Wikipedia

Land's End

For other uses, seeLand's End (disambiguation).

Land's End[1](CornishStandard Written Form:Penn an WlasorPedn an Wlas)[2]is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in westernCornwall,England, United Kingdom, on thePenwithpeninsula about eight miles (13 km) west-south-west ofPenzanceat the western end of theA30 road.To the east of it is theEnglish Channel,and to the west theCeltic Sea.

Land's End
  • Cornish:Penn an Wlas / Pedn an Wlas
Cliffs at Land's End, showing Dr Syntax Head and Longships Lighthouse
Land's End is located in Cornwall
Land's End
Land's End
Location withinCornwall
OS grid referenceSW 34177 25339
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPENZANCE
Postcode districtTR19
Dialling code01736
PoliceDevon and Cornwall
FireCornwall
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cornwall
50°04′07″N05°42′58″W/ 50.06861°N 5.71611°W/50.06861; -5.71611

Land's End is themost westerlypoint of mainland England.[3]However, it is not the westernmost point on mainlandGreat Britain.This title narrowly goes toCorrachadh Mòrin theScottish Highlands.

Geography

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The actual Land's End, or Peal Point, is a modest headland compared with nearby headlands such as Pedn-men-dhu overlookingSennen Coveand Pordenack, to the south. The present hotel and tourist complex is at Carn Kez, 200 yards (180 m) south of the actual Land's End.[4]Land's End has a particular resonance because it is often used to suggest distance. Land's End toJohn o' Groatsin Scotland is a distance of 838 miles (1,349 km) by road and thisLand's End to John o' Groatsdistance is often used to define charitable events such as end-to-end walks and races in the UK. Land's End to thenorthernmost point of Englandis a distance of 556 miles (895 km) by road.[5]

The westernmost promontory at Land's End is known as Dr Syntax's Head. The character Dr Syntax was invented by the writerWilliam Combein his 1809 comic verseThe Tour of Dr Syntax in Search of the Picturesque,whichsatirisedthe work of seekers of the "picturesque"such asWilliam Gilpin.[6]A nearby promontory is called Dr Johnson's Head afterSamuel Johnson,who referred to a hypothetical Cornishdeclaration of independencein his 1775 essayTaxation no Tyranny.[7][8]

The area around Land's End has been designated part of anImportant Plant Area,by the organisationPlantlife,for rare species offlora.[9]

Land's End is a popular venue for rock climbers.[10]

TheLongships,a group of rockyisletsare just over 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore, and together with theSeven Stones Reefand theIsles of Scillywhich lie about 28 miles (45 km) southwest – are part of the mythical lost land ofLyonesse,referred to inArthurianliterature.

Geology

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The cliffs are made ofgranite,an igneous rock, which means they are resistant to weathering, and have steep cliff faces. There are two varieties of granite represented at Land's End. Adjacent to the hotel the granite is coarse-grained with largephenocrystsoforthoclase,sometimes more than 5 in (13 cm) in length. To the north, at the First and Last House, there is a finer-grained granite with fewer and smaller phenocrysts, and the different granites can be seen from a distance by the smoother weathering of the finer variety. The granite dates to 268–275 million years ago of thePermian period.[11]The contact zone between the Land's Endgranite plutonand the altered "country rocks"is nearby and theLongships Lighthouse,offshore, is built on the country rock.[11]

History

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In 1769, the antiquarianWilliam Borlasewrote:

Of this time we are to understand what Edward I. says (Sheringham. p. 129.) that Britain, Wales, and Cornwall, were the portion ofBelinus,elder son ofDunwallo,and that that part of the Island, afterwards called England, was divided in three shares, viz. Britain, which reached from the Tweed, Westward, as far as theriver Ex;Wales inclosed by the riversSevern,andDee;and Cornwall from the river Ex to the Land's-End.

Tourists have been visiting Land's End for over three hundred years. In 1649, an early visitor was the poetJohn Taylor,who was hoping to find subscribers for his new bookWanderings to see the Wonders of the West.[12]In 1878 people left Penzance by horse-drawn vehicles from outside the Queens and Union hotels and travelled viaSt BuryanandTreen,to see theLogan Rock.There was a short stop to look atPorthcurnoand theEastern Telegraph Companyfollowed by refreshments at the First and Last Inn inSennen.They then headed for Land's End, often on foot or horse, because of the uneven and muddy lanes. Over one hundred people could be at Land's End at any one time.[13]At Carn Kez, the First and Last Inn owned a small house which looked after the horses while visitors roamed the cliffs. The house at Carn Kez developed into the present hotel.[4]The earliest part of the house was damaged by theLuftwaffewhen a plane returning from a raid onCardiffjettisoned its remaining bombs. 53 fisherman were injured or killed. In the build-up toD-DayAmerican troops were billeted in the hotel leaving the building in a bad state.

