As the yard was not working the weekend and Saturday had a good forecast I decided to hazard UK mass transport and try reach Land's End, the westernmost point of British Isles mainland (Scilly Isles is still more west).
Penryn
Penryn, pub where I stayed years ago when visiting Cockwells yard
Another Henson pub
Uncle google helped me on the way and the bus stop was only a minutes walk from our house. It came on time and I went through Penryn all the way to Henson where I had to change bus.
Low tide in Porthleven
St Michaels's mount in Marazion
Newlyn fishing port
Newlyn fishing port
Newlyn fishing port
The stop google told me to wait at was weird as there was no other stop opposite side although the sign said both sides but I could not see on opposite side any bay where the bus could stop so I was not at all convinced it would stop there. I checked the map quickly and hopped maybe 500m backwards to the other bus lines route and waited there at another stop. I was on time and and soon enough the coach came, I paid again contactless and I was on my way to Penzance. Going was not too fast as the roads were getting quite narrow and not really made for a large doubledecker. The views were nice apart from sometimes I thought the vegetation would come in the windows as they screeched on the sides.
Local highways
Local highways
St Buryan
Penzance
Penzance
At Pencanze the bus arrived at the train and bus station, a large transit area. Again uncle google told me to take a local bus through the town and get off at Newlyn where I had to walk 15 min to the next bus stop. Easy said and I hoppped on the local bus and some minutes later I got off at Newlyn fishing port. The 15 min to next bus stop was a grueling uphill and I thought I would have a heart attack whilst slogging it up. I think I might've missed the bus too as when I reached the top of the hill, where the connection was, the bus arrived maybe 45min later. I had good time to study the timetables and wonder why couldn't I just have taken a bus from Penzance central station ... go figure...
Local highways
Local highways
Paul
Local highways
Anyway, the bus came and again I was on my way west, we crisscrossed the Cornish landscape and stopped at the small hamlets until we reached Buryan, there the buses doors started malfunctioning and would not close so I got off, had a coffee and teacake. By the time I was done the next bus arrived soon and I was on the last leg to Land's End.
St Buryan
St Buryan
Having coffee in St Buryan
Celtic stone circle (?)
The bus went first to Sennen cove that look very imposing from atop the hill with the large waves rolling in. There was somekind of small wavebreaker for the lifeboat ramp and I guess it would look very dramatic when a storm would slam into the breaker. Some passengers spotted a seal but I could not find it. The small village/ town was littered by various restaurants and hotel.
Sennen cove
Sennen cove
Sennen cove
Sennen cove
As we did a U-turn at Sennen we trod up the hill again and turned towards Land's End, the vegetation was getting very sparse with a few trees popping up in leeside areas. The bus turned into the Land's End parking and we entered by a huge entrance proclaiming 'Land's End'. We all got off and I ambled towards the building with the same title.
Land's End lighthouse
Longships Lighthouse data was displayed on a placard:
One and a half miles offshore is Longships Lighthouse, the name comes from the resemblance the rocks have to a Vikings longship. This lighthouse is one of the first sights of land that many seafaring men will have had for days, if not weeks.
The building of the Longships Lighthouse began way back in 1870.The lighthouse was eventually lit on the 3rd of December 1875.
Lighthouses were inhabited until 1988 when they became automated.
Did you know lighthouse keepers were paid 30 pounds a year co live in the lighthouse and keep it lit. Risking their lives and facing some of the worst conditions the Atlantic Ocean could give.
In 1790 the area had no alds of navigation, and the coast dwelling communities were said to gain some benefit from salvaging the contents of vessels driven on to the rocks, a practice known as 'wrecking'.
On your visit, why not stop in to The First & Last Inn, the home of wreckers. Secret tunnels and passages were dug by smugglers to evade capture by government officials and the glass covered well that you will see in the inn, known as Annie's Well, is thought to have been one of these.
