The Location

Cawsand and Kingsand are adjoining villages, on the south side of the Cornish Coast, just over the Devon border. Originally a fishing village with a colourful history of smuggling and naval daring, it is unspoilt by time, with little traffic on the one-way through road.

In times past, the pilot cutter gigs would race to get their pilots aboard the ships first so as to receive the custom from the ships and carry their cargoes ashore, sometimes illegally. Local tales have it that there are various coastal tunnels in the village which were used by smugglers. There is still a taste of this way of life with the active gig club in the village, with the gigs Spirit of Rame, Minnadhu and Penlee Point all regularly taking to the water. Admiral Nelson would come ashore here and the Emperor Napoleon was briefly at anchor in Cawsand Bay, en route to exile in St Helena.

We are in a conservation area of outstanding natural beauty,  with a range of coastal and countryside walks, ranging from a stroll to a local pub to challenging treks for the more adventurous. The bay is popular with sailing boats and pleasure boats, being protected from the harsher elements by the natural coastline. Cawsand Beach is only a couple of minutes walk away from the cottage, with a sandy beach, rock pools and safe designated swimming area. Kayaking and diving or snorkelling are also popular and so is sea angling, with a good variety of fish being caught from the rocks or further out on boats. Golf and horse riding are within easy reach.

The historic village of St. Germans is well worth a visit and so is the nearby Anthony House and gardens, where the recent Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland was filmed.

 How to get here  

Go to Map

If you are coming by car, the A38 is the main approach to the Peninsula. As you near Plymouth, the choice is whether to go though the City and take the chain ferry to Torpoint or skirt past Plymouth, taking the Tamar Bridge which is slightly longer but often quicker.

Tamar Bridge route - From the A38, left at the Trerulfoot Roundabout onto the A374, right onto the B3247, through Crafthole to Millbrook, up the hill turning right into Kingsand, follow the road round to the right past The Fort and St Andrews Road is on your left.

For those of you coming by foot, you can take the regular ferry from Stonehouse in Plymouth to Cremyl, from where there is a regular bus service or taxis can be called to the village.

Alternatively, during the Summer season, a more direct route is to take the ferry from the Barbican Steps in Plymouth, which is called the Western Maid – although we all know it, with affection, as the Red Pig. This will drop you right onto Cawsand Beach, so bare feet rather than high heels are recommended for when you step ashore.

St Andrews Cottage, 
St Andrews Street, 
Cawsand, 
Cornwall 
PL10 1PE