Europe came to know of America very recently after Columbus mistook America for India! Till that point of time, after the land ends in UK, there’s a vast expanse of water and nothingness, as long as eyes could see!!! So, that point was aptly called Land’s End! Today several sections of Cornwall are listed under UNESCO, which were originally mining sites in 18th & 19th C CE. Sadly we were there on a day trip and did not manage to see those sites!
We got there via Penzance. From Penzance regular buses are available that take you to Land’s End via Porthcorno, priced at £12.00 for a one-day pass! That ride was an hour long and was just gorgeous! After a long time, I had witnessed the beauty of English countryside complete with cultivation, cattle, scare crows and hay rolls!!!
My first stop was Land’s End Visitors Centre! Originally this entire space belonged to Robert, Count of Mortain, who was awarded it all after the Norman Conquest in 1066. After changing so many hands, today it is with Heritage Great Britain PLC. At its entrance is a series of miniature houses built in the traditional styles. There are quite a few activities here, esp for kids which I wasn’t interested in.
This commercial area covers 1/10th of the site of 100 acres! I directly went to do the most touristic thing to be done – get a photograph in front of Land’s End Signpost and a photo in front of The First and Last House! This House was built in 1860 by Grace Thomas as a small café for tourists. Though these 2 spots are touristy, the view from here is just impeccable!
Just like Durdle Door, here too are some unique rock formations, rocky islands and arches!!! With the rich natural wealth here it is been designated as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. Among the natural formations, I spotted the manmade one too – the Longships Lighthouse built in 1873. Till 1988, it had lighthouse keepers; today it’s operated by automatic programme. Much farther away (8 miles away) is the Wolf Rock Lighthouse which I couldn’t spot!
From this point, there are the Northward walk towards Sennen Cove which is 2.8miles and the Southward walk which is 1.6miles past Nanjizal Beach. This Beach & Cave is just such a beautiful place, but unfortunately I couldn’t walk till that point. Getting into that point requires a trek down the cliff and there’s a tiny eyelet through which you can swim! The water is crystal clear, but it is deep as well. Unless you’re a pro trekker and swimmer, you could just watch it from atop the cliff!
After this, we went over to Porthcurno by bus, but before heading to the beach, we checked out the Minack’s Theatre. This is one huge open air theatre opened in 1932, for the local drama enthusiast to perform Tempest! Till date performances happen here and the place can be seen whether a performance is happening or not! Just the very idea of watching a show, sitting on grass, with the sea breeze hitting the face is just such a beautiful thing!
A downward walk from here takes you to the Porthcurno Beach! This is a sandy beach and very much accessible! Still there were very few people here when compared to Durdle Door. There is a warning post though that says the sea is rough, deep and islands get cut off in tides, plus there’s a lifeguard too!
From there, I got back to Penzance to take another bus to St.Michael’s Mount! That’s the English version of the Indian Haji Ali Dargah. This is being maintained by National Trust and it’s located in the sea! The causeway connecting it is visible only in low tide and on high tides, a speedboat is operated. Sadly we missed the bus and didn’t get to see it up close!
My visit to Cornwall didn’t do any justice. I didn’t see or do anything – Not the UNESCO mining sites, not the Mayon Cliff ship wreck, not the Nanjizal Beach Song of the Sea Cave, not the Sennen Cove, Bronze age burial mounds, Iron age hill fort, not the Telegraph Museum, none, did not even go crabbing in Cornwall!!!! I also missed St.Michael’s Mount grazingly!!!!! With a day-trip I didn’t even get to see a sunrise at this gorgeous beach!!! The gorgeous beaches are the only solace. Let’s see if future takes me there again. But then, if you’re planning a trip, take atleast a long weekend off! You might as well stay at Land’s End Hotel, which was opened in 1881.
P.S: Check out here to know what I wore to this trip.
To Get There:
Nearest airport: Cornwall Newquay
To Penzance from London: 500km (Both Great Western Railway & National Express Coaches operate in this route).
To Land's End from Penzance (via Porthcurno): 24km (First buses operate in this route)
Car parking is available at Land's End Visitor's Centre
On Google maps: Land's End Visitor's Centre, Porthcurno Beach, St.Michael's Mount
Timings & Entry tickets:
Minack Theatre:
Timings: 10:00AM to 5:00/4:00PM (Summer/Winter)
Entry fee: £5 during free shows & no performance.
Tickets for shows can be bought at their website.
