'RIP OFF Britain at its WORST!' Lands End, Cornwall
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- In this week’s video, we visit Land’s End, one of the most iconic places in Cornwall, to see what the experience is like from a tourists point of view.
Land’s End - That magical romantic place in the far west of Cornwall! It has been attracting visitors for years.
Victorians came on foot because the road was just too rocky.
So what would you expect of Lands End today? Stunning views, a romantic idle or a tourist attraction?
Land’s End now offers parking, family entertainment, accommodation, fast food and cliché souvenirs.
The coast path meanders through the whole site, but does the commercial side detract from, or add to the experience?
In this video we take a look at this summer's Trip Advisor and Google reviews, some of which have been very negative.
We take a look at the attraction from a visitor point of view and see if the comments are fair.
The standard description bit…
We are Sarah and Andrew and we film our walks around Cornwall and publish on RUclips, usually weekly. Sometimes we stay in accommodation in Cornwall and upload our vlog. Sarah is fascinated by sea glass and likes to collect it so there may be the occasional sea glass video too. The channel is a hobby and we both have normal day jobs!
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The channel is a very time consuming hobby, fitted around our employment and family commitments. Setting aside time for meet ups, means that we are not able to film and edit our weekly videos that you love to watch.
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Sarah and Andrew
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Locals Pass Scheme
Our new ANPR system will mean that locals have to register their vehicle in our Visitor Centre (outside of opening hours please head to the hotel reception).
You will need to bring photographic proof of your Cornish residency i.e. a driving license/ passport, and log your name and registration number on the database.
Please note: You only have to do this once! This is the only way we will be able to offer the locals complimentary parking for the registered vehicle.
Our locals pass scheme currently entitles the holder to free parking at Land’s End as well as 50% off full price package tickets - The ‘Lyonesse Experience’ Package (all 4 attractions) and the The ‘Longships Experience’ Package (Excludes The Lost Treasure of Lyonesse: A Golf Adventure).
Wish I could get down from Looe but alas old bones cannot make it. Used to come a lot and walked from Sennen.
Hi, We we’re not aware of this scheme, despite the hours of research, we must have missed it, so thank you for sharing. We will sign up when we visit next time! Sarah :)
I don't have the technology to do that.
@@CornishWalkingTrails You are most welcome Sarah. Thank you both for all your videos. Keep doing what you love. Take care. Jules. ❤
Is this info available at the payment machines? I didn’t see anything
I remember as a kid driving out to Lands end so Mum could see the Sun set. These iconic sites should be for the people not some cynical commercial operation. They have turned it into a dump.
Dump that's being polite!
I'm a local and I like most find what they've done to Lands End sickening.
I am NOT a local (members of my family are) and I have to agree that what they have done to Lands End should be classed as Criminal. It's an utter rip off.
Are you a local who was born and bred, or a local that moved down, if the latter then it don't count, if the former then I agree
See? The Cornish are horrible people who belive that they evolved from better monkeys than the rest of us. Boring people in the arse hole of nowhere.
Hasn't it been like this for donkeys years? Used to holiday near Sennen as kids and would occasionally walk to lands end to gawk at the tat and hoards of groccles who for some reason never ventured further than a few 100 yards from the car park.
@@bfyrth lived in Penzance all my life. Anyone who moved down, live locally but they are not local
The first time I visited Lands End was 1976. The road went from tarmac to gravel just a few hundred yards before the carpark and a low stone wall stopped you going any further. In that wall was an honesty box with a slot to put 10p in. There where no attractions, just the hotel and the first and last house which was the sole seller of souvenirs. The sign post was there but I’m not sure if you where carged or not. The whole place was atmospheric and enjoyable. Role on seventeen years and I was back with my wife and daughter. It had become an amusement park and I felt the whole place had been spoilt, I even wrote a poem about how I wanted to bulldoze it into the sea, my 14 year old daughter laughed. Its only redeaming feature was the farm. In 1999 I stood on the cliffs there with a vain hope of seeing the eclipse. Last year I parked out and walked in on my way to Sennen, it appears to be even worse now and the charges outrageous. I doubt I will ever go to Lands End again but for those who don’t wan’t ripping off I suggest you visit either side of Lands End and soak up the atmosphere there or even Cape Cornwall. Now where did I park that bulldozer?
Sorry, borrowed your bulldozer, been meaning to this for longer - 50yrs - than you. Totally agree with your sentiments, well said.
The sign post was an attraction. We came from Ickenham (Middx, nr, Uxbridge) That was in the 50s.
The last time I was in Cornwall was in 1974. I lived in Sennen and worked in the First & Last Cafe, selling teas & pasties. There was just the Cafe, the First & Last Hotel, a couple of run down buildings, and the sign. It was wild, unspoilt, and beautiful. Parking and access to the cliffs & the sign was free, unless you wanted a personalised photo with your home town on it. They've always charged for that as far as I know. But the prices do seem to be a bit steep nowadays.
Sennen was always magical to us, me two sisters and a brother in the 70's. Loved those pasties and the fog rolling in off the sea ❤
I'm so glad my Mum and Dad took us here as kids during May half term in 1982. No parking problems, the photo was affordable, and a lot less people. It's sad it's been turned into a circus.
