Land's End

Land's End, also known as Pedn an Wlas, is a prominent headland in western Cornwall, England.

It is located on the Penwith peninsula, situated west-south-west of Penzance. The geography of the area is defined by its position between two bodies of water. To the east lies the English Channel, while the Celtic Sea sits to the west. While it is the most westerly point of mainland England, it is not the westernmost point of mainland Great Britain. That title belongs to Corrachadh Mòr in the Scottish Highlands, which is 37 km further west.

The physical landscape is defined by its unique geology. The cliffs are composed of granite, which is a type of igneous rock. Igneous rocks form from cooling magma and are often very hard. Because granite is resistant to weathering, the coastline features steep cliff faces. There are two distinct varieties of granite present at this site. Near the hotel, the granite is coarse-grained with large phenocrysts. Phenocrysts are large crystals embedded in a finer mass. These crystals of orthoclase can sometimes be more than an inch in length.

To the north, near the First and Last House, the granite is finer-grained. This variety has smaller phenocrysts and appears smoother due to different weathering patterns. This granite dates back to the Permian period, between 268 and 275 million years ago.

The area has a long history of human interest and travel. Tourists have been visiting the region for over three hundred years. In 1649, the poet John Taylor visited to document the wonders of the west. In the 1800s, visitors often traveled from Penzance using horse-drawn vehicles. They frequently traveled on foot because the local lanes were muddy and uneven. The current hotel at Carn Kez grew from a small house that originally looked after horses for travelers. This building suffered damage from bombs dropped by a Luftwaffe plane during a war. Later, during the build-up to D-Day, American troops were billeted in the hotel, leaving the building in poor condition.

Ownership of the site has changed several times over the decades. A Cornish family owned Land's End until 1982. In 1987, Peter de Savary purchased the site for almost £7 million. He was responsible for instigating much of the present theme park development. He later sold the site to Graham Ferguson Lacey in 1991. The current owners, a company named Heritage Great Britain PLC, purchased the site in 1996. Today, the complex includes a hotel and a theme park with playgrounds and music. In August, the site hosts a firework spectacular called 'Magic in the Skies.'

Land's End is also a place of significant natural and mythical interest. The surrounding area is designated as an Important Plant Area by the organization Plantlife. This status exists because the region supports rare species of flora. The steep cliffs also make the area a popular venue for rock climbers. Nearby, the Longships islets sit just offshore. Together with the Seven Stones Reef and the Isles of Scilly, they are part of the mythical lost land of Lyonesse. This land is a well-known element in Arthurian literature.

The name Land's End carries a special weight in British culture. It is often used to suggest extreme distance. Many people use it as a starting or finishing point for "end-to-end" journeys to John o' Groats in Scotland. These journeys are often used to define charitable races or long walks. In 1879, R. H. Carlisle completed a journey between these two points in 72 days. He kept a log book stamped by post offices to prove his route. In 1880, members of the Canonbury Bicycle Club completed the trip in just thirteen days. These historical feats helped establish the site as a symbol of endurance.

Beyond its physical borders, Land's End connects to many different fields of study. It is a site for geological study due to the contact zone between the granite pluton and the surrounding country rocks. A pluton is a large body of intrusive igneous rock. It is also a site of historical interest, such as the promontory known as Dr Johnson's Head. This name honors Samuel Johnson, who wrote about Cornwall in 1775. Other parts of the coast, like Dr Syntax's Head, connect to 19th-century literature. Even the local economy was once tied to the sea, as seen by the derrick used in 1879 to haul seaweed for soil improvement.