The forgotten corner of Cornwall with ‘crystal clean air’ and a candle-lit church

They call it the “forgotten corner”, but after featuring in the film adaptation of Raynor Winn’s coast-walk memoir, The Salt Path, Cornwall’s Rame Peninsula is likely to draw a new crowd of explorers.

On a sunny afternoon, as day-trippers from Plymouth spill off the ferry onto Cawsand Beach, it seems far from forgotten, but Rame is full of tucked-away places, rich in wild, often lonely landscapes, and blessed with some of the best coastal views in Cornwall.

At its heart are Kingsand and Cawsand, adjoining villages on an old Devon-Cornwall border. They run into each other via old smugglers’ quays and narrow streets of red sandstone fishermen’s cottages, four pubs and lots of boats. They are largely car-free unless you are a local.

From here, you can find your own Salt Path. Following waymarked trails that clamber up cliffs, dip into woodland and cross meadows, discover wildlife from hovering kestrels to Dartmoor ponies, hidden coves and, says Raynor Winn, “crystal-clean air”.

On the way, you will find dozens of old military sites, both ancient and active (there’s still a firing range at Tregantle Fort). And, as in the film, linger over the drama of Rame Head, where the 13th-century St Michael’s Chapel sits atop a cone of rock, offering spectacular views over the endless sands of Cornwall’s Whitsand Bay, Plymouth Sound and the South Devon coast.

Come in spring and early summer for the best of the wildflowers and meadow grasses (look out for bee orchids and wild basil). In high summer, visit for the beaches and butterflies. Coastal walking is an any-time activity, although winter – wonderfully quiet – is prone to storms.

The National Camellia Collection at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park tends to flower from January until May.

How to get there and around

The nearest station is St Germans (on the Paddington to Penzance line): a nine-mile drive from Kingsand-Cawsand. Alternatively, take the train as far as Plymouth, then catch the Cawsand Ferry (April-November, foot passengers only) from Barbican Harbour or take a Number 70 bus. This crosses the Tamar Estuary on the Torpoint chain ferry before doing a circuit of the peninsula, taking in Cawsand, Whitsands Bay and Cremyll (for another foot ferry back to Plymouth).

Cawsand & Kingsand on the Rame Peninsula (Photo: Gordon Bell Photography/Getty/iStockphoto)

Where to stay

Set in grassy meadows at Maker Heights – the most complete set of Napoleonic barracks in the UK – The Sea Forts offers wild camping in luxe bell tents, with proper beds, solar power, views of Plymouth Sound from the timber sun decks and fire pits. There are also posh showers and loos, plus the Guard House Café. Two-night stays from £300 in a tent for two or four; from £340 for a two-tent family combo.

For bricks-and-mortar options, try Kingsand’s Halfway House Inn (from £85 a night) or Classic Cottages (local properties include Rame Head Lookout, next to the National Coastwatch station).

Day one

Up with the sun

Grab a sticky pastry from Cawsand’s Old Bakery before they sell out. Feeling energetic? Hire a paddleboard (£15 an hour) or a kayak (£20 an hour for a single) from Cawsand Bay Watersports and enjoy a paddle around the village’s sheltered bay and wooded coves.

Souvenir hunting

A teeny cottage on Kingsand’s Fore Street doubles as Periwinkle Gifts, selling beachy homewares and knickknacks (Cornwall Coastal Path soap, pebble-and-seaglass jewellery, sea-salt candles). The Stores shop and deli is packed with pottery, cards, local chocolate and cheeses (try Cornish yarg or Devon’s ticklemore).

The Stores in Kingsand (Photo: The Stores)

Don’t miss

Make the most of the spectacular coastal paths around the peninsula. From Kingsand, head north-east for Cremyll, a 3.5-mile stroll via Mount Edgcumbe parkland, wild deer, ruined follies, wooded paths and views across Plymouth Sound to Drake’s Island. From Cawsand, go south-west, via the Gothic Queen Adelaide’s Grotto, Penlee Point, rugged Rame Head and on to Wiggle Cliff on Whitsand Bay. It’s 5.2 miles in all, but there is a bus back. If you have time, pop into the tiny, Grade I listed St Germanus church (lit only by candles).

Dinner reservation

Nab a table at The Devonport Inn, which overlooks the water from Kingsand’s pedestrian seafront. From a mostly fishy menu, order seafood paella, Thai-marinated cod or a Cornishman’s – similar to a ploughman’s, featuring half a pasty from local bakery CornishPod.

Time for a sundowner

On a terrace above Cawsand’s beach, The Bay bar and restaurant promises a view from every table’ but it has stiff competition from The View, a clifftop perch serving sunsets, fancy beers, dozens of wines by the glass and an eyeful of ocean.

The Devonport Inn, Kingsand (Photp: Devonport Inn)

Day two

Hit the beach

Kingsand and Cawsand share a series of small sand-and-pebble beaches; best for swimming is Cawsand’s, where a slipway facilitates disabled access. For a wilder option, head for Whitsand Bay, a three-mile stretch of sand, surf and rock pools, accessed only by steep cliff paths. Be warned, the beach almost disappears at high tide. All Rame’s beaches offer year-round access for dogs.

Lunch time

At Maker Heights (a 20-minute walk uphill from Kingsand), The Canteen is housed in Second World War Nissen huts run by a River Cottage-trained chef. It’s big on fresh fish, farm-to-table produce, Sunday roasts and sublime views from garden tables.

Maker Heights has superb views (Photo: Dom Moore)

Time to relax

Find a bench or a perch on the seafront and watch the world sail by. The endless procession of boats drifting across Plymouth Sound range from kayaks, dinghies and yachts to Royal Naval frigates and ferries.

A final treat

Head for The Orangery, an 18th-century Grade II listed glasshouse set in formal gardens in Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, and order a cream tea (jam first, then clotted cream – this is Cornwall, not Devon).

Three things you might not know about Kingsand & Cawsand…

1) Before county boundary changes in 1844, the two villages sat either side of the Devon-Cornwall border – with Cawsand on the Cornish side.  

2) In Mike Leigh’s biopic, Mr Turner, starring Timothy Spall, Kingsand played the part of old Margate.

3) The Kingsand Institute, with its distinctive clock tower, was built to commemorate the 1911 coronation of George V. The tower was repaired after sustaining damage from 70ft waves during a storm in 2014.