Rocks at the shoreline
This Map was at the entrance:
With over 100 acres to explore here at Land's End, we thought we would share some of our favourite 'must see' and 'must do' moments.
A must for any visitor to this iconic location is a 'keepsake' photo with the Land's End Signpost! (26)
Personalise the post with your own message and collect on the day from The Signpost Shop. (15)
Land's End has some truly spectacular views, and some of the best ones can also be found on the South West Coast Path either side of the site. If you take the pathway past Greeb Farm (1) towards Porthcurno, you can turn back and take in the breathtaking views of The Armed Knight and Enys Dodnan. However, if you venture towards Sennen past The First & Last House (28), keep your eyes peeled for the shipwreck of RMS Mulheim.
A staff favourite that many of our visitors sadly miss, is our Model Village (23). Beautifully hand-crafted, these models are a small insight into the history of traditional Cornish buildings.
Another spot we recommend all visitors should explore is the Local Craftworkers (2) area. This is a delightful and peaceful area where you can not only visit our 200- year-old Farmstead, but also discover the skills behind Cornish crafts such as Pottery, Jewellery Making, and Landscape Painting.
Welcome to Land's End
Local map
1 Greeb Farm, 2 Local Craftworkers, 3 End 2 End Experience, 4 Visitor Centre, 5 The Cafe, 6 Ice Cream Co. 7 The Original Cornwall Air Ambulance, 8 The Experience Shop, 9 Family Attractions, 10 Wild Land's End & Walks, 11 Land's End Hotel, 12 The Land's End Restaurant, 13 The Land's End Bar, 14 Perwwich Studios (Accomodation), 15 The Signpost Shop, 16 The Cornish Pantry, 17 Outside Bar, 18 The Kiosk, 19 The Land's End Trading Co., 20 The Land's End Clothing Co., 21 Taste of the West, 22 Westcountry Shopping Village, 23 Model Village, 24 Children's Play Area, 25 Picnic Area, 26 The Iconic Signpost, 27 RSPB Hut, 28 First & Last House, 29 Longships Lighthouse.
Lands End shoreline
Another placard listed the key dates pertaining to Land's End history:
1066 - In the aftermath of the Norman invasion, William the Conquerer claimed all land as his and divided the spoils between his countrymen and nobles who supported him in his claim to the throne.
Land's End was given to Robert, Count of Mortain, who was awarded the largest shire of Cornwall.
1655 - Digory Vingoe of Treville purchased some Land at Lands End from Sir John Arundell.
1854 - First buildings erected at Land's End for stabling horses and providing travelers with light refreshments.
1859 - The Great Western Railway brought passenger trains to Penzance carrying a new crowd of wealthy tourists.
1860 - Penwith House was built just alongside the main hotel and was opened as a 'Temperance Hotel', a place for those Victorian visitors who extolled the virtues of a life without (or with less) alcohol.
1941 - The Land's End Hotel is bombed by the Luftwaffe destroying the bar and hitting one man.
1957 - The famous Land's End signpost was introduced, photographers take souvenir pictures and send them all around the world.
1987 - Business entrepreneur Peter de Savary acquired Land's End. The site is developed with conservation in mind, tarmac pathways were introduced to restore the cliffsteps that had become terribly eroded
1996 - The present owners Heritage Attractions Ltd. took ownership of Land's End.
2012 - The Olympic Torch arrived at Land's End on the 10th May and started it's 8000 mile journey around the UK.
Land's End shoreline
As I entered through the gateway I got into a sort of fair, there were all kinds of entertainment for kids and pubs and restaurants for adults. Even for the tired travelers there was a hotel to check into. I can't fault them for doing that, once you've travelled all the way it would be hours from most places so naturally the kids would be on arrival bored and adults hungry and thirsty. I went and got myself a fridge magnet and had a walk around, I went tot he Land's End sign and admired the views.