From what I remember and I could be wrong it was a rubbish little road that cars had problems navigating and nothing much there to do (apart from looking at a pirate statue). The road when we went last time a year or two back was better and also the facilities were decent but it is still not a place worth visiting. John o'groats now is what Land's End was 20 years ago. Another place not worth visiting more than once (and that is only to say you've been there).
I also remember visiting in the evening in the 1980s and in summer too; it was quiet, but seriously run-down. I think we need to take care of these sites which means that they cost money to maintain and there have to be reasonable charges but this is so tacky and tasteless. Shame the National Trust doesn't have compulsory purchase powers.
am the same as got photos of me on the post from 1981 aged 11 and big bro 13. happy times
The Views once you are through the attractions are simply worth every penny…even in a Windy November afternoon…had the Views all to myself…with my late wife’s memories in my heart 💔…she loved it there too 😢
It’s been awful for years, but as long as huge amounts of people keep going nothing will change
A fool and their money are soon parted
Absolutely, went there a couple of years ago, never again, blown away by charge at lands end post, total rip off
And as long as they continue to accept the outrageous prices. There are greedy unscrupulous people who have no real connection the these places, making a fortune from our natural beauty spots. Unless people refuse to buy their crap or pay their prices it will not change.
Don't get why they put Wallace & Gromit in. It's not exactly Cornish & a bit dated.
@@jasonannesley5889 Next year Mr Blobby Land :)
Great video as always and I would agree with Sarah’s score. We always park at Sennen Cove and walk to LE enjoying the fantastic coastal views. That way they can keep their car parking charges 😊
Same 😊
And also take a photo by the sign out of hours if that's what you want.
Thank you! Sarah :)
That's helpful advice, a mile each way is easily doable, and no worries about overstaying the time, thank you.
Me too - lovely walk from Sennen Cove to Lands End.
People are better off going to cape Cornwall. A beautiful view from the carpark, a nice cafe WHO DO MUGS OF TEA AND COFFEE! a toilet is at the carpark, a beautiful slipway with fishing boats . wonderful walks, plenty of chough birds to see . St just offers plenty and Botallack mines are just up the road. Sennan cove is close by too..Forget Lands end!! 👍🏴
Thanks for posting this.
I visited in the 1970s. Still wild and relatively barren of commercialism.
Was thinking to revisit. But now, I’ll give it a miss.
So sad places like this get ruined.
We feel a bit gully after watching this because the last time we visited Land's End we only got as far as the car park. Very quickly recognised it for the touristy money-trap it had become since we last visited so turned around and went elsewhere.
Now they have ANPR even that would cost us £6.. I wonder if that's because the owners saw many others doing the same as we did?
We would give it zero
Oh I think you are right, they wanted to capture those that just wanted to stop for a bit, take in the view and move on! Stealth entry fee? Sarah :)
>Now they have ANPR even that would cost us £6
No it wouldn't. Or only if you're foolish enough to pay.
You are entitled to a reasonable period of time to examine the signage, and leave if you don't accept the terms and conditions. More people need to learn this to fight back against these scumbag parking companies who profit from ignorance and people just paying up. In the scenario you described you clearly would be declining the terms and conditions and leaving, so no need to pay.
Just refuse to pay I doubt they could force you
Just cover your number plates before entering the parking lot. OOOOR put KHAN's number on it. DON'T PAY.
@@rosemarydudley9954 Yeh cos the fine is cheaper? 🤦♂️
Well done Andrew and Sarah for reviewing this often reviled tourist spot.
I think no one should be surprised/disappointed when visiting Lands End....there are plenty of sites graphically portraying the experience....if you want a Cornish Blackpool on Sea - this is what you get!
As you said Sarah, you knew what you were getting into, and as such quite enjoyed yourself. For me, I can think of nothing worse. Each to his own.
I believe it was that infamous chiseler Peter de Savary who Americanised the area, back in the 80's.
Yes, you are correct! Peter De Savery caused quite a stir with the proposals, hit the local news a lot as i recall! My parents were disappointed and my Grandad, Cornish to the core, was less then impressed. I recall remarks like "What can you expect from an Englishman!" No offense! He! He! Sarah :)
Peter De Savery yes, what a crook.
@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834Making the most of his assets. Margaret Thatcher would be proud of him.
Great review folks. We are currently in Cornwall just now on holiday from Northumberland. We come down here often & went to lands end last year. We thought it was very shoddy & run down. We parked a short distance away & walked to it to. We never spent any money there & will never return. There are so many beautiful places in Cornwall without going to this one. To me the biggest rip off is the price of the parking.
We watch loads of your videos & have provided us with some great days out which we thank you for. Keep up the great work 😊.
Cheers! Sarah :)
Far prefer holidaying in Northumberland than Cornwall. It's one of the most beautiful places in Britain.
@@RobertBlow yeah we are lucky to live where we live. We are always out & about up here & never get sick of it.
It was such a beautiful place in the pre-theme park days. I remember when it was just a hotel, First & Last House selling souvenirs, and the signpost of course. I spent a night there under the stars - I hadn't planned to, but I'd spotted basking sharks at Sennen and wandered up to Lands End and watched them from there until it got dark - a really amazing, but ultimately extremely cold, night! The theme park has taken much of the magic away, but not all of it.
Amazing! Just make sure you are looking out to sea! Sarah :)
Love Lands End. All the folk flock there and leave the little beautiful hidden gems alone. Thankyou Lands End, you are a blessing
Loved the video thank u we have been coming to Cornwall for 30 years and lands end is 1 place I've never been but was going to come in September but after watching ur video I don't think I'll bother.
