Lands End - Cornwall

...Who exhibition would be at Lands End for several months. My partner is a huge Doctor Who fan and really wanted to visit the exhibition. I remember visiting as a child but thought it would be great to visit again. It seems like a very long way to go but is definitely worth the long drive.


***LANDS END***

Lands End is situated on the tip of the Penwith Peninsula. It is the most westerly point of Cornwall well the ...
...means 'End of the Land'. Lands End is subject to many tales of mythology and tradition. The lost land of Lyonesse is said to be hidden under the sea but can be seen from Lands End on a clear day.

Many people from all over the UK and other parts of the world choose to walk from the Scottish Village of John O Groats (the most North-Easterly point of the UK) to Lands End to raise money. Some people have cycled/walked the route naked, ... more

Last year we found out that the Doctor Who exhibition would be at Lands End for several months. My partner is a huge Doctor Who fan and really wanted to visit the exhibition. I remember visiting as a child but thought it would be great to visit again. It seems like a very long way to go but is definitely worth the long drive.

***LANDS END***

Lands End is situated on the tip of the Penwith Peninsula. It is the most westerly point of Cornwall well the UK. In Cornish Lands End is known as Penn an Wlas which means 'End of the Land'. Lands End is subject to many tales of mythology and tradition. The lost land of Lyonesse is said to be hidden under the sea but can be seen from Lands End on a clear day.

Many people from all over the UK and other parts of the world choose to walk from the Scottish Village of John O Groats (the most North-Easterly point of the UK) to Lands End to raise money. Some people have cycled/walked the route naked, have driven the route or just walked with friends to raise the profile of a charity or raise some money for a good cause.

***GETTING THERE***

It's relatively easy to get there from the east. Travel towards Penzance, from there you will find signs to 'Land End' continue on following the signs. Lands End is about 8 miles from Penzance.

Drive through the village of Sennen following signs to Lands End on your left you will find a large gravelled car park. You will need to pay £3 for a whole day. This car parking cost is quite reasonable as there is no entry fee to Lands End.

***ATTRACTIONS***

*The End to End Story*
This is an exhibition showing the many people who have taken part in the 'End to End' challenge. This describes the journey between Lands End in Cornwall to John O Groats in Scotland.

The exhibition shows videos and audio records of the people who have travelled the 'End to End' challenge. The many ways in which people complete the challenge are shown in the video clips. The timeline along the wall shows the many organisations, companies and people who have taken up the amazing feat one of which I would love to do but can never imagine it.

In a darkened room you can watch a sped up version of a car simulation showing the journey. This is quite interesting for tourists to see as they can pin point their homes town as the car passes by. The journey is shown along the wall giving the time and distance travelled.

*Doctor Who Up Close*
We went to Lands End to see this attraction. The Doctor Who exhibition was advertised readily down in the South West on billboards, TV and radio we had to visit. With some pf the scenery it was possible to stand next to the characters and have photos taken however with some they were cordoned off however it was still possible to take photographs. It was quite disappointing to find that the only Dalek was quite out of view so photos were difficult to get. We saw the Slitheen, Cybermen, Face of Boe and The evil santas. There was a great atmosphere in the World War two scene with the gas masked people, as bombs could be heard. We really enjoyed this part of the day.

*Return to the Last Labyrinth*
This was a rather uncomfortable but stimulating experience. We were led into a room with cargo boxes on the floor. The lights went off and a story took us back to the days of witches, wreckers and smugglers off the Cornish coast. There were many surprises, splashes of water, squawks of seagulls and sea breeze smells to give it that extra sensory feel. We were told stories of the lost land of Lyonesse, King Arthur and Merlin as well as those evil giants and witches.

This was a great experience but we found that small children were quite disturbed by the evils laughs, sea spray and scary faces that they cried throughout. If you are going to visit this exhibition its best to sit at the front so you can hear the stories. IF you have small children be aware that they may find the whole thing very disturbing and upsetting.

*Air Sea Rescue*
This was a good one and leaves you feeling quite eager to help those who put their lives at risk to save people in peril on the sea. Led down to a corridor we are shown an SOS call from a fisherman who has been taken ill on his fishing boat. We see the RNLI getting ready for their trip out onto the sea and are then taken to the boat by a member of the RNLI. This boat is a simulator where we can watch the rescue. The simulation shows the Sennen Lifeboat crew and the Sea King from RNAS Culdrose. It is easy to see what these brave people face and the simulation brings the danger to life. It is a really good experience and reminds us that the tides are not always as kind as we think when bathing on the beach. I really enjoyed this one and it's a great exhibition for all ages as its not scary and whilst the boat moves its not a white knuckle ride.