Land's End
I saw a placard on the premises telling an interesting story:
THE LOST LAND OF LYONESSE
A Tale of Cornish Myth and Legend
Deep underneath the ocean between Land's End and the Isles of Scilly, there lies a mythical land, known as - 'The Lost Land of Lyonesse.' According to legend, Lyonesse was a rich part of King Arthur's realm and consisted of a long stretch of land from Land's End at the southwestern tip of Cornwall, to the Isles of Scilly.
A large castle-like cathedral was built on top of what is now the Seven Stones Reef between Land's End
and the Isles of Scilly but the land was considered lost after being swallowed by the ocean in a single stormy night. According to legend, God took revenge against the people of Lyonesse, and their land, after they allegedly committed a crime so unforgivable. The storm wiped the kingdom from the face of the earth as if it had never existed. The kingdom was lost forever. Legend has it that a single man thought to be called Trevelyan escaped the land, wildly riding his white horse ahead of the furious wave.
While the tale of the lost land seems legendary, there is some belief that Lyonesse was once a very real place attached between Land's End and the Isles of Scilly. With evidence showing that sea levels were remarkably lower in the past, its greatly possible that the area did once hold a human settlement that is now beneath sea level.
The lost land was believed to have many churches, 140 in fact. Listen closely and you might hear the bells still ringing from the churches that were swallowed by the ocean on that stormy night.
Land's End "fair"
Hotel History was also retold on another placard:
The first dwelling here at Land's End was created in 1854 to provide temporary shelter. refreshments & refuge to those who made the journey. By 1881 the current hotel had been named The Land's End House & was able to accommodate overnight stays. In 1893 the building underwent extensive renovations, including the installation of electricity! Throughout the First World War the hotel provided a much-needed place of solace, during the Second World War it was requisitioned as a War Office & provided a rest stop for American War Troops prior to the D-Day landings. During this time the earliest part of the building was severely damaged as a Luftwaffe plane returning from a raid in Cardiff jettisoned its bombs onto the hotel. Due to rationing & prioritizing building materials on the rebuilding of the house, the hotel was boarded up & stood desolate for years. In 1953 the end of the rationing & the Queen's Coronation saw the tourist business pick up and the Hotel was restore to its former glory. The Hotel was owned by a Cornish family until 1982 where it was sold to David Goldstone a Welsh entrepreneur. In 1987 The Land's End businesses were sold to Peter De Savary an English entrepreneur who featured on The Sunday Times Rich List 1999. De Savary (also owned Kalizma back in the day, editor) allocated millions of pounds to conservation projects here at Land's End including the installation of the well-used footpaths. In 1996, Heritage Great Britain purchased Land's End who now continue to invest into the conservation & future of this iconic location and Hotel.
The Hotel has seen a change of ownerships, fashion, style & decoration however the aim to provide a comfortable & luxurious stay in a fantastic location stays true to this day.
landsendhotel.co.uk
St Buryan again
Soon I had to get back to the bus stop to get back east as the day was going to an end. I sat in the sun and was happy I had worn my warm navy peacoat as the wind was crisp and cold from the Atlantic.
Penzance
The bus arrived and then it started the same rally back to Penzance, this time I followed the bus straight to the bus/ train station and no hill climbing involved. There uncle google advised me to take the next train to Redruth so I ambled into the station to purchase my ticket. I had time to admire a steam train that was stopped at the station, it was slowly puffing steam and probably getting ready to go. I think it was a private charter ride as I searched and found my outgoing GWS bogies on the side on track 4 and I got in. After awhile we were on our way and I could see another view which was not much to be honest as the line had been built to be as unobtrusive as possible I think. At times we trundled between land dunes. Soon we arrived Redruth and there I waited for the bus to Falmouth.
Penzance train station
I was pretty much travelled out for the day as I had left about 9AM and it was now around 6PM when I arrived to the bus stop close to my house. Although not very long distances but the speed you could travel there was not very high, still it had been a nice day touristing. Luckily the weather had favored me as I think going to Land's End on a windy day would not have been so pleasant.
Last stop before Falmouth
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