If you are able, the coastal path is stunning in the area, just make sure you look out to sea! Sarah :)
I used to visit Cornwall in the 70's/80's every year as a kid on our family holidays every year, Our Holiday's were always in Cornwall - with many, many fond memories 😊. We stayed in many places overall in Cornwall on the north & south coast in caravans and cottages mainly... Lands End was always a trip that we really looked forward too as a large family - mum, dad, me, nan, and some of my aunties, uncles, etc ...( my late mum had 7 brother's and sisters 😳)... and i remember we sometimes needed to take 3 cars on holiday, convoying to cornwall. I would normally go to sleep wrapped up in beach blanket(i still have this today 50 years on) for the long journey (no A30 right down through cornwall back then) and my mum and dad would wake me up parked up on the coast looking out to St Michael's Mount. I also remember St Agnes model village, which was just awesome as a kid... you could go there in the day and then again if you wanted for free after sun down and see it again all lit up....😊... Anyhow i'm dumping lots of memories here... Back to the Lands end topic 😬... From what I remember it was just the first and last house that was there and the sign post...and of course the beautiful scenery. and i'm sure the parking was free then ( i might be wrong...as i was a kid ... and i wouldn't have cared to much about parking fees then... But if we had to pay those kind of parking fees then as they are now, for three cars it would have been horrendous and I'm sure restricting ... i mean we weren't we'll off and i'm sure it may have influenced whether we went there. Also one further time i went to Cornwall as an adult was for a cottage stay in Sennen... and we just walked into Lands end from there...A beautiful walk with no parking fees 😊. For me it's way too commercialised vs my memories of what used to be... and i think the beauty of Lands end should have remained as it was... The first and last house shop and the sign post with Free parking and the raw coastal views. I no longer have my mum or dad around, but as you can see above...you certainly did spark some truly wonderful memories of my childhood spent with them.. Thank you so much for sharing this video.. ❤👍
Thanks for sharing, Sarah :)
Thank you for this lovely video 🙂 My friend Inger and I arrived there in 2019 by foot, walking from Sennen, so no parking fee 🙂We only visited the gift shop and took a free selfie at the sign. I have no idea why we would want to have a personalized pic, as we recognize ourselves on the photo 😄And it was a bit noisy in there after walking the coastal path, so we didn't spend much time there and didn't pay to visit any of the experiences. We don't have the same memories from our childhood TV series either. But some of these were sent here when we were past that age 🙂 We didn't know a lot about Land's End before visting, so we had few expectations except for the views which were awesome. We found a table outside and enjoyed some fruit salad given to us by our fantastic host John at the beautiful Sennen Rise B&B. So we didn't use a lot of money. But if I walk past Land's End some other time, I don't think I'd bother to go inside.
What a lovely memory! I hope you got the clump of rocks behind the sign that is the actual end of land! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrailsnot sure if it is on the same pic. But I have many from Land's End, so I believe we have covered it all 😊 Torunn.
Park early, around 8am at Sennen and walk along the cliffs to Lands End. Beat the crowds, beat the parking. Take a picture and run away 😂
Run away!!! LOL! Sarah :)
Did you know that when the 'theme park' was first opened, they tried to charge walkers for wanting to visit the land not the park? It was deemed illegal...thank goodness!
😁😁😁
A place to walk past when walking the SW Coastal path . Blame Peter de Savory , he started trashing the place and left it wide open . Once a beautiful remote spot , now more people than ants . ANPR and NT share the spoils of Cornish tourism .
You obviously don't remember the terrible state of the site and cliffs before DeSavery...not a blade of grass to be seen.
@@hazza5999 Yes , sheep and feet took a terrible toll on the half inch of poor soil that covered the infertile Lands End Granite . At least its tarmacadam that covers it now .......
@@georgerobartes2008 Not sheep..thousands of tourists..there was a coach park and Worzel Gummidge museum there in the 70s!
All done with the approval of the Planning Committee, naturally.
Peter D'Unsavoury as he was called in Private Eye
W. Collins description of Lands End was true in the past (before they built the terrible center).
I used to go there all the time (my family are from Falmouth) as a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s..loved it...we walked, did the photo sign, had a picnic etc. In those days you could take a FREE photo standing directly next to the sign with your own camera (without where you live on the sign). But you could also pay for an "official" photo where they took your photo and put in the name of where you live and the distance...even back then you paid for that EXTRA info because someone worked their to change the sign up with the information. This is NOT new or just modern since the Center was built!..but it is sad that you now are unable to take your own free, unpersonalised picture standing DIRECTLY next to the sign anymore. But I guess there are just "to many" tourists nowadays because there are just more people, and easy access to travel. The same happened at Stonehenge. In the 70s/80s we just walked around the stones, climbed, picniced and sat on them.. then they built a centre nearby and fenced in the stones to protect them (ground erosion from everyone)..then had to build a new center further away to protect and preserve the stones, due to more and more people/tourists. I totally understand this necessity there though. You don't want them to fall over or be covered in graffiti by the modern disrespectful humans of the present day.
