At the mouth of the Tamar, on one side scored with beautiful beaches and quaint fishing villages, on the other deep river valleys and the rolling countryside the Rame Peninsula is a gem in the Cornish crown. Slightly off the beaten track, it offers the discerning traveller exceptional natural beauty unsullied by crowds.
Like the wider Tamar Valley, the beauty of the Rame Peninsula has frequently been featured on TV and film, most recently in the Salt Path and Beyond Paradise.
The main centres of habitation are the riverside village of St Germans, the twin villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, the naval town of Torpoint and, in the heart of peninsula, the quaint villages of Crafthole, Portwrinkle, St John, Sheviock, Antony and Wilcove, and the lively community of Millbrook, one of the largest villages in Cornwall.
Stretching along the coast is the magnificent Whitsand Bay. When the tide is out, three miles of golden sand open up for walking on. However when the tide comes in, the beach becomes a series of little coves, accessible only by steep cliff paths, that also serve as access for the scattering of tiny chalets that adorn the landscape. Whitsand Bay features heavily in the film The Salt Path.
Most of the beaches along the peninsula are dog friendly. There are accessible toilets at Kingsand, Cawsand and Mount Edgecumbe. A double decker bus runs along the cliff road, so this area is easily accessed by public transport from Plymouth.
The Rame Peninsula is a great place for walkers and cyclists, who can take advantage of the network of footpaths and tiny lanes. Sea swimmers will find the south coast less challenging than the surfy north, with Cawsand, Kingsand and Portwrinkle being particular favourites with year-round dippers.
St Germans
On the mainline railway through Cornwall, the vibrant artistic community of St Germans is very well connected by train, with over twenty trains stopping in each direction. This makes it a good option for a car-free holiday, or a day trip from other places in the Tamar Valley. There is an excellent community shop in St Germans that is open every day.
Right beside the station are Victorian railway carriages that have been sensitively converted into holiday accommodation by the award-winning eco-friendly company Railholiday. Sitting in wildlife friendly gardens, these are available to let all year. Railholiday offer a carbon-savers discount of £50 for all guests arriving by train, or who live in Cornwall or Devon.
Nestled on the banks of the river Lynher in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest, St Germans’s natural beauty is matched by its fascinating history.
At one time the cathedral town of Cornwall, a monastery once sat in the site of St Germans Priory, an impressive grade 1* listed building with stunning Norman arch and Edward Burne-Jones stained-glass windows. There is still a bishop of St Germans, but he is now based in Truro, and makes only the occasional appearance. In addition to retaining its ecclesiastic use the building is now a hub for live music and theatrical performances, as well as popular bi-annual craft markets.
Other listed buildings of interest include the galleried Walter Moyles alms houses, the decorative gate houses and the stable yard. The stable yard is now filled with micro businesses, including a dog groomer, book bindery, antiques shop and combined cafe and bar, known as The Stables at Port Eliot and The Elephant Bar. BBC’s Beyond Paradise fans will recognise the stable yard as it was used as the location of the Ten Mile Cafe in the first two seasons.
The grade one listed stately home of Port Eliot is open to the public all year. Most of the village was built by the estate, but now Port Eliot is famed for the numerous festivals that take place in the Humphrey Repton designed gardens each year. Among the big names that have graced the grounds are Tom Jones, Madness and Elbow.
This spirit of partying goes back a long way, from the infamous Elephant Fayres of the 1980s, to the literary and cultural feast of the now discontinued Port Eliot Lit Fests. In 2025 there are three festivals that look set to become annual events: Tunes in the Park, Hootenanny Fayre and The Wild Gardens Festival.
Alongside the festivals, there are also regular ghost walks and basement tours in Port Eliot House, plus, new for 2025, a History and Mystery weekend on the first May bank holiday weekend.
A regular highlight of the St Germans Calendar is the annual May Tree Fair, that takes place on the second bank holiday weekend in May. This festival dates back to the Victorian era. An election of a mock mayor on Saturday is followed on Sunday by a fete with traditional games, procession of the tree, maypole dancing and a music-filled afternoon.
Walkers may like to head up the steep hill to Longfield for stunning views to the river and the moors, or for something less bracing, wander down to the quay where the seats alongside the quay walls are the perfect place for stopping to birdwatch, or to marvel at the impressive railway viaduct. From the footpath the old stone abutments from Brunel’s original viaduct, once a towering timber structure, that was replaced in 1903, can be seen.
St Germans is the starting point for the long distance Cornish Celtic Way, a 125 mile pilgrimage route from St Germans Priory to St Michael’s Mount.
