In geographical terms, a cape is defined as 'a headland, peninsula or promontory extending into a body of water'. There are only two capes in Britain: Cape Wrath in Scotland and, 850 miles away, Cape Cornwall, as featured by Cornwall Life . Marking the spot where the Atlantic currents divide, Cape Cornwall’s original Cornish name, Kilgoodh Ust, translates into English as 'goose-back at St Just', a reference to its shape and location.
In 1987, it was bought by Heinz as part of its centenary celebrations, and presented to the National Trust for the benefit of the nation, as denoted by a commemorative plaque near the summit. The National Trust remarks that Cape Cornwall is often referred to as 'the connoisseur's Land's End', and this is surely because it has retained much of the wildness that has been lost in the development of Cornwall’s most south-westerly point. When asked by some visiting Chinese friends to take them to Land’s End, we brought them here instead.
They might have asked where the famous fingerpost was, but we felt justified in showing them something beautiful and untainted by human hand. But, I hear you ask, what about the chimney stack? Granted, it’s quite clearly an industrial relic, but I’d argue adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the site, such is the romanticism around mining in these parts. The chimney stack is a romantic reminder of the area's mining past (Image: Kirstie Newton) The stack dates back to 1894, when Cape Cornwall Mine was busy extra.