But I don't like the tacky atmosphere of Lands End now. It is really tacky and you are "forced" to "experience" the tacky bits, because you have to pay and walk through it. There is no need for a "theme park" there. I took my kids there and was SO disappointed with all the unnecessary commercial tacky stuff that takes away from the "raw beautiful" of the Lands Ends Cliffs...which is what we wanted to see. We visited Wookey Hole this summer. I loved it there as a kid.. but they have turned that into an expensive commercial tacky tourist location with things eg pirate crazy golf, that have no logical connection to the "inland" caves.
The problem is that the modern generations are used to digital overload and expect to be "entertained" all the time and are quickly "borred" by simple natural beauty..so I think places have adapted to suit this generations interested.
Modern life is different to what seems like simpler times when I was a child. Tourism touches us all now! Sarah :)
Very good points about attractions elsewhere and places like LE adapting. I reckon such changes are driven by greed/ commercialism. Site owners use the "today's kids get bored" excuse to justify, yet for generations now a large number of families visiting holiday spots of natural beauty have included "bored kids". The remedy used to be just to stop by briefly, take in the scenery/ bracing air/ sunset/ crashing waves/ birdy sounds etc...then move on elsewhere and enjoy whatever indoorsy tat the kids are screaming for. Now there's no need; families are roped in to stay for hours and spend spend spend spend.
Cynical landowners of beauty spots like Land's End create the demand in order to suit a business model, not because thousands of bored families demanded it.
@@ChangesOneTim true. Commercialism is definitely the driving force which uses the rest of the reasons as an argument.
Much nicer having lunch watching one of your videos than it is watching the news! Keep it up!
We visit each year when we are down in Cornwall. We park at Sennen and walk the SW cliff path. Yes its commercialised. I like the contrast from everything else in Cornwall. Cornwall is beautiful and Lands End is on the other end of the scale. People enjoy tat and tacky, like alot of the British seaside towns, its a day out, not a whole holidays stay, which is why its so popular. Its famous for the renowned Lands End to John O'Groats this and that, all this thrown together makes people who haven't been before visit.
People buy, they supply! Sarah :)
I could weep for what we have lost to these so called owners.
How can somebody/business be a so called owner ?
£££££££££££££££££££££££££
@@davecooper3238 Land's End Cornish: Penn an Wlas / Pedn an Wlas
Ceremonial county Cornwall
Region South West
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
It belongs to all of us, the so called owners are just agents who's job is to monetize it.
All UK citizens should pay 80% less for everything just like many other country's offer there citizens.
@@NikaVinyl It does not belong to all of us. It belongs to the individual/s or entities that holds title.
@@davecooper3238 On further research it saddens me to say it but you are are correct. Have a nice day.
Just like to say, as a Cornish woman, I remember when this monstrosity was built. Lands End was beautiful before. The English man who bought this lovely place trashed it with tasteless crap! I haven't been back since it was built.
I remember it too! Caused outrage in the local press, then he moved on to Falmouth and tried the same at Hayle where he was stopped in his tracks! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails😊
Here we go don’t try & make out your special , being a Cornish woman is no different to being a Worcestershire woman or being an Essex woman you’re English we can all smell the hint of racism in your in your comment .
Guess what all ,of Britain where of different kingdoms in the past not just Cornwall .
@@davidalton8634I'm intrigued by your comment although I don't see any reference or hint to racism.
You're English too, dear. Cornwall is simply an area of England. Handy tip for you there.😊
I spend a lot of time in Cornwall and traipse all over the Coastal Path but have always avoided Lands End like the plague based on advice from local friends. I appreciate you taking one for the team and visiting - great video as always! I'm going to say my Cornish friends are right and continue to stay away. There are so many stunning and empty (at least in off season when I visit) places along the Coastal Path to visit, avoiding Lands End is no hardship. And yes, parking nearly anywhere in Cornwall costs, but I finally caved last year and got an NT membership, which was the best solution to most places I go regularly. Thank you for all the wonderful videos, I get so many ideas to put on my 'to do' list for once I'm back. 😊
Another very informative and entertaining video. Thank you.
Thank you for another lovely video. Nice and balanced. And with your usual lovely manner.
So many years since I went to Lands End. Think we went on a motor bike! I don't think there were any attractions much there at the time & certainly no charging for photos! It's turned into a theme park now for sure. All theme parks are costly no matter where you go. My daughter got caught out for the ANPR parking along the coast in August. Bit of a shock to get a hundred quid fine on her return. I told her she should have watched your video on parking charges before she went! Glad you had fun Sarah! That's what life is all about...having fun as much as you possibly can x J x
I think you have to take Land's End with a huge pinch of salt! Sarah :)
Vielen Dank für eure tollen Videos. Love it❤ Ich war schon mehrere Male in Land's End. Allerdings sind wir immer von Sennen Cove gestartet.Eine tolle Wanderung. Wunderschöne Landschaft,unglaubliche Aussicht. 🥰Und das Wrack der Mülheim an der Ruhr ( meine Heimatstadt).Land's End selbst wird mit jedem Mal touristischer. Muss man nicht haben. Nur schnell den Stempel für die Postkarte,noch ein Eis und dann zurück nach Sennen Cove. Ich liebe Cornwall und werde auf jeden Fall wieder hinfahren. Aber ohne den ganzen Touristenrummel.
Visited Cornwall dozens of times. A beautiful part of the country, particularly live St Ives, Godrevy, Hayle, Mousehole, Zennor. However, visited Lands End early 90’s and last year and thought it was dreadful - fleeced and underwhelmed.