Torpoint and Antony
Home to HMS Raleigh, the largest naval training base in the South West, Torpoint’s naval history is still dominant today. From here the ferry connects with Plymouth, with buses to the coast. The award-winning Heart’s Kitchen on Fore Street is recommended for refreshments and watching kayaks and windsurfers on the Tamar.
Two miles from Torpoint are the lovely Antony Woodland Gardens, featured in the image above. Antony Woodland Gardens are a wonderful place to visit all year, with snowdrops and camellias in early spring, and carpets of bluebells in April and May. Alongside Antony Woodland Gardens is the National Trust Antony House, with stunning vistas over the Tamar and beyond.
Mount Edgecumbe Country House and Park
Connected to Plymouth by the Cremyll ferry, Mount Edgecumbe Country House and Park is a very popular spot for day trippers. With free entry to the park and gardens, Mount Edgecumbe is a great place to visit at any time of year. From early January the national camellia collection is a riot of beautiful blossom, while in summer the formal knot gardens, roses and sunken grotto come into their own.
A community of artisan craft shops, cafe and activities from circus skills to segwaying are based in the outbuildings that once hosted horses and carts. Below the formal gardens is the large fully-accessible Orangery cafe and a raised battery complete with original canons with fine vistas over Plymouth Sound. The pebbly beaches are great places to search for sea glass. For those with mobility issues, a tramper is available to hire at Mount Edgecumbe through the Countryside Mobility scheme.
Above Mount Edgecumbe House, a walk through the camellias leads to the deer park, with its tumbled-down folly and fabulous views over Plymouth Sound. Beyond the deer park at the very top of the hill is the grade 1 listed St Mary’s and St Julian’s Church. This fifteenth century building was built on much older foundations and parts of the church may be of an earlier date. Its prominent hill-top position has made it a landmark for navigators; its tower was used as an Admiralty signal station during the 18th century and Napoleonic Wars.
Kingsand and Cawsand
The joined villages of Kingsand and Cawsand were once divided by the county border. Now the network of steep streets and tiny fisherman’s cottages have made these villages a favourite destination. There are several sheltered small beaches, much loved by sea-swimmers all year round. A seasonal ferry run by Plymouth Boat Trips links Cawsand with the Royal William Yard in Plymouth. There are plenty of excellent pubs and cafes in Cawsand and Kingsand. Chips at the Devonport Inn overlooking Kingsand bay is a treat, as is hot chocolate at The Bay, or try the homemade sourdough bread at The Old Bakery. For a well-stocked deli and local gifts look no further than Kingsand Stores.
From Cawsand walk around Penlee Point, with it’s tiny hermit’s look out, or continue to the exposed granite chapel at Rame Head.
At the top of the hill from Kingsand is the Cornwall Wildlife Trust reserve at Penlee Battery. This is part of the military defence stronghold that dominates this area, which is centred around the historic centre of Maker Heights. The views from Maker are stunning, although the wind is often bracing!
Maker has a long and fascinating naval history. Since their decommission, the barracks and outbuildings have had a rich history of creativity and community. They now host a mixture of micro-businesses; thriving cafes and a cocktail bar, art and music studios.
Breakfast or lunch at Maker Canteen is an essential to any visit. A family business, Maker Canteen is run on eco-principles, using local produce and an eclectic and ever changing menu.
In the evening, look out for gigs at the grassroots performance venue Patchwork Studios. Next door to Patchwork Studios is the Garrison Gallery, an artist-led, community-focused art gallery serving meticulously crafted cocktails .
The suggestions above are just a few of our favourites, but there are many more creatives, artists, craftspeople, musicians, artisan producers and more in this community that are equally worthy of a mention. For more, do please visit the Maker Heights Community Page.
A footpath through extensive woodland joins Maker to the village of Millbrook. Continuing along the coastal path from Kingsand takes in Fort Picklecombe and the deer park and grounds of Mount Edgecumbe.
Millbrook
Although Millbrook is officially a village, it has many of the amenities of a town. The large lake, created from a tidal creek, and surrounding wetlands, make Millbrook a birdwatching haven. Millbrook has a lively arts scene. The brightly coloured facades of the central street could easily belong to the Italian riviera, while independent shops like the long-standing Widdicombes, with its charming Honey Room Cafe, can make it feel like a village where time has stood still.
A highlight of the Millbrook calendar is the Black Prince Flower Boat Festival, which takes place on May Day bank holiday. The procession starts in Millbrook and continues through Kingsand and Cawsand, stopping at chosen houses and inns along the way. This ritual has been carried out in Millbrook since the 14th century.
