning views towards Rame Head.
Tamar Hut and Lynher Hut
Tamar Hut and Lynher Hut are within Mount Edgcumbe Country Park and have stunning views across the River Tamar to Plymouth and Dartmoor beyond. The small shepherd’s huts have their own secluded corners in a meadow full of wildflowers and butterflies in the summer months. As the sun sets fire pits and dark skies make this the perfect escape.
How to get to Rame Head
Rame Head Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be reached by road from Plymouth and the A38 heading west from the city. The A38 crosses the impressive Tamar Bridge where it is worth stopping at the viewing car park. At the roundabout at Trerufoot take the A374 through Polbathic and Sheviok. In Antony, the road heads south towards Millbrook, Kingsand, Cawsand and eventually Rame.
For a more relaxing journey and a slightly shorter drive, it is possible to take cars on the Torpoint Ferry. This is a chain ferry that crosses the Hamoaze at the mouth of the River Tamar. The ferry connects Devonport on the outskirts of Plymouth with Torpoint at the north end of the Rame Head AONB.
For a day trip from Plymouth, the Cremyll Ferry runs from Royal William Yard across to Cremyll Quay. This trip takes 30 minutes and crosses Plymouth Sound and the River Tamar. In the summer months, it is possible to take the Cawsands Ferry from the Barbican in the centre of Plymouth which is much more central than the Royal William Yard.