A list of beautiful places! Sarah :)
Thankyou for visiting as the commercialism has put me off. So now I know what it's really like. I think i might walk from Sennen.
You're welcome! Perfect solution! Sarah :)
Thank you for your great videos, I'm Cornish, born & bred, been Land's End three times.... Once as a kid for the landscape/views and pics with the sign post (we took family friends there who were on holiday from London). Then again back in the 70's, when they had an RNLI boat there and a few things but not much else. The third time went with a boyfriend, drove down, saw the facade and the parking and just turned around! As soon as it was bought commercially it was ruined, but what do you expect! Tourists flock to somewhere like this, take 10 mins taking a few pics and start venting how rubbish it is! "Nothing to do with the kids!!" "Waist of time!" what do people expect?! We've ruined Cornwall and it's only going to get worse. Most people don't know how to just go somewhere for the beauty or history anymore! Have to be entertained. Lands End should be more about the actual area, shipwrecks, mining, the landscape etc, not Wallace and Grommet!?!! (who I absolutely love! 😍) sorry for the rant! Love❤️ your stuff....
Thanks Andrew and Sarah. It was an interesting trip with you to Lands End. I am inclined to agree with Andrew's rating and I am no longer disappointed that we didn't take the time to get down to Lands End when we were in St Ives.
It is a complete contrast to the rest of the coastal path and rural villages of Penwith area! Sarah :)
We have been in Lands End today.And I can not understand why everyone says you need to pay there ?!We paid just for parking ,£4.That's it.Maybe because we were in the evening? And I really enjoy the view.🤗
Hi Sarah and Andrew, from sunny Kent, I went to Land's End back in the 1980s with my parents, my brother, and his wife . The price of a photo then was reasonably, but for what I have just seen, it's a rip-off. Even if I was able to go there again, I would not bother and keep my money in the bank. It was great to see Morph on your video 👍Thank you for the information and the tour 👍👍
Morph always makes me chuckle! Sarah :)
Visited years ago, saw the prices and moved on. We did the same thing when we visited the Needles. I note from the video that it’s the same company that own these landmarks.
Not forgetting The National Trust, they also play their part in making parking a car expensive when visiting Cornwall, especially when you just want to spend half an hour taking in a sea view.
Ha, the NT, a contradiction of terms. Awful group. We have been conned by these people for years
Don’t NT members park for free in Cornwall, like they do elsewhere?
@@mrsspanner14
That's correct. But LE is not an NT car park.
@jamesrowe397
'Tis the other way round. Sez 'ear there is no admission charge, so if you want to stroll round the headland and take in the natural beauty without buying souvenirs, queuing up at that bleddy signpost, 'experiencing' Wallace & Gromit or using their catering outlets, the only thing you pay them for is parking.
Glad I got to go to places like Lands End and Stonehenge as a kid 50yrs ago, before the commercialism took over.
I live in Cornwall but haven't been to Lands End for many years. By way of a very loose comparison, I visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago. You could park your car, look in the Visitor Centre and walk down the trails into the canyon all for free. There were no tacky 'attractions' on offer, apart from tourist flights.
😂😂 The Grand Canyon is a National park. Fairer comparison would be Niagara Falls
Lands End was at its best when there were no buildings there. Access was free and it was wild and open. What Peter de Savary was allowed to do it was criminal and we have never been back. I prefer to remember it as it was 😟
Having been down to Lands End a couple of times, it got worse every time. The local owner just didn't care and solely wanted to spend as little as possible and to charge as much as possible for this and it got worse and worse and more and more trashy as a result (and locals were ignored and frequently abused). Over the years down there I had plenty of other opportunities to go to Lands End, but because of the experience and rip off pricing just didn't go. That they have now removed the sign and charge for photos really sums it all up.
A bit of black tape on your number plate before you arrive at the car park should solve the rip-off parking problem.
Turn an F to an E, a 1 to a 4, P to R ect and confuse the ANPR to buggery.
Nicely presented by you both, stayed in Newquay for a week in the late seventies , enjoyed it but the journey took 6 hrs. from Lancashire. We visited Lands End for the day and I do not remember any parking or other charges we had to pay. What I do remember about the beaches was the sea was crystal clear. I personally do not pay to park ,would rather walk 2 or three miles than pay for parking .
I remember Land end in the nineties when I lived in Penzance, it was a lovely day trip out. I got a bit upset when they started to charge for parking everywhere near a beach
For decades many beach car parks had a "lil ol man in a hut" taking your money during peak holiday weeks. Of course car parks cost a little bit to maintain, but I agree with you that the move to year-round charging with ticket machines planted everywhere is depressing. ANPR is a menace: it's outrageous that locals and tradespeople wanting to park up on a sunny November lunchtime to enjoy a view for 30min find themselves stung with a penalty ticket🤬
Having only been here a handful of times over the years, I have seen it get worse. My most recent visit was 2021 after kayaking from John O'Groats to Land's End. I wanted to get a picture of myself, kayak and the sign and wasn't allowed unless I paid. Although they offered a discount for charity visits, it still felt like extortion. It was very disappointing, and that's not even taking into account the the awful tackiness of the area. Commercialisation of our beautiful places shouldn't be allowed.
The worst thing ever to happen to this beautiful part of the U.K. Was this Cornish version of Disneyland its expensive & very tacky sad !!