*Greeb Farm*
I loved this part of the day we walked across the coast path, it was hot day and most would not bother visiting the farm but I would definitely recommend it. Greeb farm is a restored 200 year old farm. The cottage has been kept the way was and it is really educational. We walked into the kitchen and an audio guide was telling us about the family who used to live on the farm. Upstairs we can see the beds and small signs tell us about illnesses and medication used during those days.

When walking around the farm I was asked by the farmer whether I would like to feed a piglet its bottle. It was great fun to watch them eat. We could hold the small animals and pet the goats and ponies. The farm is a lovely little place for children and adults alike. You can purchase small bags of food to feed the animals so children can get involved in feeding times. Farm feeding times are shown on a small blackboard so if you are around when they bottle feed the animals you can do this.

The farm also has a converted barn with workshops making glass, leather, wood, clay and jewellery items. You can buy your souvenirs in here

*Play areas*
There is plenty for the little ones to do and it all looks quite fun. The Wreckreation Adventure play area looked like fun; I wished I was a child so I could play on it. There is also an old lifeboat to look around situated next to the play area. For the older kids there is a small arcade although the had the habit of taking money and not working.

***ACCOMODATION***

The lands end hotel is situated on the edge of the cliff and has some lovely sea views. He price is quite expensive however so you may want to stay in Penzance and travel to Lands End for a day trip. Prices range from £40 - £90 per person per night, if you pay for a room with a sea view the sights are fantastic on a clear day/night.

***FOOD AND DRINK***

There are a variety of food places and picnic areas. The Longships Family restaurant and bar was a place to go and get a sit down meal. The food and drinks prices were quite expensive, the type you would probably expect to pay at a tourist attraction. It is quite nice here however as on as nice day you can get a nice drink and meal and look out over the cliffs.

The Cornish Pantry is a café style eat-in or take-away where you can buy cheaper food and drink but it is still expensive compared to your average café.

I would advise you to take a packed lunch and sit in the picnic areas. You can buy ice creams relatively cheap so you don't really need to spend out a lot of money on an average meal.

***SHOP***

The Lands End Trading Co. shop is full of local souvenirs, fudge, sweets, sticks of rock etc. At the moment (2007) the shop is selling many Doctor Who souvenirs. We spent a long time in the shop looking at many personalised gifts, plants, clothes and CD's etc. The souvenirs were fairly priced for a tourist attraction. There are plenty of small items for children to buy such as bookmarks, pens, pencils and rubbers etc.

T-shirts are about £15
Pens about £1
Key rings about £1
Rubbers 50p
Pencils 75p

The famous 'Lands End' clothing company also have a shop. There is a wide range of clothes available at reasonable prices. The shop sells such items as sweaters, coats and fishermen items. The shop is perfect for countryside clothing. They sold some good quality boots for exploring the Cornish coast.

***EXTRAS***

You can have your picture taken by the famous sign post. This however will cost you about £10 as you need to pay for a professional photo. The signpost is a family run business so you can't take advantage of free photos.

Tourists can look up their town/country and check the mileage. The owner will then put your town name and mileage on the post, this included in the photo price. On a lovely sunny day I would imagine that the photos are a great souvenir. And really £10 is a great price for a permanent reminder of your day out.

***PRICES***

You can choose to pay per attraction the prices range from £2-£4 for an adult and £1-£3 for children. The more popular attraction cost more than the less popular ones. If you want to see all of them however an inclusive ticket would save you a lot of money. An inclusive ticket will cost £9.95 for an adult, £5.95 for a child and £7.95 for students and OAP's.

A family of four (2 kids and 2 adults) can buy a family ticket for £21 so again are able to save money.

Lands End is open from 10am every day (with the exception of Christmas and New Year) during the summer months or during special occasions e.g. fireworks, Easter and Halloween Lands End will remain open later into the evening.

***SUMMARY***

Lands End is more than just a peninsula surrounded by water. It can be a great family day out and there is so much to do. If you don't want to spend a whole day there you can visit the nearby town of Penzance. I would certainly advise you to visit before October whilst the Doctor Who exhibition is there as it really made our day. 

...less