49°58′01″N5°12′00″W / 49.967°N 5.200°W /49.967; -5.200
Lizard (Cornish:Lysardh), also known asThe Lizard or The Lizard Town or The Lizard Village, is a village onthe Lizard peninsula inCornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated about ten miles (16 km) south ofHelston, and is mainlandBritain's most southerly settlement.[1] Lizard is a tourist centre and its largevillage green is surrounded by cafes and gift shops.
The name derives from theCornishlys for 'court' andardh for 'high'. The village is in thecivil parish ofLandewednack, the most southerly parish on the British mainland.[2]
The village of Lizard is mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086 as a relatively small settlement and lying within the hundred of Winnianton.[3]
The parish church is dedicated to StWinwallow and is the most southerly in mainlandBritain. It is built of localSerpentinite stone (seeLizard complex for more information on the peninsula's geology) and is situated in the hamlet of Landewednack, now a suburb of Lizard village.[2]
Lizard Lighthouse, the oldest mainland light in Cornwall, is situated half-a-mile (800 m) south of the village. It has twin towers and was erected in 1752 although there had been a light here since 1619.[4]The Lizard Lifeboat Station, operated by theRNLI, is situated at Kilcobben Cove half-a-mile (800 m) east of the village.[5]
TheSpanish Armada was first spotted from near Lizard village in 1588.[6][7]
There is aCornish cross in the village.[8]
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