There are an awful lot of people that feel the same! Sarah :)
The Pee Cam (tm) was a definite highlight! Great video and you two are so nice together, it really feels like you`ve brought us all along as a friend.
Thanks for the informative video Sarah & Andrew, first went in the 70s and a few times since so have noticed the gradual decline, best way is to walk from Sennen Cove and try not to be overwhelmed by sweet sickly smell of doughnuts.
So leased lve stumbled across you. Love the video, and yes lve subscribed, just got to go through your back catalogue! Ive only been on the road to Lands End, saw the traffic queue, then saw the charges and then joined the steady stream of cars doing a U-turn. Although Cornwall has some magical places, l think on the whole we prefer Devon! (Bit of controversy!) obvs its bigger and its still possible to find places where there is still some solitude even in high season.
Great video chaps, looking forward to going through your other walks.
We went on a family visit to Lands End in the late 1980’s. By then Swansea born property developer, David Goldstone had bought it from a local family (1982). He started turning it into a “catchpenny fairground” and that continued after he sold it to “entrepreneur” Peter de Savary in 1987. I wound my wife up saying it was ok that they had turned it into a tourism destination. She replied “how would you like Rhossili Bay in Gower (where we lived) being ruined in the same way. POINT TAKEN!
I went to Lands End once, once was enough. I live in Cornwall but I am astounded as to why it gets rammed with tourists. It can't be pleasant for them, and it is not pleasant for residents. It has also become very expensive. Although I live here I cannot afford to holiday in Cornwall. (Or Britain for that matter.)
We commented as much between ourselves on the day - so many people!! Sarah :)
I’m 55 and working full time and use my holidays to work for extra cash , while my neighbours and family on benefits go abroad 🤯 what am I doing wrong ?
Wow what an rip off place
A price of a Cornish Pasty will get you 2 weeks in Spain..
I went there expecting a wilderness and a solemn quiet with a dignified sign... much like anywhere famous they only show it from one perspective. Instead the queue for the sign was I'd estimate an hour long and cost £10 for a photo with it. I didn't want a photo with it, but wanted one of it so took one cutting out as much crowd as possible. I certainly wasn't going to pay.
We thought that this was a very balanced video. I happen to agree with both of you -Sarah “I love to blend in with Holiday makers occasionally- looking through their eyes, & the feeling of being on Holiday” but, I also have to agree with Andrew - I hate the Car Parking arrangements, & it is a money making machine with money that normally doesn’t stay in the County. benefiting the County. Good Video again
All profits are winging their way up to Liverpool! Sarah :)
We used to live in Cornwall and decided not to visit Land's End again after Peter De Savary purchased and changed it. It is obviously worse now! All that was there when we used to visit was the First and Last House, a little Cafe and the hotel. It was rugged and beautiful and the carpark was comparable to other seaside places. OK John O'Groats is now owned by the same Liverpool company as Land's End, but it is still beautiful! We stayed in an eco Lodge up there. It was much less busy, many of the people there were having a photo taken because they had travelled/walked/ cycled from Land's End. There is a hotel, the lodges I mentioned, a sign and a couple of cafes, a very nice restaurant, a souvenir shop and a shop that sold Scttish textiles. I went and sat near the Scottish Hotel with a snack for my lunch and watched Sand Martins flying to and fro their nest holes right next to me. It was Mr De Savary who began the changes at Land's End, it has just got worse!
I remember visiting here when I was a little girl every year x sometimes twice a year x there was the last pub x village and beautiful scenery x the coastline and a sense of our beautiful countryside and Cornwall x I re visited over 20 years ago and was appalled 😳! A rich man had commercialised our beautiful Cornwall for his own gain ! It was awful 😞 x
Vist ‘Cape Cornwall’, just a few miles further to the north.
You also have to pay for the parking, but at least that goes towards the National Trust 👍🏼
Wow ! That was a shock. We have visited a few times in the last 20 years ,but it was never this commercialised. Yes ,The parking charges were steep ,but this was negated by free entry to the site unlike some other attractions in this country. On the plus side, It's dog friendly
I think I would flip that and say that the parking fee has become an entry fee! After all there is nowhere else to go if you park there, Sarah :)
Too true
Hallo ihr beiden, wir waren 2022 in Lands End mit der Rosamunde P. Tour. Da wir mit dem Bus kamen, brauchten wir keinen Parkplatz etc. wir kamen in ein abgrocktes etwas, aber die Aussicht war toll! Es war alles recht teuer und die haben mich auf den Geschmack von Scones gebracht😊🥲 . Teilweise kam mir Lands End wie eine Spielhalle vor. Schluss von dem ganzen, ich brauche es kein 2. Mal und wäre lieber zu den Blasen gefahren.
Having visited this Entity one comes away with one overwhelming thought - the whole place needs razing to the ground.
IT has lost it romance a bit! Sarah :)
Great vid👍
No one can say they weren't warned! Lol
Thanks guys 👍
I cycled from Plymouth to Lands End 2 years ago. I didn't have to contend with the parking issues, but the place was heaving with tourists, all I wanted was some food to fuel up for the ride back to Penzance, but even that was difficult.
We visited a couple of weeks after you as we have been doing every year for the last 25+ years.