St.Michael's Mount:
Castle - 10:00AM to 5:00PM (last entry 4:15PM);
Garden is open only on Wed & Thurs for same timings. Saturdays closed.
Entry fee: £9.50 for castle alone & £14 incl Garden.
Boat ride is priced at £2-3 if the causeway is closed by hightide.
Wow Great pictures! I am not sure I really even knew about this place at all. Scenery is quite outstanding. When i am next n that part of the world I will make plans to visit. I need to read up on my history before I go. Thanks for sharing I really learnt something.
ReplyDeleteCornwall looks so gorgeous. I am sorry to hear that you could not visit the mines. It is always good to indulge in a bit of history along with the wonders of nature. I think it is aptly called Land’s end. The entry fee for the theatre is quite reasonable.
ReplyDeleteThat's the fun of travel, you can always go back and now you know where you want to visit for the next trip. Cornwall looks gorgeous and that ocean is amazing. It's always neat to hear the history as to why it is called Land's End because after than there was nothing but ocean!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, when I saw how sunny your pictures were I had to back up to make sure you were really in the UK! I had no idea Cornwall were this beautiful and it seems like the perfect weekend scape. About Mt St Michel, it is the first time I see it from this perspective, lovely!
ReplyDeleteWow! This is such a lovely place. I like the 1932 Minack’s Theatre – such a splendid view of the sea. Watching a performance in this open-air theatre must be an amazing experience. St.Michael’s Mount looks like a scene from some fantasy novel. Love your super amazing pictures!!
ReplyDeleteCornwall is such a lovely location and I haven't been since I was a child. You saw some amazing views and it shows in your photos and I have a question did you get to try a traditional cornish pasty and the cornish ice cream?
ReplyDeleteCornwall looks stunning with lovely blue water and waves crashing on rocks. Land's end for Europe must be interesting place to visit with all those sights of rocky arches and cliffs. Minack’s Theatre is amazing because watching drama from this play must be fun as it is surrounded by sea. Though you missed mines, Iron Age burials, Telegraph museum etc. but you managed to do a lot and took beautiful pictures during your day trip.
ReplyDeleteNo way this is in Great Britain! It's so beautiful the water is actually very clear and turquoise, so wonderful! That rock with the whole there is very similar to the Rocher Perce in Quebec, Canada and many other places in Greece and of course the one in Malta that unfortunately broke down. This is so unexpected from that area of Europe, Thanks fo sharing the wonderful photos and information to get there!
ReplyDeleteFor even more beautiful beaches try Scotland. White sands and turquoise seas and yes often gorgeous sunshine. The North East coast of England has huge fabulous sandy beaches & many castles too and best of all no hordes of tourists.
DeleteThe Minack's Theatre look divine! I'm definitely disappointed that you didn't get to experience all of Cornwall either. Cornwall is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhile I must admit that I haven't heard of this place before, it looks like a great place to visit. The photos are nice and the English (Cornish??) Haji Ali looks great!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it cold to swim? :) (I mean for normal people, not the Nordics like me) Also, when I saw English shore-side, I thought vikings would come :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs, the scenery is gorgeous but often too many tourists. The Poldark series shot in Cornwall is probably increasing the tourist hordes.
ReplyDeleteLovely! The landscape, beach, castle and rock formations are spectacular. My husband and I really wanted to visit Cornwall. Hopefully soon.
ReplyDeleteLiz Gen | fatmoments.com
I can't wait to go there. Cornwall looks stunning with lovely blue water and waves crashing on rocks. You saw some amazing views and it shows in your photos!
ReplyDeleteCornwall looks interesting in the pics. You might not have been able to visit every site, but I'm sure you had fun based on what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteGood comparison of the Mount to Haji Ali. I am able to visualise it better. This place is so beautiful. I have a thing for huge rocky hills by the sea, allowing waves to lash and be themselves, and a little bit of sand cove by the hills. I chase the same kind of beaches in Goa too :-). The amphitheatre with grass banks by the sea is lovely! Is this used for some cultural performance?
ReplyDeleteCornwall is definitely a historical site to see and brings back a lot of old high school learning days. I cannot believe how blue the water is! I also checked out your what I wore during this trip post because I adore your outfits!
ReplyDeleteI’m very jealous of you getting to see Land’s End! I’ve been to Cornwall but I didn’t get this far. It’s so pretty! Funny that the British thought it was the end of the world!
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't expect England to have such sunny & beautiful sights! Feel so ignorant now...but hey, we learn something new eve day, right? Loved your photos and can't wait to visit Cornwall myself!
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