Whitsand Bay
There can be few places in the world more beautiful than Whitsand Bay, which stretches from a cove just east of Portwrinkle Beach, to Polhawne, just below Rame Head. When the tide is in, Whitsand bay becomes a series of coves separated by rocky outcrops, but when the tide is out all the beaches combine as one. This makes it very popular with dog walkers, especially at the easy access point at Tregantle. When the tide is in the beaches get cut off, so it is always very important to know where the paths up are, and to check tide times if you plan to stroll the full length of the bay. Whitsand Bay is one of the best places to surf on the Cornish south coast.
Portwrinkle
There are two grey-sand beaches at Portwrinkle, and neither gets terribly busy. On mid or low tides walk between the two beaches for rock pool explorations and to find the best shells. Portwrinkle is my personal favourite place to go for a dip, as it is safer than Whitsand Bay. The harbour area gives shelter from all but the roughest seas, and in summer is popular for launching paddle-boards and small boats. Behind the new harbour is an older, shallower one, which makes a semi-enclosed pool at mid-tide, making it a good place for swimming all year round. (A word of caution – in rough seas a current forms around the mouth of the harbour, so do always take care). There are public toilets and the stunningly located Whitsand Bay Golf Club at Portwrinkle.
The main Whitsand Bay beaches
Because of the nature of the bay, with coves being cut off by the tide, there are a series of paths to individual beaches all along the cliff above Whitsand Bay. Each path is steep and requires sensible footwear and care. The most enjoyable way to access Whitsand Bay is undoubtedly by the regular double decker buses that run along the cliff road. If you are coming by car, there are carparks at Tregantle and Freathy. Be aware that on-road parking is strictly prohibited and likely to lead to a fine. Here’s a summary of the main beaches, from west to east from Tregantle.
When the tide is out, Tregantle beach is massive. The walk down is easier than most of the other Whitsand Bay beaches. As a result Tregantle is popular with surfers, body boarders, families and dog walkers. The bus stops just beside the footpath to the beach.
The active fort of Tregantle sits at the top of the cliff and Tregantle beach is closed when the firing range is in use, so be prepared for a change of plans should this happen. There are no facilities at Tregantle, but there is usually a coffee van parked in the lay-by opposite the entrance and ice-cream van parked in the parking area above the fort.
Be aware that when the tide comes in, it quickly cuts off the western end of the beach, so do exercise caution when exploring while the tide is out.
Continuing along the cliff road, Sharrow Point is home to an interesting little hermitage filled with carving made by visitors over the ages. There is a car park that serves this beach, unlike most of the other coves, which tend to only have parking in the peak of summer when entrepreneurial farmers open their fields. The beach here is charming, but is not large when the tide is in. A little further along the cliff is Freathy, with its community of little wooden houses. Lifeguards cover Freathy and Sharrow Point Beaches in the summer, as well as nearby Tregonhawke.
Tregonhawke is a popular place with locals, not least because the excellent Cliff Top Cafe, just below the bus stop, is open all year. A seasonal small cafe serves the beach below. This makes Tregonhawke the only beach on Whitsands to have a toilet, albeit an occasional one. There is a surf school at Tregonhawke that operates from the spring to autumn.
Lifeguards serve Tregonhawke, but not Boiler beach, with its large wrought iron boiler, or Polhawne, a sheltered cove at the very far end of Whitsand Bay.
Another attraction of Whitsand Bay is diving. Diving boats go out from Plymouth Diving Centre to two wrecks: the HMS Scylla and The James Eagan Layne. The later is a cargo ship that was sunk by a torpedo in the Second World War. The Scylla is a more recent addition. Designed as Europe’s first artificial diving reef, the Scylla was sunk in 2004, but is already a haven for wildlife and popular with underwater photographers. The two wrecks are within half a mile of each other.
To the west of Whitsand Bay and Portwrinkle are the conjoined coastal villages of Downderry and Seaton. Seaton offers easy access to the beach and backs onto a countryside park with accessible public toilets. It is perfect for families, dog walkers and anyone with access needs. Downderry once was an active fishing village, and boats do still go out from the slipway. However it now tends to be a showcase for architect-designed one-off houses, joining the two villages with a ribbon of development along the coast. Both villages have pubs and places to eat. In Seaton The Beach House has stunning views over the sea, and is fully accessible downstairs, with accessible toilet and shower. The Inn on the Shore in Downderry perches above the sea, and also has fine views. Both are recommended for watching the sun go down on sultry summer evenings.
There is a lively arts and yoga scene in Downderry based around The Zone, which offers regular community workshops and events. Also in Downderry is Bewsheas by the Beach, a popular tapas bar.
To the east of Downderry is a naturist beach, which can be accessed along the shore when the tide is out, or via the coastal footpath and a steep winding path through twisted trees when the tide is in.
This page has been written as a guest blog for Visit Tamar Valley, an excellent site to visit for all things to do with the Tamar Valley and its wider environs.