I can see why people get upset but I think you must take a view. If you see the £6 parking as an entry fee then for the three of us that’s cheap at £2 each. It’s up to you what you do or don’t spend on. For me it was ice creams and a couple of books from the gift shop. We just sat there near the sign watching the world go by and enjoying the views.
If you want rip-off then come to our town (Southport) for the airshow where the visitors pay for their parking and then an individual entry charge each. Not clearly advertised or known in advance. As with anything you visit you need to do your research first and if you are not sure then don’t go.
Reminds me of Stonehenge….thats another similar place…
Yes, and in the pictures they don't show the rope around the stones to keep you away from them.
First time i have seen one of your videos and it was very well done with the reviews and showing around. Very informative video. You deserve more views and subscribers. I love cornwall. Definitely subscribing.
Went once in the 1980s and we took a photo by the sign, no charge then and fewer people, but even then thought it was a horrible touristy place that does not fit in with the rugged beauty of Cornwall, since then we have visited Cornwall dozens of times but have never returned to lands end and never will until they bulldoze this horrible theme park which is so out of place here.
That was about the time it was developed into what it is today. Even back then, it reached the local tv news but that boat sailed years ago, Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails How Peter De Savary got away with it in Planning, is beyond belief. Back handers were the mumblings in PZ at the time.
We visited Land’s End for the first time on Saturday 25/11/2023 and got there at around 3pm and everything was closed apart from the rip off sign, the shopping village and cafe
The parking was also 4am-4pm for £6 and after 4pm it goes down to £3 but that’s the off peak prices
Something that isn’t made known to the general public, but should be, is the fact that the Signpost isn’t actually owned by Land’s End or Heritage GB - it’s privately owned by a photography company called Courtwoods, they are the ones responsible for the pricing and strict queuing rules at the Signpost unfortunately, not Land’s End.
Avoid both the pricing and the queuing: Bring your own signpost and take your phot wherever you fancy.
I live 30 mins away but I havnt been tempted to visit for a decade just based on what I have heard and past experience.
They used to have an RNLI rescue boat that was used as a playground but it appears that is gone? There was also an RNLI walkthrough (for free I think) and Parking used to be free for locals too.
My fondest memory when young visiting for holiday was meeting and chatting to the glass and wood engraver who was towards the farm end, he used to make wooden house numbers and unique signs. Oh and the farm, the goats have some fun climbing spots, a good educational moment for young children.
It’s £11 for stroking the cat! Who could resist…Expect a bill!😂❤
Worth it, says the fat cat.
LOL! Sarah :D
greast video, we visited land's end july this year, will not go back it is just a tourist trap ripp off nice views but it is all about the money x
Just make sure you are looking at the view! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails the views were amazing x :)
Greedy ANPR have ruined Cornwall. I have been going on holiday to Cornwall most of my life and loved it, its so sad to see what pure greed has done to it.😞
Nice video, I visited Lands End, hang on I will just check the photo( 2011)...lol, it was not has commercial then. It's a great shame they have spoiled it. Re walks we did the coastal walk from St Ives down to Porth Zennor cove, what a walk, and it was a warm and sunny day too. Chris
It always amazes me how strict they are on car parking charges yet it always says vehicles left at owner's risk
Luv you guys, you're so well balanced. The parking fines fees and number plate recognition cameras are so oppressive nowadays there (and everywhere nowadays) ☹️ personally I luv lands end at dusk, having a drink outside looking out over the Atlantic ocean, waiting for the sunset and magic light hour 🐬🌅
As far as I am aware nobody is forced to go there.
My first trip to Lands End was in 1970. As far as I can remember the only building there was The First and Last House where you could buy light refreshments. No car parks, no "entertainments" and no exorbitantly priced photos by the signpost. I was completely shocked when I made a return visit about 15 years ago. You had to pay????? Not for me. Instead we journeyed on to Cape Cornwall that to my mind is just as beautiful. And free.
I just go to The Lizard instead (most southerly point). An absolute joy to wander around and surprisingly small and undeveloped. Plus you can wander up to the village and enjoy that too.
Absolutely. And there's probably even a cat wandering around there too.
We walked from Sennen the day before Lands End was due to reopen after Covid lockdown and the sign was up (they usually take it down when the attraction is closed so people can't take free photos) and no one around, so we got a brilliant photo with the sign, on a beautiful day, and without even paying for parking! The one and only time we will visit as locals. Rather go down the Lizard which is the most Southern point of Britain, or just walk the coastline from Sennen again. Rip off for sure.
Brilliant! Lucky you! I believe they have two signs, one with ability to personalise and another with less detail which is left for selfies after hours, Sarah :)
I have a very simple method of dealing with rip off places, I stay away.
I grew up in a poor family but Cornwall was our only real luxury. I never understood why we never visited Lands End during the day. I went back as a teen around 10 years ago and i completely understood. Paying for a sign is peak commercialisation. The other attractions you can take or leave it.. but the ANPR parking is a deliberate catch.
" Paying for a sign is peak commercialisation. " And frankly blatant stupidity !
At 5:48 there is text stating no parking between midnight & 4am, though I guess it’s easy to miss. I parked up in there after midnight, but I made sure the ANPR didn’t catch my number plate. Little bit cheeky, I know, but I’ve been stung too many times.
I went there in my car…drove to the cash gate and turned around and went away…
😂 bravo ! 👏🏼
Visited for the first time in July '23. Arrived at 5:30pm. Walked about 2 miles one way and as far as the last cafe the other. 40+ photos of views and stunning rock formations and the only cost was parking.
