Kingsand and Cawsand
This is a charming, tucked away part of Cornwall, more easily accessed by car ferry across the Tamar to Torpoint or by foot ferry from Plymouth to Cremyll than from most of Cornwall. Here on the very south-eastern tip of Cornwall, the twin villages of Kingsand and Cawsand tumble down their hillsides to meet at small harbours facing broad Plymouth Sound with long views of Drake’s Island and the Devon coast. Where they meet at the bottom is the Halfway House Inn, a comfortable pub with a good welcome, a good atmosphere and excellent food. Rather surprisingly, until 1830 the Halfway House stood at a county boundary; Kingsand was in Devon, Cawsand in Cornwall. This is a great place to explore on foot with steep streets filled with colour washed stone cottages, jostling for space. Climb high above the Cawsand side to find an old fort, converted to housing with breathtaking views. Climb above the Kingsand side, past a tiny village green, to find a gate near the cliff that leads into glorious Mount Edgcumbe Park with its house with formal garden and Earl's Garden. There is more good walking around Rame Head to the south. There is a smallish car park next to the Halfway House and a much larger one above Cawsand.
Kingsand, Rame Head round walk. Kingsand, Maker, Cremyll round walk.
By A38, A374 towards Torpoint, B3247 and un-numbered road
Relaxing by Kingsand Harbour
More in Towns & Villages
Ladock
Ladock is a small village which we regularly pass through on our way to Truro. It is pleasant enough, just passing through, but the best is to be found uphill on the east side of the road. My first experience of Ladock was visiting Ladock House Garden, open under the National Gardens Scheme, in April 2007. In June 2016 I parked in the large public car park on the main road through. Here in the car park is the local shop and post office which sells hot drinks, sandwiches and good Cornish pasties. Outside is a decking area with free Wi-Fi. The little Tresillian River flows behind the car park. On the other side of the road is the Falmouth Arms pub, Bissick Old Mill more-or-less behind it. To the north of the pub a path runs streeply uphill to the church of St. Ladoca. The church, standing in a large graveyard, consists of nave, south aisle and pinnacled tower. Inside there are no carved bench ends but the chancel screen seems to made up of them, as does the lectern. Noteworthy featues included windows by Burne Jones, Ford Madox Brown and William Morris, a dark carved font, possibly of Catacleuse stone from the north coast near Padstow. There are some interesting old memorial slabs, not easily readable. Just west of the church, a track leads past attractive Glebe Farm, down into the valley to St. Ladoca's Holy Well. There is a disabled toilet.
Lamorna
A long and lovely wooded valley drops down for about a mile from Trewoofe to reach the sea at Lamorna Cove. When you get there it is really something of a disappointment: to your right a short view of wooded cliffs; to your left a view, only slightly longer, of the debris of a vast former granite quarry; in the middle a car park, a seasonal caf�, rental cottages, public toilets and a small sandy harbour. Frankly, it is all a bit scruffy. You would do best to leave the car and walk up the steep hill and its side turnings (where possible) to see what you can of the village. Cottages, some attractive, some a little ramshackle, are tucked away in woodland on either side of the lane. Up a side turning is a charming row of cottages, a little way beyond them a tiny waterrmill. Quarter of a mile up the main lane is the Lamorna Wink inn, set a little back from the road and with tables outside. It is a plain place inside but with a lot of fascinating nautical memorabilia. Welcome is not always very friendly but food is simple and good value. Three gardens here deserve to be better known; above the village is Chygurno, at the head of the valley are Trewoofe and Trewoofe Orchard. Lamorna's main claim to fame was as an artistic colony in the early 20th century. An offshoot of the famous Newlyn School colony settled in the valley here. It included Lamorna Birch, Laura and Harold Knight and, for a while, Alfred Munnings. Their work can be found in Penlee House in Penzance.
Landewednack
Down the hill is Church Cove, not to be confused with Gunwalloe Church Cove on the Lizard's west coast. Here the buildings in the cove make a delightful grouping: the old Fish Cellars, an attached Roundhouse, the former Winch House and the old Lifeboat House. It must have been difficult enough to launch cove boats from here, the lifeboat must have been almost impossible. All these buildings are now holiday or second homes. Up the hill is the village and church. The village is attractive with several thatched cottages and a barn with an octagonal extension. As at Gunwalloe, the church is dedicated to St. Winwaloe. He was also known as Wednack and a church at Towednack near St. Ives is also dedicated to him, as is one at Poundstock near Bude. As at Cury, the possibly 13th century church porch is remarkable, like a small chapel with an elaborate doorway. Inside are attractive barrel-vaulted ceilings, a font and lectern both using serpentine stone, a badly worn carving of two men holding a shield, colourful organ pipes, a probable cross base built into a wall, a priest's chair tucked into a squint, and a 15th century font, its donor's name inscribed on it.