Land's End
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 Cliffs at Land's End, showing Dr Syntax's Head and Longships Lighthouse | |
  Land's End Location withinCornwall | |
| OS grid reference | SW 34177 25339 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PENZANCE |
| Postcode district | TR19 |
| Dialling code | 01736 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°04′07″N05°42′58″W / 50.06861°N 5.71611°W /50.06861; -5.71611 | |
Land's End[1] (Cornish:Penn an Wlas orPedn an Wlas)[2] is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in westernCornwall, England, United Kingdom, on thePenwith peninsula about eight miles (13 km) west-south-west ofPenzance at the western end of theA30 road. To the east of it is theEnglish Channel, and to the west theCeltic Sea.
Land's End is themost westerly point of mainland England.[3] However, it is not the westernmost point on mainlandGreat Britain. This title narrowly goes toCorrachadh Mòr in theScottish Highlands.
The actual Land's End, or Peal Point, is a modest headland compared with nearby headlands such as Pedn-men-dhu overlookingSennen Cove and 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' Groats in Scotland is a distance of 838 miles (1,349 km) by road and thisLand's End to John o' Groats distance is often used to define charitable events such as end-to-end walks and races in the UK.[5] Land's End to thenorthernmost point of England is a distance of 556 miles (895 km) by road.[6]
The westernmost promontory at Land's End is known as Dr Syntax's Head. The character Dr Syntax was invented by the writerWilliam Combe in his 1809 comic verseThe Tour of Dr Syntax in Search of the Picturesque, whichsatirised the work of seekers of the "picturesque" such asWilliam Gilpin.[7] A nearby promontory is called Dr Johnson's Head afterSamuel Johnson, who referred to a hypothetical Cornishdeclaration of independence in his 1775 essayTaxation no Tyranny.[8][9]
The area around Land's End has been designated part of anImportant Plant Area, by the organisationPlantlife, for rare species offlora.[10]
Land's End is a popular venue for rock climbers.[11]
TheLongships, a group of rockyislets are just over 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore, and together with theSeven Stones Reef and theIsles of Scilly which lie about 28 miles (45 km) southwest – are part of the mythical lost land ofLyonesse, referred to inArthurian literature.
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 largephenocrysts oforthoclase, 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.[12] The contact zone between the Land's Endgranite pluton and the altered "country rocks" is nearby and theLongships Lighthouse, offshore, is built on the country rock.[12]
In 1769, the antiquarianWilliam Borlase wrote:
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.[13] In 1878 people left Penzance by horse-drawn vehicles from outside the Queens and Union hotels and travelled viaSt Buryan andTreen, to see theLogan Rock. There was a short stop to look atPorthcurno and theEastern Telegraph Company followed 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.[14] 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 theLuftwaffe when a plane returning from a raid onCardiff jettisoned its remaining bombs. 53 fisherman were injured or killed. In the build-up toD-Day American troops were billeted in the hotel leaving the building in a bad state.
Land's End was owned by a Cornish family until 1982, when it was sold to David Goldstone. In 1987,Peter de Savary outbid theNational Trust to purchase Land's End for almost £7 million from David Goldstone.[15] He had two new buildings erected and much of the presenttheme park development was instigated by him[citation needed]. He sold both Land's End and John o' Groats to businessman Graham Ferguson Lacey in 1991.[16] 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.[17]
On 6 May 1985, four schoolchildren died in what is known as theLand's End disaster.[18]
In May 2012, Land's End received worldwide publicity as the starting point of the2012 Summer Olympicstorch relay.[19]
Land's End is either the start or finishing point of end to end journeys withJohn o' Groats in Scotland. One of the earliest was by R. H. 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.[20] An early end to end on bicycle was completed by Messrs Blackwell and Harman ofCanonbury Bicycle Club. Starting at Land's End they covered 900 miles (1,400 km) in thirteen days in July/August 1880.[21] Nearly two years later the Hon I Keith-Falconer travelled 994 miles (1,600 km) from Land's End, in twelve days, 231⁄4 hours, on a bicycle.[22]
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 aderrick was used for hauling seaweed from the beach 40 feet below for use as a soil improver.[23]
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Land's End in Cornwall has been sold for nearly £7m to the property tycoon, Peter de Savary.
Peter de Savary sold both Land's End and John o' Groats in 1991 for an undisclosed sum to businessman Graham Ferguson Lacey.
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