Visited Lands End as kid in the 1960s and '70s and I loved its bleakness. I returned with my wife and children in 1995 and found a theme park with too many people trying to sell me stuff (even insurance!). Swore I would never go back and feel the wonderful nation of Cornwall has lost one of its greatest assets.
After visiting John o' Groats as a child I always wanted to visit Land's End. Whilst on holiday some many years ago in Cornwall we made the trip, as I recall the weather could have benn better, the place was virtually deserted, we took our own Sign post photo for the friends child with us, we had tea and scones in the caffee at a reasonable price and parked in their carpark for free, so glad I managed to visit then and not now!
Lands end is very dull not worth paying to get in, there's better places to go in Cornwall.
Very valid and agree! Sarah :)
I remember the days when there was nothing there but a house and the sign. that's what made it special, such a shame that's now lost forever :(
I stood on a free bit of the coastline, and use AI to shop in the sign. Same result, saved £11. Parked a little way up the coast, same view, Saved £6. Packed lunch, saved £10. The only experience here is being charged money, to pay money for things way overpriced. Before arriving, ask yourself, what do I get for my money... the answer is, you experience corporate greed; the ruination of another landmark, it's only a name on a map, 1mm of land that's the same anywhere is the Isles... save your money instead of enabling lord dicky dido to keep his lifestyle going. If you earned it, you keep it ! Go elsewhere, photoshop is your friend, all you've done really, is move the sign, who'd know anyway. It's a tourist trap, plain and simple. Legalised robbery. There's nothing worthy of protection that hasn't already been here for over a millenia. If you'd visit a thief who you don't know in jail and give them money just for the sake of it, this place is perfect for your gullible nature. They should have named the place Gullibles Kingdom. There's nothing here you can't find for free 10 minutes drive away... aside from a sign. There are pics all over the web, and, you can say you'll still been... it's not a geographical square cm location. Best avoided imho. It's a scam racket that only gets the area, and the country, a bad reputation, YMMV there are many other more exciting opportunist cash grabs, with arguably more to see and do. Probably more fun to take money from your pocket and set light to it.
Summary: If anything, the opportunist extortion found here is basically saying 'Go Away if you know what's good for you', Put another way... "Lands End Welcomes Gullible Deep-pocketed Visitors."
What a ripoff! My Grandmother who was born down the road in St Just would be horrified.
My mother was born in 1929 in Pendeen she would be shocked to see how commerialised it has become
My Grandad used to mutter about the changes, he was not keen! Sarah :)
We went a few years ago and included lands end in a day out to sennen cove, we parked for the day at sennen went swimming had some lunch and walked the short distance to lands end along the coastal path, took some photos under the sign had a look around and walked back. Didn't cost a penny.
Thanks for the video went there 25 years ago it was already becoming a ripoff then. I am shocked how developed it has become.
Sadly i will keep away.
Regards Parking Fees if you have a foreign registration don’t bother paying these cheating private car parking companies. 🇫🇷
Such a shame that we have these now, Sarah :(
Lovely short walk from Sennen Cove over the cliffs to lands end, use their toilets and go back the same way 👍
We visited Land's End in September 2016 (We're from The Netherlands) and I agree that 'underwelming' was/is the word for this place.
Stayed at the Lands End Hotel back in 88 when it was the Statehouse(?) Hotel - its sister hotel was at John O'Groats. Looks as if it as gone downhill since then. Sad. Thanks for the video, I often thought of going back but not now.
We went to Lands End the last time we visited Cornwall in 2019 and found it totally tatty. The best thing was the view over the coast and sea, so that you didn’t have to see the tasteless buildings there. Plenty of other scenic spots on the coast that you don’t have to pay to visit.
Hey Guys - I remember as a lad riding on a double decker bus fronm Penzance to Lands End in thick mist just to be in this dreary part of Cornwall ( sorry but it can't hold a candle to most of your picturesque coastline). It was boring & tacky then & it seems the present owners have submerged the place to new depths of tawdriness since. I get the same sick feeling about Lands End as when I visited Clifton Hill near Nniagra Falls in Canada.
Love you two. You are so suited for each other. Andrew said lets do this and Sarah said of course. Lands End is a mail order catalog for cloths here in the States.
Forget Lands End tourist centre. Park at Sennen and enjoy the 30 minute walk to Lands End then continue some 8-10 minutes further along to the south and you will get the best views of Lands End with the rock arch. It’s the view that they often use to publicise Lands End (but it’s actually not at Lands End). You should then walk on further south to Nanjizal beach (Cornwall’s best kept secret).
Hi Andrew and Sarah, I much prefer St Just and Cape Cornwall.. they are my lands end 😜🙏💖
Cape Cornwall was thought to be the most Westerly point until proper cartography came along! Sarah :)
Instead of getting ripped off at Lands End, I'd recommend visiting National Trust - Lizard Point instead just 30 miles away and the most southerly point of the UK, not so much of a tourist trap just simple pleasures with an Ice Cream/coffee shop and a small gift shack.
my recollection is as a youngster and it was just an open clifftop with a sign and little kiosk owned by a local family. no car park, no charges and not much crowd.
Great video.
And too be honest, I'm not that desperate to get a selfie by a sign.
I'll be swerving this place.