Land’s End & the Penwith Peninsula: A Family Day Out at Britain’s End

Land’s End is the famous mainland Britain end-of-the-line — the signpost, the cliff edge, the gift village, the hotel. The visitor complex itself is privately operated and modestly underwhelming for the £8 parking; the cliffs around it are owned by the National Trust and free to walk. The wider Penwith peninsula — the tip of west Cornwall, west of Penzance — is one of the wildest and most archaeologically rich landscapes in England.

Main things to see and do

1. Land’s End signpost. Yes, get the picture. The signpost is privately operated; the basic photo is free, the personalised one ticketed.
2. Sennen Cove. Two miles north of Land’s End — long sandy beach, surf school, Cornish lifeboat station. The car park at the cove is the better starting point if you only want the cliff walk to Land’s End.
3. Lanyon Quoit and the Penwith stones. Megalithic chambered tombs scattered across Penwith — Lanyon Quoit, Mên-an-Tol, the Merry Maidens. Free, usually unfenced. OS map essential.
4. Cape Cornwall. Five miles north — the only ‘Cape’ in mainland England, owned by the NT. Quieter and more dramatic than Land’s End itself, with parking and walking.
5. Minack Theatre. The clifftop open-air theatre at Porthcurno (private, ticketed) — an unforgettable visit on a summer evening if you can get tickets.

Where to stay

If you are making a weekend of it, Cornwall has more good self-catering than is reasonable. We use Sykes Holiday Cottages for most of our family breaks here — their holiday cottages on the penwith peninsula cover most of the price brackets and most of the dog-friendly properties. (Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Practical bits

• Postcode: TR19 (centre)
• Region: far west Cornwall
• OS map: OS Explorer 102 — Land’s End, Penzance & St IvesBuy from OS →
• Public transport: Cornwall Transport for “First Kernow” services cover the coast; the Cornish Main Line trains stop at most major towns.