RAME:THE FORGOTTEN CORNER

THE FORGOTTEN CORNER :The Rame Peninsula. Cornwall.

Visitors flock over the Tamar Bridge and drive along the A38 to Trerulefootand turn right heading down into West Cornwall. But hang on try turning left along the A374 and visit The Rame Peninsula or "The Forgotten Corner" as it is known locally in South East Cornwall. Bordered on three sides by water, the Rivers Lynher, Tamar and Plymouth Sound, you will find here a haven of peace and tranquillity,uncommercialised and timeless - a haven for those who enjoy the slower pace of life in the countryside - walking, birdwatching, fishing or just lazing - the perfect place for the traditional family holiday.

If you are travelling by car the above is one way of getting to this tranquil spot, or if you go to Devonport, Plymouth you can catch the Torpoint Car Ferry then its a short journey to Mount Edgcumbe.

Visitors on foot or with bicycles can take the passenger ferry from Stonehouse in Plymouth to Cremyll this is the ancient point into Cornwall or in the summer you can take 'Western Maid' a delightful boat trip from the Mayflower Steps on the Barbican across the Sound to Cawsand Beach.

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is one of the few Grade 1 historic gardens
in the country - come and visit the fabulous camellias early in the year
walk along the waters edge and take tea in the famous Orangery -

where orange trees are still grown. Wander through the gardens and
parkland follow the coast to the old fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand,
passing Fort Picklecombe which is a converted Palmeston fort overlooking
Plymouth Sound dating from the 1870's. Converted in the 1970's to 103
private residential apartments,Fort Picklecombe offers a unique living
experience for residents

Cawsand

Spend the afternoon on Cawsand or Kingsand Beach - Cawsand, with its safe
waters plays host to the National Hobie Catamaran championships,and the
Cornish Gig Regatta. or stop off at one of the many pubs and restaurants for lunch.

Kingsand c1910

The villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, twinned with Porspoder in France, are the perfect base for the tourist or holiday maker. These historical fishing villages are unspoilt by time and here you will find colour washed old cottages, narrow streets, pubs, restaurants and shops catering for your every need. Frequent winners of the Best Kept Village award and a conservation area set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the villages are an artist's dream. There is ample parking and many cottages to let, bed and breakfast houses and hotels in which to stay. Used as a safe harbour for centuries, Cawsand Bay offers the perfect place to drop anchor and is popular for swimming, windsurfing, water skiing, camping and caravanning.

Follow the Coastal Path which takes you on the edge of the sea and cliffs past Penlee Point and Rame Head with its 11th century monks' chapel, Just around the corner from Rame Head, is the fabulous 4 mile stretch of sandy beaches of Whitsand and Tregantle Beach the perfect base for a seaside holiday.

The Rame Peninsula is steeped in a history with three great estates of the Carew-Poles, Edgcumbes and the Eliots at St Germans.

St Germans Church and The Lodge House.St Germans.

The Rame Peninsula is the perfect base for a Golfing Holiday with the world famous St Mellion Golf Course (designed by Jack Nicklaus) just 30 minutes away, as is Looe Down Golf Course, while at Portwrinkle the stunning sea views from the cliff top of Whitsand Bay Hotel Golf Course is right on the doorstep.Continue west along the coast you will find Downderry nestling on the coast, and if you are feeling peckish try the Rosery Restaurant for a lovely meal.

The Peninsula is a very important centre for all types of flora and fauna - overhead the buzzards circle, competing with the kestrels, and the peregrines of Rame Head - look carefully and you may catch a glimpse of the rare Dartford Warbler, while over the other side, the Lynher estuary plays host to a wide variety of sea birds and waders in particular the famous Little Egret. For this reason the peninsula is very popular with artists and photographers.

Inland the villages of Millbrook, St. John, Sheviock and St. Germans are all well worth a visit, as is Antony House, the 18th century home of the great Cornish family of Carew with its gardens sloping down to the Lynher River, near Torpoint.

For the more active, sea angling is very popular and bass, wrasse, pollock or mackerel are readily caught from the rocks. Bird watchers might see buzzards circling overhead, peregrines swooping past the cliffs or cormorants fishing. Golf and horse riding are within easy reach and Looe and Polperro just a few miles away.

More pictures of Rame in the Gallery.