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The
spectacular cliffs at Land's
End form England's most westerly point,
closest to the North American continent.
For centuries they have been battered by fierce
Atlantic winds and waves wearing away
land which may have stretched as far as the Isles
of Scilly, located 28 miles away. The cliffs at Land's End stand 200 feet above
the crashing waves. Below
the granite cliffs are a number of bizarre, isolated
rock forms: Armed Knight, Dr Johnson's Head,
Irish Lady, Kettles Bottom, and Enys Dodman.
Offshore, the Longships
Lighthouse can be seen
warning ships away from this treacherous
coast.
Land's End also has a place in Cornish
folklore. Some tales tell that the lost land of
Lyonesse - a sort of British version of Atlantis - lies beneath the
sea. It is said that local fishermen have pulled up stones from the buildings of Lyonesse in their nets, and that to this day the bells of long submerged churches can be heard
ringing beneath the waves on still nights.
Others relate that the domes and spires of Lyonesse
can be seen in the sea when standing on the cliffs at Land's
End. In Arthurian legend, Lyonesse was the western-most kingdom of Arthur's realm, extending beyond the end of
Cornwall and joining the Isles of Scilly to the rest of Britain.
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Slide
show of sunset progression pictures at Land's End
