5 minute read
A Day on the Rame Peninsula
Rame Peninsula
The Rame Peninsula has been called ‘Cornwall’s cornerstone’ and glancing at a map it is easy to see why. It is part of our Cornish fringes, a crook of land abutting the watery margin that separates us from Devon. This peninsula is as much a ‘first and last’ place as Land's End in the far west with, it could be argued, equally spectacular scenery and a truly fascinating past. Yet this beautiful arm of land remains peaceful and relatively untouched by tourism.
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An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Rame Peninsula is bursting with wildlife. The views from its heights stretch as far as Dartmoor and across to the historic Hoe and the once ancient citadel of Plymouth. To the west is the dramatic sweep of Whitsand Bay, as famous for its shipwrecks as for its beautiful expanses of sand. Elegant country estates, historic ancient chapels and quiet fishing villages offer so much to those wanting to explore, so Elizabeth Dale has put together a little guide to spending a day in this forgotten corner of Cornwall.
A Morning exploring Mount Edgcumbe The grounds of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park provide the visitor with view after glorious view of Plymouth Sound and the rolling landscape beyond. The original house was built in the early 16th Century, nearly 100 years before the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth just across the bay, and looking out beyond the canons on the old battery to the Napoleonic breakwater and fort in the distance it is easy to imagine the numerous vessels from across the globe that have plied these waters.
“The most beautiful place as ever was seen” Samuel Pepys of Mount Edgcumbe in 1683
The estate covers 825 acres of the Rame Peninsula and the formal gardens, winding coastal paths and shady woodlands can easily fill a relaxing morning. Generations of the Edgcumbe family, which can trace its family tree back 600 years in Cornwall, have each added to and left their mark on these well-established flower-filled gardens. From fountains, sculptures and avenues of ancient trees to forts, temples and a remarkably photogenic folly, there is much to enjoy.
Five marked walking trails can help you navigate the extensive parkland, ranging from a four mile circular historic landscape walk to strolls through the magical grounds nearer to the house taking in the Rose Garden, the Italian Garden, the Fern Dell and the Knot Garden, pausing for a cup of tea and slice of cake at the Orangery perhaps. (The grounds are free to visit while the house itself has an entrance fee.)
Lunch in Kingsand and Cawsand Just a short distance from Mount Edgcumbe, you can walk it if you are feeling energetic, are the twin coastal villages of Kingsand and Cawsand. A tangle of alleyways and narrow streets joins these two picturesque places together and it is hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Keep your eyes peeled for the old Cornwall/Devon border mark on the wall of a cottage however - it’s a relic from the time when Kingsand was actually considered to be in Devon. Part of the Rame peninsula was incorporated into Anglo-Saxon territory in 705AD in order to secure both banks of the Plymouth Sound against Viking raids. It wasn’t returned to Cornwall until 1844.
Both of these quaint little communities have a long and fascinating history of fishing and smuggling but Kingsand and Cawsand remain undiscovered gems. The tumble of ancient cottages huddle around three beautiful sheltered beaches where you can feel the sand between your toes or enjoy a refreshing paddle. The pace of life here is slow and un-commercialised but there are plenty of places to enjoy a picnic lunch, grab some freshly fried fish and chips or perhaps find a spot to relax in one of the cafés or pub gardens.
There is even a little ferry that runs from here to Plymouth during the summer months.
Afternoon at Whitsand Bay With possibly some of the best beaches in Cornwall, Whitsand Bay is a three mile arch of stunning coast stretching from Rame Head to the little harbour of Portwinkle. The beaches here take a little more effort to reach, most have steep steps down from the cliff tops, but this also means that they remain largely undiscovered and are never crowded. Tregantle beach and its neighbour, Long Sands, are two of the finest and perhaps the easiest to access, joined together at low tide they make up a huge expanse of soft sand. Towering over the scene is the huge hulk of Tregantle Fort, built in 1865 as part of the area’s coastal defences against French attack.
Sharrow Cove is another idyllic spot. It is sometimes called Grotto Beach because of a strange cave in the cliff face that was excavated by a local hermit in 1874. James Lugger was an ex-navy purser who dug the 15ft deep grotto by hand and then carved a little poem on the ceiling.
A little further west is the lovely Finnygook beach named after the notorious smuggler, Silas Finn of Portwinkle. Finny, as he was known, was said to be a popular local character because of his prolific ‘freetrading’ business. He is perhaps most famously remembered for dressing as a woman to elude the customs men.
Sunset at Rame Chapel There are few more beautiful places to watch the evening colours changing on the inconstant sea than sitting with your back against the sun-warmed bricks of Rame Chapel. This 15th Century stone vaulted chapel is dedicated to St Michael and is thought to stand on the site of an earlier Celtic Christian hermitage and before that an Iron Age cliff fort. This distinctive conical headland has always been a landmark for seafarers and offers breathtaking panoramic views. The perfect place to unwind and think about your day discovering the delights of the Rame Peninsula!
Get involved The Monuments Matter to People project – for those who fancy getting more deeply involved in protecting the historic landscape of the Rame Peninsula this project offers hands-on courses to local people as part of Cornwall AONB’s Monumental Improvement scheme. l Find out more: www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk
