Lands End to Sennen Cove
Lands End to Sennen Cove

Distance : 1 mile Grading : + OS Sheet : 203

The most westerly point of the coast path, Lands End, is the start point for this short walk to Sennen Cove. Lands End is a popular tourist attraction in the summer, with the nearby Theme Park, so there are quite a few facilities here. Although short, this walk takes in some spectacular scenery with rocky headlands at Lands End, the remains of Maen Castle and down to the glorious beach of Whitesand Bay at Sennen Cove.


Getting to the start

Lands End is at the end of the A30, the main road through Cornwall. There is a large car park at Lands End, although it is quite expensive (£3 per day).

If you're traveling by public transport, there is a bus approximately hourly from Penzance and Porthcurno There is also a summer only bus service between St Ives, St Just and Lands End. Rail services are available from Penzance, for the bus service to Lands End. For details of all these bus services, see the links below.


Accomodation

As both Sennen Cove and Lands End are fairly remote, accommodation is limited. The resorts of Penzance, Newlyn and St Ives nearby do have a much larger choice of accommodation. There are tourist information centres at St Ives and Penzance with information on local accommodation. The links below provide more information.


Lands End is a spectacular location, at the very South West of England, where the Atlantic meets the land - there can be some impressive sea spray. Lands End has reasonable facilities, including the aptly named first and last refreshment house, cafes and toilets. There is also the large Lands End Hotel and a sign post, where you can get a photo of yourself with the name of your home town and distance from Lands End. The coast path to Sennen Cove to the North should be easy to find.

The path rounds the oddly named Dr Syntax's Head along a fairly easy walk to the remains of Maen Castle, now owned by the National Trust. Passing Irish Lady, the path rounds the corner and into Sennen Cove. On the way, you pass the old lookout station, now owned by the National Trust. There is a small breakwater at Sennen Cove and a lifeboat station. There is a pub along the street behind the beach if you're in need of refreshment. The superb sands of Whitesands Bay stretch into the distance. This is one of the best beaches in Cornwall in my opinion, and it's remote location means it tends to be less crowded than those further along the North coast. It's west facing position makes it popular with surfers, and the sea can be very rough at times.

Although there are buses back to Lands End, it is only a short walk back.


Getting Back

As this walk is so short, the best way of getting back is to walk! However, if you prefer not to, there are bus services back. First Western National service 1 runs approximately hourly back to Lands End and Sunset Coaches also run occasionally. For more details on these services, see the links below.


Photo Tour

Here are some photos of the walk. Click a picture for a larger version and description.

The First and Last Refreshment House The Post at Lands End
Longships Lighthouse Dr Syntax's Head
Irish Lady Irish Lady
Near Mean Castle Maen Castle
Approaching Sennen Cove Whitesand Bay
Sennen Cove Sennen Cove
Sennen Cove

The following photos and panoramas are from Paul Stephens' site.


Links
Maps

Ordnance Survey Landranger map 203 covers this area of the coast path and is available from most book shops nationwide. It is also stocked at the tourist information centre in Penzance.

StreetmapStreetmap is a web site which provides maps of the UK, including around around Lands End and Sennen Cove. The links below will be of most use to the coast path from Lands End to Sennen Cove. These maps join to provide the complete coast path between the two points.


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