The story of Land's End

This is the most westerly point of mainland England – the place where the country simply runs out of land. To the east lies the English Channel, to the west the Celtic Sea. It sits at the tip of the Penwith peninsula, about eight miles west-south-west of Penzance, at the very end of the A30 road.

The actual Land's End, called Peal Point, is a modest headland compared with its neighbours, and the hotel and visitor complex stands about 200 yards to the south of it. Land's End means distance: it is 838 miles by road from here to John o' Groats in the north of Scotland, and 'Land's End to John o' Groats' has become the classic challenge for charity walks and races across Britain. One surprise: despite its fame, this is not the westernmost point of mainland Great Britain – that title belongs to Corrachadh Mòr in the Scottish Highlands, 37 kilometres further west.

Stand at the edge, face the ocean and feel the wind.