The Watchkeeps of Cape Cornwall
“I stood on Cape Cornwall in the sun’s evening glow” - Cornwall my home
Cape Cornwall was long believed to be the most westerly point of Cornwall until early in the 19th century, the Ordinance Survey accurately established that point to be Lands End. It is battered by westerlies and storm forces. It is also peaceful, and quiet and has some special energy which you can feel if you allow yourself. Last August I visited the National Coastwatch Institute which clings to the cliff at the bottom of the Cape and made acquaintance with a lady called Melita and took her picture which has won an award.
Recently I revisited the NCI Cape Cornwall during the celebration of their 30th anniversary and took some pictures for them some of which I am pleased with. Thinking about people who help others without any thought of payment or reward is the kernel of a new project I am working on and some of these photos will be in it.
I interviewed the Station Manager, Jim Hind and here is a some of the transcript.
“We [NCI] are “Eyes along the coast” is a kind of a strap line that we use across the whole of the NCI. That’s what we do. So we keep an eye on predominantly the small boats that are out there, because they are the small boats that the Coast Guard can’t see whereas we can.
But we also keep an eye on people walking along the coastal path, the climbers, the fishermen, people just enjoying themselves. And that’s probably where the vast majority of incidents do happen along the coastal path.
NCI is a charity, and it’s funded entirely from public donations. So we as a team here at Cape Cornwall, as well as doing fundraising here in the watch, by selling small items of merchandise, or just want people drop in a penny in the box, or goes to help to fund our station. But we also do fundraising events throughout the year at different galas and events that we got around as part of West Penrith.
Here at NCI Cape Cornwall of 2025, we dealt with 13 incidents. They started early in January, where one of them is one of the sadder ones that we deal with, which is a vulnerable person. But he’d had a good ending. The person was found, was led away from the cliff, and got the help that that person needed for them.”
You can donate to the NCI here:
Jim Hind, Station Manager, NCI Cape Cornwall
EDIT - ADDENDUM
I was recently interviewed by Susannah Wright who is head of Communications for NCI for Volunteers’ Week. Here is the text
“Award-winning photographer and keen walker Keith Mason is celebrating those who volunteer #VolunteersWeek.
His current project Human | Kind features people who help others “without fanfare or thanks”. It was inspired by a chance visit to our Cape Cornwall station while walking the South West Coast Path.
Keith had just completed his MA in photography at Falmouth when he stopped in at the station to take a break from the wind and find out what our watchkeepers do. He struck up a conversation with watchkeeper Melita who agreed to have her photograph taken.
“Speaking to Melita made me realise that so many people volunteer to help other people. People quietly helping others without fanfare or thanks. It was in this moment when I took her photograph, I knew that there was a new project for me to explore - One about celebrating those that volunteer. Since then I have started visiting charities and organisations to learn about their work and take some pictures for this project. All that was down to my conversation with Melita,” he said.
The photograph won the ‘People and Places’ category in the prestigious annual photographic competition organised by the South West Coast Path Association. National Coastwatch (NCI) is also an official South West Coast Path Passport stamping partner along the 630-miles route. Walkers can have their passports stamped at our stations and many locations as a record of their journey along the path.
Since Keith took the image of Melita, he has revisited the station and taken some superb images of other watchkeepers which he has very kindly shared with us. He plans to visit more of our stations to capture his striking portraits that celebrate the kindness of volunteers.
“I hope that interest in my photography may lead to some further interest in my project about the volunteering community and some new opportunities to make additional photographs,” he said.
Keith divides his time between Cambridge and Cornwall and following his retirement from corporate life, he is now able to put more energy into his photography, an enduring passion of over 40 years.”