For an easy, slightly steep walk, Rame Head is a wonderful place to ramble if you’re down in the South East of Cornwall, with breath-taking coastal views, ponies and even the occasional herd of deer!
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Rame Peninsula and specifically Rame Head is a lesser-known part of Cornwall and all the better for it; you don’t get the crowds which can be found further west.
An impressive, rocky promontory topped with a ruined medieval chapel that also doubled up as a hermitage and lighthouse, Rame Head has the South West Coastal Path running past it, so you can either pass through it as part of a larger walk, or park up nearby for a leisurely amble.
If you’re aiming for the latter, there’s a handy car park which is easily found via Google Maps; just be aware of the narrow lanes and keep it slow to make the most of the passing places when necessary! It’s a £1 for an hour or so, which is enough time if you’re just sticking to the headland.
Next to the car park lies Rame Head National Coastguard. Usually, this manned station is open to the public and are welcome to have a look around (if there isn’t an incident happening), however it’s currently closed due to Covid 19 restrictions, but they’re hoping to open again soon. There’s a handy loo here too should you need it.
From here, pass through the gates and walk up towards the chapel, crossing a gently sloping field (occupied by horses when I visited), then a steeper climb up the rocky outcrop. From here, the views are just lovely, looking back along the coast you can see the whole of Whitsand Bay, whilst in the other direction, it curves around towards Cawsand and Kingsand. It’s not surprising that it was here that the Spanish Armada was first spotted. To the front of the chapel there’s a large platform, and metal outlines indicate that this was used during the Second World War as such as strategic viewing point.
Whilst this windy spot may protect Plymouth Sound from the worst of the westerly winds, plenty of wildlife can be found here; it’s actually home to the rare Dartford Warbler and just as I turned to walk back down from the chapel, I spotted six deer racing across the scrubland – an unexpected sight right by the sea - and although it was February when I visited, Gorse shone brightly amongst the grassland.
If you’re planning a longer walk, you could either park up at nearby Whitsand Bay and walk through to Kingsand and Cawsand or do the reverse. Both ends have car parks, and it would be about five miles one way or 10 if you plan a round trip.
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