LANDS END AND ST IVES
INTRODUCTION
Head as far west as you can go and you enter the toe of Cornwall. Sometimes called the Island Kingdom, or Penwith (in Cornish) it is almost entirely separated from the remainder of the country, surrounded by the sea from the English Channel on the south to St Ives Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the north. A place apart from the rest of the county, there is stunning scenery to admire, rich heritage to enjoy and so much to do. From windsurfing and fishing to walking and climbing! Like so many places in Cornwall, its heritage on its landscape. Remnants of a great industrial past is everywhere, the mine stacks and engine houses of the old tin and copper mines, some perched in impossible locations on the very edge of steep granite cliffs. Going further back into the past, evidence of Bronze and Iron age relics and ancient stone crosses can be found. It’s a landscape of contrasts, with rugged cliffs towering over soft sandy beaches, thundering waves in the north and a sub-tropical climate in the south.
Head to Lands End to gaze at craggy wave lashed cliffs, stunning views, the Longships Lighthouse and Wolf Rock off shore, the Isles of Scilly in the distance. 2500 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean is America!
SECTION ONE
ST IVES / ZENNOR / GREEVOR TIN MINE
Our tour of West Cornwall begins in St Ives, six miles north of Penzance and facing the Atlantic Ocean. A quaint and attractive town, its advisable to leave your car behind at busy times (there is an excellent park and ride service) and just take a pleasant stroll around the sheltered harbour. At low tide the golden sandy beach is visible and there are plenty of other beaches around the town if the harbour is busy. While in St Ives, enjoy the pretty granite cottages, cobbled streets and winding alleyways as you search for souvenirs in the numerous craft shops and galleries. St Ives is known for its artist community who make use of that special quality of light that seems unique to West Cornwall. Visit the St Ives Tate Gallery to see a varied selection of traditional and modern work, including examples of the ’Newlyn School’. While in the mood for art, stop by the gallery and former home of sculptor Barbara Hepworth.
Despite all the arts, crafts and tourist attractions that flourish in abundance in St Ives, it is still a working port with daily landings of fish in the harbour. The numerous boats make an attractive sight, bobbing about in the harbour and it is good to know that old traditions are still alive.
The village of Zennor, can be found only a few miles from St Ives. It is bound on one side by high, wild and rocky cliffs, and on the other by rugged, boulder-strewn, granite hills. Look out for mermaids along the coast as you follow the attractive path with stunning views over to the Atlantic Ocean. In the village itself little farmhouses group together for shelter against the wild and windswept coast. The first inhabitants date back to the early Bronze Age, 4000 years ago. Evidence of their existence can still be seen in the irregular, small, granite-walled field patterns.
In years past, the local people lived mainly by farming, fishing, quarrying and mining, but today, tourism has taken over. In the village is the "Wayside Museum", which comprises of a cottage with a traditional Cornish kitchen and an outdoor exhibition of domestic and mining tools. This is a charming museum that really gives you a feel of the old Cornish way of life, in a village where time seems to stand still.
Zennor also has literary connections. The writer DH Lawrence wrote ‘Women in Love’ while living in Zennor , during the First World War. At that time he was married to a German woman, Frieda Von Richthofen. Inevitably the locals grew suspicious of their activities and the Lawrence’s were forced to move away.
Further along the coast, the Greevor Tin Mine, the largest of its kind in Cornwall, is worth a visit. Up until 1990 it was employing 400 people and had workings far out to sea, reaching depths of 350 fathoms. Today however it is a Heritage Centre and Museum and an excellent way to understand and visualise Cornwall’s industrial heritage.
SECTION TWO
BOTALLACK HEAD / CAPE CORNWALL / ST JUST-IN-PENWITH
To continue on the theme of mining, visit the village of Botallack. A former mining community, it was used in the filming of Poldark and is a cheerful little place. It has plenty of facilities including a pub and several shops and provides a good opportunity to see mining ruins. The mine itself ceased production in 1895. It ran out half a mile from the coast and went down some 2000 feet, it is said that the miners could hear the sound of the waves above them as they worked. The ruins of the Crowns Mine on the coast have an eerie splendour with the old engine houses so close to the cliff edge. Once so active and now empty shells, these industrial relics have now become things of beauty that draw more and more tourists every year.
They have attracted visitors since they were first built, one such visitor was Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, in 1846 and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in 1865. Wilkie Collins the novelist went down into the mine in 1850, and it was he who wrote that he could hear the roar of the surf above his head. In 1865 there were eleven steam engines, and the mine employed 500. A fall in tin prices made the mine close in March 1895, although some workings still carried on in the shallow levels.
