The route shown below gives a pictorial overview of the walk. For better appreciation of the route taken you should look at 1:250000 Ordnance Survey map of the area. A good map to use is the O.S. 1:25000 map Explorer 108 which cover the Lower Tamar Valley and Plymouth.

We left the car park and walked the few yards down a narrow road so typical of the village to the beach and of course to the toilet for the first stop of the day.

Some artistic individual had taken the drab waiting shelter by the beach and had decorated it with tiles to make a very attractive shelter with clever use of tiles to pick out typical scenes of the area.

Having looked at the shelter, we turned to take in the excellent views across Cawsand Bay towards Plymouth. These were as ever quite spectacular, particularly so on such a lovely day.

After a few minutes we were off again following the narrow road up over a small hill which links Cawsand to Kingsand.

The only way out of the village is up and very soon, before reaching Kingsand we turned left and made our way up a steeply stepped path to the road above, there must have been at least 50 steps and we were soon quite warm.

We crossed the road and continued up a path leaving Cawsand fort, now holiday flats, on our left. Soon we were climbing over the first of the stiles of the day into a field. We made our way across the bottom of the field, through another gate and followed the path up through a field and then across a ploughed field as we climbed steadily up away from Cawsand.

We crossed a narrow road and continued on up but less steeply, passing a mini tourist attraction in the form of a small farm which in the summer has a variety of animals, all children friendly. We made our way up following the footpath which took us around passing just below Wiggle Farm. We then turned right onto a road which would have taken us to Millbrook, had we followed it all the way down.

After a 200 yards we turned left, jus before a large house and made our way up again towards the local high point as we approached Whitsand Bay in the Tregonhawke area.

The views both ahead of us overlooking Whitsand Bay and behind is looking towards Plymouth were very good.

The visibility was excellent and we could easily pick out North Hessary Tor miles away up on Dartmoor.

Looking south west, down into Cornwall, there were at least four major headlands visible and the clay pits up on hills behind St Austell were clear.

At the top, looking down towards the sea we stopped for morning coffee. 15 minutes later and we were on our way again. We crossed the coastal road and picked up the coast path and turned east towards Rame Head two miles away.

It was spring tides and therefore low tide at around midday. This enabled us to see the miles of golden sand along this beautiful section of coast line with the rocks which provided many small coves so beloved of Plymothians for generations.

The coastal path in this section although not steep has the usual undulations, but with the spectaclar scenery to occupy the eye we didn't really notice them. Many of the coves have their own unique names of uncertain ancestry.

Looking back along the beaches we could see beaches at Smugglers Cove, Freathy, Whitsands, Tregonhawke and many others.

We made our way along the path passing by many chalets for which the area is noted. We were soon passing passing by 'Happy Valley' cove as the spot is known.

After a few more ups and downs, we began our descent to the low level cliffs which led us past a relatively flat section passing old coastguard cottages and leading us Polhawn Fort overlooking a bay of the same name, Polhawn Bay.

Jack, always the fisherman at heart, regaled us with stories of his fishing exploits in the area and no doubt Maurice recalled his fishing expedition where he was intrumental in attacting many mackerel for us to catch.

Turning right we headed across a field towards Rame Head and then over a stile to a path which gave us easy walking towards the headland.

Below us was a well known fishing area at Queener Point. I've taken quite a few pollack here just over a reef and I could just pick out the rocks just offshore which are only visible at low spring tides. I'll know just where not to go later this year in the boat. As we made our way along, there were a few steps to climb along the path but they were wide and easy enough to walk up.

Rame Head loomed before us getting ever more prominent as we neared it.

Soon we were on the grassy banks lead to the headland with steep drops down cliffs to Eastern and Western Gear, two small beaches on either side of Rame Head, both virtually innaccessible apart from by boat.

Above us was the old coastguard lookout and it is reassuring to see that although the coastguards are long gone, it is manned by members of the national coastwatch , a voluntary organisation.

We stopped here for a half an hour lunch break and we all enjoyed the suns rays as we sat, eating and enjoying the views across the sea towards Bigbury Bay, some 10 to 15 miles away. There were a few yachts out, fishing boats and a destroyer in the distance. We could clearly see The Eddystone Light, 8 miles south out to sea.

After lunch we followed the coast path again, along relatively easy going and naturally on a day like this we met many other walker also enjoying the outdoor pleasures of the day.

The next point we were heading for was that of Penlee Point, about a mile and a half east of Rame Head.

We were there soon enough and the vantage point above Penlee provided us with excellent views of the Breakwater and Plymouth Sound.

Not unexpectedly, many other locals were enjoying this point as there is a car park relatively close by and it is therefore easily accessible without too much effort. Many transatlantic yacht races have started just offshore from here on on those start days every conceivable vantage point is full of people.

We stopped just above a small granite hut, Jack thought it was a pilchard hut, I thought it had some religious significance.

I'll have to speak to some of the locals to find out what the history of the place really is.

It might have taken me until 2004 to remember to look for information on the old place but in January we walked it again and this time post walk I made the effort to find out.

Penlee Point stands at the entrance to Plymouth Sound, and on its slopes can be seen the remains of what appears to be a mediaeval Chapel, very similar to the one on the neighbouring Rame Head. The chapel is however a folly built in the early 19th century for Princess Adelaide.

The Princess was the wife of the then Prince William who became William IV in 1830. She stayed in nearby Mount Edgcumbe and enjoyed greatly walks along the coast to Penlee point. Adelaide was a German Princess of Saxe-Meiningen and married William after he unexpectedly came into the line of succession. She had two daughters, both of whom died in infancy leaving William's niece, Victoria to succeed him. Prior to this marriage to Adelaide William had 10 illegitimate children by the actress Dorothea Jordan.

This information gleaned from the wonderful team manley website at:
http://www.geocities.com/teammanley/Cornwall/PenleePoint.htm

Back to the walk. Just below the hut there is yet another little beach which is popular with boats and some locals in the Summer at low tide. We had a quick stop for a drink and to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Then, we were off again for the final one mile or so back through the wooded slopes which links Cawsand to Penlee Point. The coast path here is through the trees and is very clear and easy to follow, as it is one of the few sections of the south west way which can take vehicles.

Less than half an hour later we were back at Cawsand once again. The beach and the shelter we had admired at the start of the walk was immediately below us and it was a matter of a few yards up the road to the large car park on the outskirts of the attractive linked seaside villages of Cawsand and Kingsand.

Only a few weeks more and the boat will be back in the water and I'll be approaching the beaches again but by sea again.

Thanks to Jack for his efforts on the day, it was indeed a walk of 8 miles, no one lost and only one person had turned back early. It had been an excellent day out and we were soon on our way back towards to the expanding Saltash bridge and the car share point near Honicknowle.