Cawsand & Kingsand – Twin Coastal Villages on the Rame Peninsula, Cornwall

Guide written by Martin Frost for Cornwall Online, the Cornwall travel guide established in 1994 – researched locally in South East Cornwall.

Guide reviewed and last updated: October 2026

Cawsand and Kingsand on Cawsand Bay, Rame Peninsula

Cawsand & Kingsand in Cornwall

CAWSAND, KINGSAND & RAME HEAD

The twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand, with the dramatic headland of Rame Head beyond, form one of South East Cornwall’s most distinctive stretches of coast. Tucked into Cawsand Bay on the Rame Peninsula, looking out across Plymouth Sound, they combine maritime history, smuggling legend and traditional village life that has changed remarkably little over time.

The two villages run into one another so seamlessly that most visitors never notice where one ends and the other begins – yet until 1844 the boundary between them was the border between two counties. Kingsand was in Devon and Cawsand in Cornwall, and a house between the villages still carries the old Devon–Cornwall boundary marker.

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Colour-washed cottages in a narrow street in Kingsand on the Rame Peninsula — Village streets on the Rame Peninsula

CAWSAND

Cawsand is a picturesque former fishing village in a sheltered corner of the bay, its narrow streets and painted cottages curving around the shore. Its position close to Plymouth made it a convenient landing place for goods brought ashore under cover of darkness, and tales of tunnels, hidden coves and caves are part of its smuggling folklore.

The beach is a mix of sand and shingle – generally the calmer and sandier of the two village beaches – framed by pastel houses and traditional pubs, with rock pools at low tide. It is a lovely spot for paddling, swimming and kayaking, and in summer the passenger ferry from Plymouth’s Barbican lands right on the beach.

Sheltered sand-and-shingle beach, good for swimming and kayaking
Smuggling heritage and coastal folklore
Traditional Cornish cottages and narrow lanes
Coast path walks to Kingsand, Penlee Point and Rame Head

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KINGSAND

Just a few steps from Cawsand, Kingsand has a slightly quieter, more residential feel. Its tight, winding streets were laid out long before cars, and its stone cottages sit right at the water’s edge. A landmark of the seafront is the clock tower and Institute, built in 1911 to mark the coronation of King George V and still used as a community hall.

Kingsand’s beach is a mix of sand and shingle that improves as the tide falls, with pubs and cottages along its edge. A short scramble over the rocks beyond leads to the quieter cove at Sandways.

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RAME HEAD

Rame Head is one of the most striking landmarks in South East Cornwall – a steep, conical headland jutting out between Plymouth Sound and Whitsand Bay, with panoramic views along the coasts of Cornwall and Devon.

On its summit stands the medieval chapel of St Michael, licensed for Mass in 1397 and possibly on the site of an earlier hermitage. Built of local slate with a vaulted stone roof, it was restored in 1882 and served as a lookout and communications post in the Second World War. The headland and Whitsand Bay are part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest for their wildlife and geology.

The walk from Cawsand or Kingsand past Penlee Point to Rame Head is one of the most rewarding on this coast – watch for seabirds, seals and dolphins offshore, and the constant traffic of ships in Plymouth Sound.

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Rame Head headland with St Michael’s chapel on its summit — Rame Head and St Michael’s chapel

Cawsand and Kingsand, on Cawsand Bay at the edge of Plymouth Sound

VISITOR INFORMATION

Parking

Cawsand has a pay-and-display car park with around 140 spaces (free overnight). Kingsand has only limited on-street parking, and the narrow streets fill quickly on fine days – arriving by ferry or bus is a good alternative.

Ferry & Bus

In season (April to October) the Cawsand Ferry runs daily from Plymouth’s Barbican Landing Stage to Cawsand Beach, taking about half an hour. Buses (routes 70/70A) link the villages with Torpoint and Plymouth.

Facilities

Public toilets in Cawsand, four village pubs between the two villages, and cafés and small shops close to the shore.

Dogs & Beaches

Dogs are welcome on Kingsand beach all year. At Cawsand beach a summer restriction applies between 10am and 6pm in July and August – check the signs. There is no lifeguard cover.

Kingsand & Cawsand beach guide

Walks

The South West Coast Path runs through both villages – south past Penlee Point to Rame Head and Whitsand Bay, or north through Mount Edgcumbe Country Park to the Cremyll ferry.

Disabled Access

Access is limited: the streets are steep and narrow, and the beaches are reached by slipways over sand, shingle and rock, with no purpose-built ramp and no dedicated Blue Badge bays.