The Lizard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Lizard (disambiguation).
The Lizard is a peninsula of Cornwall, and contains the most southerly point of mainland Cornwall and of the island Great Britain, Lizard Point. The peninsula measures approximately 14 x 14 miles. Historically a particularly hazardous stretch of coastline, it was also known as the "Graveyard of Ships". The name 'Lizard' is a corruption of the Cornish name 'Lys Arth', meaning 'high court'; it is purely coincidental that much of the peninsula is composed of a rock called serpentine. The Lizard is important from a geological point of view as it is Britain's only example of an ophiolite.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early
There is evidence of early habitation with several burial mounds and stones. Part of the peninsula is known as the Meneage (land of the monks). There are several towns and villages on the peninsula, some of which are covered below.
Helston once headed the River Cober, before it was cut off from the sea by Loe Bar in the 13th century. It was a small port which exported tin and copper. Helston was certainly in existence in the sixth century when it was inhabited by Saxons. The name comes from the Cornish 'hen lis' or 'old court' and 'ton' denoting that it was a Saxon manor; the Domesday Book refers to it as Henliston. It was granted its charter by King John in 1201. It was here that tin ingots were weighed to determine the duty due to the Duke of Cornwall.
By the 14th century, a hamlet of fishermen's dwellings had established itself around the cove at Porthleven, named from the old Cornish porth (harbour) and leven (level or smooth). It grew with miners and farmworkers; and building of a harbour began in 1811. In 1855 the harbour was deepened, and a boatbuilding industry began, lasting until recently. The port imported coal, limestone and timber, and exported tin, copper and china clay. The harbour also heralded the start of Porthleven's golden days of pilchard fishing.
Mullion holds the 15th century church of St Mellanus, and the Old Inn from the 16th century. The harbour was completed in 1895 and financed by Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock as a recompense to the fishermen for several disastrous pilchard seasons.
The small church of St Peter in Coverack, built in 1885 for £500, has a serpentine pulpit, a rock unique to The Lizard.
[edit] Nautical
The Lizard has been the site of many maritime disasters. It forms a natural obstacle to entry and exit of Falmouth and its naturally deep estuary.
At Lizard Point stands the Lizard Lighthouse, built in 1752, although a light was known to have been here since 1619. Further east lie the Manacles, near Porthoustock; one and a half square miles of jagged rocks just beneath the waves.
In 1721 the Royal Anne Galley, an oared frigate, was wrecked at Lizard Point. Of a crew of 185 only 3 survived; lost was Lord Belhaven who was en voyage to take up the Governorship of Barbados.
A 44 gun frigate, HMS Anson, was wrecked at Loe Bar in 1807. Although close to shore many lost their lives in the storm. This inspired Henry Trengrouse to invent the rocket fired line, later to become the Breeches Buoy.
The transport ship Dispatch ran aground on the Manacles in 1809 on its return from the Peninsular War, losing 104 men from the 7th Hussars. The following day, with local villagers still attempting a rescue, HMS Brig Primrose hit the northern end of these rocks, with 120 officers and men, the only survivor being a drummer boy.
The SS Mohegan, a 7,000 tonne passenger liner, also hit the Manacles in 1898 with the loss of 106 lives.
The American passenger liner, the Paris, was stranded on the Manacles in 1899, with no loss of life.
Smuggling was a regular, and often necessary, way of life in these parts, despite the efforts of coastguards or 'Preventive men'.
In 1801, the King's Pardon was offered to any smuggler giving information on the Mullion musket men involved in a gunfight with the crew of HM Gun Vessel Hecate.
[edit] Aviation
RAF Predannack (see RNAS Predannack) was a Second World War airbase, from which Coastal Command squadrons flew anti-submarine sorties into the Bay of Biscay as well as convoy support in the western English Channel. The runways still exist and the site is used by a local glider flying club and as an emergency/relief base for RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk). This is Europe's largest helicopter base, and currently hosts the Training and Occupational Conversion Unit operating the EH101 "Merlin" helicopter. It is also the home base for Merlin Squadrons embarked upon Royal Navy warships, the Westland Sea King AEW variant helicopter, a Search And Rescue (Sea King, again) helicopter flight, and some BAe Hawk T.1 trainer jets used for training purposes by the Royal Navy. The base also operates some other types of fixed wing aircraft for calibration and other training purposes. As befits the base's name, a non-flying example of a Hawker Seahawk forms the main gate guardian static display.
RNAS Culdrose is a major contributor to the economy of The Lizard area.
[edit] Political
In 1497 a Cornish rebellion began in St Keverne. The village blacksmith Michael Joseph (Michael An Gof in Cornish, meaning blacksmith) lead the uprising, protesting against the punitive taxes levied by Henry VII to pay for the war against the Scots. The uprising was routed on its march to London and Joseph was subsequently hung, drawn and quartered.
[edit] Technology
In December 1901, on the cliffs above Poldhu, Guglielmo Marconi sent a radio communication across the Atlantic to St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
In 1869, John Pender formed the Falmouth Gibraltar and Malta Telegraph company, intending to connect India to England with an undersea cable. Although intended to land at Falmouth, the final landing point was Porthcurno near Lands End.
A radar station called RAF Drytree was built during World War II. The site was later chosen for the Telstar project in 1962; its rocky foundations, clear atmosphere and closeness to the equator being uniquely suitable. This became the Goonhilly satellite earth station, now owned by BT Group plc. Some important developments in TV satellite transmission were made at Goonhilly station.
A wind farm exists near to the Goonhilly station site.
Titanium was discovered here by Reverend William Gregor in 1791.
[edit] Geology
[edit] Ecology
Several nature sites exist on the Lizard Peninsula; Predannack nature reserve, Mullion Island, Goonhilly Downs and the National Seal sanctuary at Gweek. It is also home to one of England's rarest breeding birds – the Chough. This species of crow, distinctive due to its red beak and legs, as well as the haunting "chee-aw" call, began breeding on Lizard in 2002. This followed a concerted effort by the Cornish Chough Project in conjunction with DEFRA and the RSPB.
The Lizard contains some of the most specialised flora of any area in Britain, including many Red Data Book plant species. Of particular note is the Cornish heath, Erica vagans, that occurs in abundance here, but which is found nowhere else in Britain. It is also one of the few places where the rare formicine ant, Formica exsecta, (the narrow-headed ant), can be found.
[edit] Media coverage
The Lizard was featured on the BBC television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South West.
Daphne du Maurier based many novels on this part of Cornwall, including Frenchman's Creek.
