Taking the high ground

This lonely little chapel has looked out from the top of Rame (or Ram) Head, a coastal headland in south-east Cornwall, for hundreds of years. Dedicated to St Michael, its earliest records date back to 1397 when it was first licensed for Mass. Since then it’s had many roles, including warning sailors off treacherous rocks and raising the alarm about enemies approaching by sea. It served as a navigational aid for centuries and even gets a mention in a sea shanty. By the early 20th century, the chapel had fallen into ruin but it got a new lease of life during World War Two, as a radar station looking out for low-flying enemy aircraft. A concrete platform remains on the other side of this ruined Grade II-listed chapel, a reminder of its war service.
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