The Rame Peninsula () is a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

in south-east

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

. It is surrounded by the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

to the south,

Plymouth Sound Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a deep inlet or sound in the English Channel near Plymouth in England. Description Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point in Devon, a distance of abo ...

to the east, the Hamoaze to the northeast and the estuary of the

River Lynher The River Lynher () (or St Germans River downstream from its confluence with the Tiddy) flows through east Cornwall, England, and enters the River Tamar at the Hamoaze, which in turn flows into Plymouth Sound. Navigation The normal tidal l ...

to the north-west. On a clear day, the Atlantic Ocean can be seen from advantageous points from Rame Head. The largest settlement is

Torpoint Torpoint () is a town and civil parish on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar. Torpoint had a populatio ...

, which is on the eastern coast, facing Devonport in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. The peninsula is named after

Rame Head Rame Head or Ram Head () is a coastal headland, southwest of the village of Rame in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is part of the larger Rame Peninsula. History and antiquities The natural site was used for a promontory ...

, a

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...

on the south of the peninsula. The peninsula also includes the village and parish of Rame. The entire area of the peninsula is designated an

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...

Settlements

Other places on the peninsula include: Antony,

Cawsand Cawsand (; lit. ''Cow Cove'') and Kingsand ( Cornish: ''Porthruw'') are twin villages in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the Rame Peninsula and is in the parish of Maker-with-Rame. Cawsand overlooks ...

, Crafthole,

Cremyll Cremyll (pronounced ) is a small coastal village in the civil parish of Maker-with-Rame, in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Cremyll is on the Rame Peninsula facing Plymouth Sound. The village is about 9 miles by road or 0.5 miles ...

, Fourlanesend,

Freathy Freathy () is a beach and coastal settlement on the Rame Peninsula in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ''Plymouth & Launceston'' Freathy is accessible by the coast road along which runs the South ...

Higher Wilcove Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Chris Stapleton album) or the title song, 2023 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title s ...

Kingsand Kingsand () and Cawsand are twin villages in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ''Plymouth & Launceston'' The villages are situated on the Rame Peninsula and are in the parish of Maker-with-Rame. Un ...

Lower Tregantle Lower Tregantle is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, UK. It is about half a mile south of Antony; Higher Tregantle is about a quarter of a mile further south. It should be distinguished from Lower Tregantle, a farm near Luxulyan Luxulyan (; ), ...

, Maker, Millbrook,

Mount Edgcumbe House Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall and is a Grade II listed building, whilst its gardens and parkland are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Mount Edgcumb ...

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is a National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, grade I listed country park in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The country park is on the Rame Peninsula, overlooking Plymouth Sound and the River Tamar. The p ...

, Penlee,

Portwrinkle Portwrinkle () is a small coastal village in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at the western end of Whitsand Bay five miles (8 km) south-west of Saltash. Portwinkle was traditionally a fishing village and the old 17th ...

Sheviock Sheviock (, meaning ''strawberry bed'') is a coastal civil parish and a hamlet in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish is two miles (3 km) south of St Germans and three miles (5 km) south-west of Saltash. Sheviock ...

, and St John and Withnoe Barton.

and

are protected by the headland. Much of the peninsula is owned by the Mount Edgcumbe estate which also includes

County history

Until boundary reform in the 19th century a part of the peninsula was part of

, not Cornwall. The

Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 The Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 ( 7 & 8 Vict. c. 61), also known as the Detached Parishes Act 1844, which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of co ...

transferred parts of Maker and St John, ensuring those parishes (and the peninsula) were entirely in Cornwall. These manors had been possessions of

Tavistock Abbey Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. The Abbey was surrendered in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monaste ...

from Norman times.

Military use

The peninsula has been the location of a number of

fortifications A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

defending the western approaches to Plymouth Sound, including Tregantle and Scraesdon Forts, and Tregantle Down, Hawkins, Rame Church and Penlee Batteries.

Footnotes

External links

Caradon District Council on the peninsulaRame Heritage
Peninsulas of Cornwall Places formerly in Devon {{Caradon-geo-stub

Settlements

County history

Military use

See also

Footnotes

External links