Today what you see is the last 2 remaining engine houses. The larger, lower house once contained a pumping engine, and the narrower structure above housed a winding engine. From 1862 -75 the upper engine house operated the Boscawen incline, a shaft angled at 32 degrees with wheeled wagons running on rails. The Count House and Count House Workshop were restored by the National Trust in 1998. The buildings now house information about the industrial and natural history of the area, plus specific information on Crowns engine houses, Botallack arsenic works and other industrial heritage sites in the area.
Cape Cornwall is a small, yet breathtaking headland four miles north of Land’s End near the village St Just. Feel reenergized by the roaring waves as you stand on the headland and look out to sea. The cape is the point at which Atlantic currents split, either going south up the English Channel, or north into the Bristol Channel and Irish Sea.
The cape was once thought to be the most south-westerly point in mainland England, however following accurate surveying; Land’s End was found to be the most westerly point. Almost entirely owned by the National Trust, there is a National Coastwatch look out on the seaward side.
A little further inland from Cape Cornwall, take shelter from the Atlantic spray in the granite village of St Just. Britain’s most westerly town this former mining village has connections that go further back in time. The landscape around the village is also marked by previous inhabitants from the Medieval period, the Iron Age, Bronze Age and late Stone Age! You can’t avoid an appreciation of history in a place where the past is all around you. Ancient though it may be, this town is not backward and has much to offer its tourists. Around the town’s triangular ’Square’ are pubs, restaurants and some very good tea rooms. You are also welcome to stay in St Just with a number of guesthouses, B and B’s and campsites. For good value accommodation there is a Youth Hostel that is good for backpackers and hikers wanting to get around Cornwall with just somewhere basic to lay their heads. St Just is an ideal place to use as a base as you explore the West of Cornwall. There are several circular walks in the immediate area and the countryside is simply stunning. In addition the Gulf Stream has provided the area with a wonderfully mild climate and an abundance of exotic flowers. When you’ve walked as far as you can then make use of one of the sandy beaches to rest and contemplate the world going by. At the north of the parish is Gwynyer beach and at the South Portheras. Look out too for the beach at Cape Cornwall where there is a swimming pool built in!
SECTION THREE
SENNEN COVE / LANDS END / PORTHCURNO
Sennen Cove situated just around the corner from Land’s End is a beautiful place with houses rising up the steep hillside. A popular spot for holiday makers, it is tucked into the South eastern corner of Whitesand Bay, and has an irresistible beach and excellent surfing conditions. The village has an interesting church built on a spot of religious significance since the 6th century, though the building itself dates primarily from the 13th century. The harbour houses commercial fishing boats and pleasure boats alike. The locals take their relationship with the sea seriously and there is much emphasis placed on the dangers of the Atlantic Ocean for those without local knowledge. While the harbour has some facilities, the best entertainment to be found is the cliff-top walk. Beginning at the car park it is steep to start and then levels off at Pedn-men-du. Dolphins and seals as well as sea birds can be spotted from here, so keep your eyes peeled. The walk also takes you past Maen Castle, which dates back prior to 300 BC.
Further down the coast from Sennen Cove is Land’s End. The closest part of the English mainland to the North American continent, the coastline here is at its absolute best. With magnificent granite cliffs and a roaring surf the view is simply overwhelming. Nature at its most beautiful and most powerful here as you stand before an ocean that seems to stretch on forever. On a clear day you can spot the Isles of Scilly basking on the horizon and just over a mile out to sea is the Longship’s Lighthouse.
Land’s End is the meeting point for the northern and southern sections of the coastal footpath. Over 500 miles in all, Land’s End comprises some of the most spectacular sections. At land’s End itself there is a tourist complex which features the history and heritage of Cornwall and Land's End, with particular emphasis on ships and the sea, and the hazards which they have always faced. The tour de force this is an Multi-Sensory Audio-Visual extravaganza entitled "The Last Labyrinth" which reaches from the legends of King Arthur and the Lost Land of Lyonesse to the bravery of the Air-Sea rescue helicopter service.
One of the finest beaches in Cornwall can be found seven miles south-west of Penzance. It’s not quite the Caribbean but with golden sands, turquoise waters and the warmth of the summer sun, it’s not far off. The beach is backed by granite cliffs which shelter it and creates a haven for sun worshippers. At the eastern ends sits the famous Logan Rock on the Treryn Dinas headland. The stone weighs about 70 tons! At the other end of the beach is the Minack Open-Air Theatre with the coastal footpath and beaches of Porth Chapel and Porthgwarra stretching beyond.
