Five walks around Mount Edgcumbe and the Rame Peninsula

Funded by the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park this excellent full-colour, 32-page guide details the history of Mount Edgcumbe and the Rame Peninsula and features five walks.

The walks range from a circular jaunt taking in most of Mount Edgcumbe’s many fascinating attractions to a three-hour trek from Cremyll to Maker Heights, which rewards those who tackle the steep footpath with spectacular panoramic views of the Tamar, from Saltash across Plymouth Sound to the open sea.

Author Bill Scolding’s book is not only a useful and informative guide to the landscape, it is also a fascinating read if you’re at home on the sofa just thinking about heading off for some exercise.

The first walk is the easiest way to explore the park and discover herds of wild deer, formal gardens, landscaped woodlands and historic buildings including forts, a temple, a folly and an orangery.

It is easy to appreciate why this is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – exposed heath-covered headlands and cliffs contrast with wooded slopes leading down to sheltered tidal lakes.

The second walk focuses on the multi-use trail; designed for cyclists, walkers and riders to share the trail is also accessible for wheelchair users. There’s a tarmac road and hard-surfaced tracks alongside generally flat grass. This walk heads from the Park towards Kingsand past ancient forts and farms as well as Maker Church.

For the third outing, be guided along the cliff tops from Cawsand and around Penlee Point to Rame Head as a maritime history unfolds in front of you. This is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest so keep an eye open for thrift, sea campion, ox-eye daisies, wild thyme, wild carrot and foxgloves.

On the fourth walk from Cawsand to Polhawn Cove and the deliciously named Wiggle, there are panoramic views across Whitsand Bay, punctuated along the way by Picklecombe Fort, Polhawn Battery and other Palmerston follies.

The final choice follows the river from Cremyll to Millbrook and returns through the woods. It’s described as an ‘extremely steep’ footpath in places and will take two to three hours but is well worth the effort.

Five walks around Mount Edgcumbe and the Rame Peninsula is a ‘green’ publication which encourages arrival by public transport. The routes are circular and the places to eat and drink on the way are included in the directions.

“The walks range from a circular jaunt taking in most of Mount Edgcumbe’s many fascinating attractions to a three-hour trek from Cremyll to Maker Heights, which rewards those who tackle the steep footpath with spectacular panoramic views of the Tamar, from Saltash across Plymouth Sound to the open sea.”