Lizard Point
Lizard Point on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall is the most southerly point of mainland Britain, the tip of a headland composed of the distinctive serpentinite rock that gives the peninsula its characteristic rich green and red colouring and creates a coastline of extraordinary beauty and geological interest. The combination of the symbolic significance of the southernmost mainland point, the dramatic cliff scenery and the unusual geology makes Lizard Point one of the most visited headlands in Cornwall.
The serpentinite rock of the Lizard is part of an ancient piece of ocean floor that was thrust onto the continental margin during a collision of tectonic plates approximately 370 million years ago, creating a fragment of the Earth's mantle that is exposed at the surface across the entire Lizard Peninsula. The distinctive green, red and yellow colours of the serpentine rock are the result of the mineralogy of this mantle material, and the local tradition of working serpentine into ornaments, paperweights and decorative objects has been a cottage industry on the Lizard since the Victorian period. Several workshops in the Lizard village sell handmade serpentine objects alongside the more conventional tourist goods.
The cliff scenery around Lizard Point is excellent walking country, the South West Coast Path traversing the headland and connecting it with Kynance Cove to the northwest, one of the most beautiful small beaches in Cornwall whose crystalline water and serpentine rock stacks create a scene of extraordinary colour and clarity. The lighthouse at Lizard Point, whose light has guided vessels through the approaches to the English Channel for centuries, adds a practical and historical dimension to the dramatic natural setting.
The surrounding Lizard Peninsula with its rare flora, including the Cornish heath found only here in Britain, and its exceptional coastal habitats provides one of the most ecologically interesting as well as scenically rewarding sections of the Cornwall coast.