The Theatre, in the 1930s by the late Miss Rowena Cade. It began as a "garden project", and has developed into a world-famous venue for summer plays and musical entertainment. From May until late September you can enjoy comedies, and musicals, from Shakespeare to modern productions. The theatre can be visited out of season for a small charge.
Not far up the valley from Porthcurno Beach is the Museum of Submarine Telegraphy. Its is in fact more interesting than it sounds and is housed in a series of underground tunnels that were constructed during the Second World War. It celebrates Porthcurno’s importance as the primary landing place for Britain’s network of international telephone and telegraph cables.
SECTION FOUR
MOUSEHOLE / NEWLYN
Three miles west of Mount’s Bay lies one of the most beautiful coastal villages in the UK. Mousehole, pronounced ’Mowzel’ is the image of a Cornish fishing village and is largely unspoilt. The village is centred around a charming circular harbour which is sheltered from the fury of the sea by two breakwaters. You can still see fishing boats bobbing about amongst the pleasure crafts in this idyllic little harbour. In winter the harbour is far less peaceful and wooden beams close the entrance to keep back the force of the sea. The storm can be lethal here and the villagers commemorate a past tussle with the sea each year. On “Tom Bawcock’s Eve” a giant fish pie is baked and consumed on the quayside followed by a lively village party.
Mousehole is also famous for one of its former residents. Dolly Pentreath was reputedly the last person to speak Cornish as a natural language. The language died out about 200 years ago though there are now efforts to revive it. You can visit a memorial to Dolly in the churchyard at Paul, a village above Mousehole.
The origins of the village’s name is a topic of curiosity. Some say it is due to the enormous cave a few hundred yards along the coast.
Further up the coast as you head for Penzance stop at the fishing port of Newlyn and visit the largest fleet of fishing boats in Southern England. The village itself is clustered around the harbour. The mainstay of this little village is the sea and there are fishing fleets, trawlers and long-liners at both the old quay and the larger quays. The visitor is able to appreciate the hard working industry that is the sea. The Pilchard Museum provides an insight into how such a small fish was once a major product of the local industry.
There are many pretty little streets that wind around the village. Traditional fisherman’s cottages are still inhabited by locals as are the many pubs around the harbour. Visitors are always made welcome and there is plenty to see and do, including the Newlyn Orion gallery which exhibits local artists of the past present and future.
SECTION FIVE
PENZANCE / MARAZION / ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT
Penzance is the natural touring base for this part of Cornwall. The capital of the far west and the last major town before the Atlantic Ocean, it is both a centre for tourism and a bustling market town. The town contains a number of museums and galleries as well as several houses of historic interest and an attractive promenade. From Penzance you can also get to the Isles of Scilly via the ferry services, both sea and air.
Like much of Cornwall the coast is truly stunning and has been designated ‘An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.’ the beaches around Penzance are some of the cleanest and safest in the country and are ideal for families and water sports. For history buffs there are numerous ‘standing stones’ and ‘stone circles’ in the area, including the ‘Merry Maidens’. The legend has it that the stones are nine maidens who were turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath, nearby are two more stones known as the pipers.
Marazion is the oldest town in Cornwall. It was granted its status in 1257 by King Henry III. Its original name, ‘Marghas Byghan’ meant small market but this evolved into Marazion. Today this historic town is a peaceful place with stunning views over a stretch of sandy beach. Like much of Cornwall the sea is everywhere and walking about the quiet narrow streets a sparkling film of sea greets you at every corner. In summer the local Mounts Bay Sailing Club add colour to the water and there are often National Championship races which bring hundreds of small craft to the town beach. The birdwatchers should head to the Marazion Marsh, an area of water and reed which is ideal for spotting wild birds, particularly in autumn.
A fitting end to a tour of Cornwall is one of the county’s greatest treasures, St Michael’s Mount. The island is three miles east of Penzance and a few hundred yards off shore. The castle is now owned by the National Trust but for centuries it was the home of the St Aubyn family. Its origin was a Benedictine Priory linked to the famous Mont St Michel in Normandy. Even further back in time the island was originally a major port and the centre of Cornish tin and copper to the Greeks and Romans. You can visit the castle most days during the summer and on foot at low tide or by ferry when the tide is high.