A 1946 map of Land's End

Land's End was owned by a Cornish family until 1982, when it was sold to David Goldstone. In 1987,Peter de Savaryoutbid theNational Trustto purchase Land's End for almost £7 million from David Goldstone.[14]He had two new buildings erected and much of the presenttheme parkdevelopment was instigated by him[citation needed].He sold both Land's End and John o' Groats to businessman Graham Ferguson Lacey in 1991.[15]The current owners purchased Land's End in 1996 and formed a company namedHeritage Great Britain PLC.[citation needed]Attractions at the theme park include children's playgrounds and recorded music. Twice a week in August, Land's End hosts 'Magic in the Skies', a night-time firework spectacular with music by British composer Christopher Bond and narrated by actressMiriam Margolyes.Within the complex is the Land's End Hotel.[16]

On 6 May 1985, four schoolchildren died in what is known as theLand's End disaster.[17]

In May 2012, Land's End received worldwide publicity as the starting point of the2012 Summer Olympicstorch relay.[18]

End to end

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Land's End is either the start or finishing point of end to end journeys withJohn o' Groatsin Scotland. One of the earliest was by Carlisle who left Land's End on 23 September 1879, went to John O'Groats House and arrived back at Land's End on 15 December; taking 72 days (exclusive of Sundays); covering 3,899 miles (6,275 km). To prove his journey, he kept a log book which was stamped at any post office he passed.[19]An early end to end on bicycle was completed by Messrs Blackwell and Harman ofCanonburyBicycle Club. Starting at Land's End they covered 900 miles (1,400 km) in thirteen days in July/August 1880.[20]Nearly two years later the Hon I Keith-Falconer travelled 994 miles (1,600 km) from Land's End, in twelve days, 231⁄4hours, on a bicycle.[21]

Greeb

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On the south side of Carn Kez the land slopes away to a shallow valley containing a small stream and the former Greeb Farm. In 1879 aderrickwas used for hauling seaweed from the beach 40 feet below for use as a soil improver.[22]

Portrayal in literature, music and film

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  • Cliffs at Land's End
  • The tourist centre at Land's End
  • The tourist centre at Land's End
  • The old refreshment house
  • TheLongships Lighthouseoff Land's End
  • Looking south from Land's End
  • Looking west from Land's End
  • Looking north from Land's End
  • Signpost at Land's End

See also

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  • "Land's End".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 16 (11th ed.). 1911.

References

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  1. ^"Cornwall Council adds apostrophe to Land's End".BBC News. 12 September 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 12 March 2019.Retrieved12 September2018.
  2. ^An English-Cornish Glossary in the Standard Written FormArchived5 November 2015 at theWayback Machine(gives bothPenn an WlasandPedn an Wlas)
  3. ^Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203Land's EndISBN978-0-319-23148-7
  4. ^abNeave-Hill, Charles (1975).Land's End My Heritage.
  5. ^Wood, Royston."Route Guide".Lands End to John O'Groats On-line Cycling Guide.Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2017.Retrieved11 February2016.
  6. ^"The tour of Doctor Syntax in search of the picturesque, a poem",Royal AcademyArchived7 March 2021 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 24 November 2019
  7. ^"Taxation no Tyranny".The Works of Samuel Johnson.Pafraets & Company, Troy, New York (1913)Archived2 December 2019 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 24 November 2019
  8. ^"Walk – Land's End and Nanjizal",South West Coast Path National TrailArchived8 January 2022 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 24 November 2019
  9. ^"Land's End".Plantlife.Archived fromthe originalon 1 July 2012.Retrieved7 February2012.
  10. ^"Land's End".UKC.Archivedfrom the original on 10 November 2015.Retrieved11 February2016.
  11. ^abHall, A (1994). Second (ed.).Geologist's Association Guide No. 19. West Cornwall.London:Geologists' Association.p. 50.ISBN0-900717-57-2.
  12. ^"Hospitality of the Godolphins Two Centuries Ago".The Cornishman.No. 169. 6 October 1881. p. 7.
  13. ^"Notes in West Cornwall".The Cornishman.No. 10. 19 September 1878. p. 6.
  14. ^"1987: Millionaire's big plans for English landmark".BBC. 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2010.Retrieved21 May2011.Land's End in Cornwall has been sold for nearly £7m to the property tycoon, Peter de Savary.
  15. ^"1987: Millionaire's big plans for English landmark".BBC. 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2010.Retrieved21 May2011.Peter de Savary sold both Land's End and John o' Groats in 1991 for an undisclosed sum to businessman Graham Ferguson Lacey.
  16. ^Clegg, David (2005)Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly;second ed. Leicester: Matador; pp. 123–24
  17. ^Fulbrook, Julian (2005).Outdoor Activities, Negligence, and the Law.Ashgate.ISBN0754642356.
  18. ^"Olympic torch: Flame arrives at Land's End".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2012.Retrieved26 May2012.
  19. ^"Carlisle Finishes His Pedestrian Tour".The Cornishman.No. 75. 18 December 1879. p. 5.
  20. ^"Penzance".The Cornishman.No. 108. 5 August 1880. p. 4.
  21. ^"A Run (Sometimes A Struggle) On A Bicycle From Land's End To John O' Groats House".The Cornishman.Vol. 207, no. 197. 29 June 1882. p. 6.
  22. ^"Terrible Fall Over Cliffs Near The Land's End And Instant Death".The Cornishman.No. 52. 10 July 1879. p. 5.
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