Around Gwennap Head
Click here For information about Gwennap Head (grid ref SW365217); the most southerly headland on the south coast of the Penwith and, of course, the location of NCI Gwennap Head.
Click here A picture they say is worth a thousand words.Within a few yards you will see more rugged beauty than a hundred photo's can show. This is NCI Gwennap Head.
Click here For photos and information about local coves such as Porthgwarra, Sennen, Nanjizal, and Lands End.
Lifeboats
Click here For Sennen Cove Lifeboat Station website.Our nearest lifeboat station. NCI Gwennap Head conducts regular training exercises with the Sennen lifeboats
Click here For Penlee Lifeboat Station website. The station is located in Newlyn Harbour and is descended from the very first lifeboat station in Cornwall
Wildlife
Choughs have been recorded as part of Cornish history since at least the 13th century and, with their glossy black plumage, curved crimson-red bill and red legs, they are unmistakeable. It appears on the Cornish coat of arms, and legend connects it with the soul of King Arthur. Moreover, Cornwall was the last stronghold of the chough in southern England (it had been in decline since the 18th century) but they had disappeared altogether by the mid-20th century. Then in 2001 wild choughs were sighted at Lizard Point. They found the short insect-rich grass they needed and so they stayed….and they have been breeding here successfully, ever since. The area between Gwennap Head, Lands End & Sennen has a small (but – hopefully – growing) resident population of Choughs and year-round sightings are not uncommon.
Click here For more information on Cornish Choughs and the Cornish Chough Conservation Network
Of course, avid bird-watchers or, indeed, readers of our wildlife officer’s regular reports (click here) will know that the area around Gwennap Head is home to many different species of birds, including some quite exotic visitors (click here for a report of the Dalmatian Pelican visit). The RSPB works to promote conservation and protection of birds, and the wider environment, through public awareness campaigns, petitions and through the operation of nature reserves (including the area around Gwennap Head) throughout the United Kingdom.
Click here For [almost] everything bird-related at the RSPB
LEARN. SEE. RESPECT. REPORT…….Cornwall’s coastal and marine wildlife, so essential to our economy, is under pressure…it needs our help and respect! The Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code promotes best practice to make all encounters great for people, great for marine life and great for Cornwall!
Click here For details of the best practice when you're lucky enough to have a 'Close Encounter' with our local wildlife
Click here Cornwall Wildlife Trust for all the latest new and advice on wlidlife -marine,land or air.
Click here For all there is to know about basking sharks,whales and other interesting mammals.
Click here The Marine Conservation Society which runs the Basking Shark watch - a UK sighting scheme. To report a sighting visit this site and fill in the online form.
Things To Do
The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre carved into the granite cliffs at Porthcurno, a few miles from Land’s End. It is constructed above a gully where a rocky granite outcrop juts into the sea, providing a backdrop which can distract both audience and players alike. During a performance, basking sharks and schools of dolphins might been seen circling in the bay and many seabirds are sure to add their ‘comments’ to the dialogue whilst searching for a fish supper in the waters below.
Of course, even in Cornwall, it occasionally rains! However, for a show to actually be cancelled, the elements have to be truly appalling (and, whatever the weather, umbrellas are strictly verboten). Evenings can be cool (even in mid-summer) but matinée performances can need sunhats and proper sunscreen. We recommend plenty of layers which can be put on or taken off, as needed plus, of course, a picnic to enjoy before the performance
Click here For the Minack Theatre. Includes box office, access, historical information, photo gallery and 360 degree viewer
Click here For the Minack Theatre stage webcam.
Cornwall has always been at the leading edge of communications, the first transatlantic radio signal was sent from here and the first satellite broadcast was received at Goonhilly It might come as a surprise to people to learn that, today, most of the world's communications pass through Cornwall, making our small county one of the most connected places in the world! Porthcurno was the point at which many submarine telegraph cables - transatlantic and to other locations - came ashore. It’s Telegraph museum is housed in the former telegraph facility and has displays showing the history of submarine cable-laying ships and telegraphy, and a varied collection of still-working telegraphy equipment
Click here For the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum. Including How to Get There, access, guides and forthcoming events......and if that has wetted your appetite and you want to learn more about the hidden world of global communications running silently under your feet in West Cornwall, this documentary provides a fascinating account of how the system works and is put together. In November 2014 Edward Snowden leaked documents that pointed to Cornwall as the intercept point for GCHQ's Tempora program, this documentary also delves into the murky world of espionage and how it actually works!
Click here For Lands End. One of Cornwall's great places to visit, and its westernmost point.
Click here For up-to-the-minute local news, events and attractions.
Refreshments
Click here Porthgwarra Cove cafe for pasties, cream teas, ice cream, cakes, drinks and lots more
Click here Apple Tree Cafe is a family-run cafe/restaurant situated in Trevescan, Sennen (1 mile from Lands End)