01

A lap of Land's End

62KM/39 MILES

Introduction

Taking in the West Penwith chunk of Cycling UK's West Kernow Way multi-day bikepacking route, this loop around the south-western tip of Cornwall is truly an unforgettable ride. Sublime coastal gravel tracks, old mine ruins perched on the clifftops, gorgeous villages and ancient history are all rolled into one, all easily accessible from Penzance.

The local area

Land's End is well known in the cycling world, often the much-celebrated beginning - or finish - of an end-to-end ride spanning the length of Great Britain. However, linger a little longer and you'll discover that this far western tip of Cornwall has a lot more to offer.

While Land's End itself is more of a miniature theme park than cycling paradise, the views from the point are not to be missed. What makes this route special, though, are the miles of coastal gravel doubletrack that lead you high above the turquoise waters and craggy cliffs.

At the end of the main train line from London, Penzance is a popular town bordered by the busy fishing port of Newlyn. You'll find a pub that dates back to 1695, the Admiral Benbow, which once was the regular haunt of pirates and smugglers, and Morrab Gardens which boasts a huge selection of Mediterranean and subtropical plants thriving in West Cornwall. The town sits in the middle of Mount's Bay, which stretches to the Lizard peninsula and is home to the iconic castle-topped island of St Michael's Mount.

THE GORGEOUS MOUSEHOLE HARBOUR. © SAM VOADEN

While West Cornwall is a popular tourist destination today, its past was certainly more industrial. As you ride along the north coast you'll pass numerous old mine workings at Wheal Edward, Botallack Mine and Levant Mine, as well as visiting Ding Dong Mine further inland. At their peak in the 19th century, these sites were globally important sources of copper and tin.

Route overview

The first leg follows National Cycle Network Route 3 through Penzance and Newlyn, passing the glorious harbour town of Mousehole and on quiet country lanes to Sennen, with the exception of a short gravel bridleway shortcut.

The Cornish Way is a fantastic stretch of gravel cycleway that runs separately to the South West Coast Path atop the cliffs between Sennen and Land's End, which you get to enjoy in both directions.

A fairly gentle stretch on the road takes you past Land's End Airport, where small propellor planes fly to the Scilly Isles. Then you're soon heading out of the verdant Cot Valley on the coast path on a technical bridleway climb that'll challenge even the most skilled riders.

OVERLOOKING SENNEN COVE ON THE APPROACH TO LAND'S END. © SAM VOADEN

GRAVEL TRAILS OF THE TIN COAST. © SAM VOADEN

What goes up must come down, with a chunky gravel byway descent with magnificent views of Cape Cornwall and the lookout station before you. A pedal through St Just offers a great chance to refuel, before heading back to the coast on the other side of the valley on wide gravel tracks that lead you past the old mine workings at Wheal Edward, Botallack Mine and Levant Mine.

You start to head back towards Penzance from here, but turning inland doesn't put an end to the gravel tracks or the views. A series of great doubletrack and singletrack trails awaits as you continue to follow the path of the West Kernow Way out of Trewellard and close to Chûn Quoit.

Then you leave the bikepacking route behind as you take an extra gravel detour to pass by Ding Dong Mine, thought to be one of the oldest in Cornwall, possibly dating back to the Roman period. From here, you'll be wowed by panoramic views down to Mount's Bay, St Michael's Mount and the Lizard peninsula, before descending on some lovely lanes through the Bone Valley to finish the ride on Mount's Bay cycle route beside the sea.

The ride may only be 25 per cent off-road by distance, but with some technical sections and wonderful views to admire, the off-road sections certainly won't be 25 per cent of your ride by time, or enjoyment! The route has been awarded a gravel rating of 5 due to multiple sections of technical climbing and descents, so it's certainly not one for the faint-hearted or narrow-tyred.

The route

S From Penzance station, follow the signs for National Cycle Network Route 3 to ride on The Quay past the harbour and along the seafront. Pass Newlyn Harbour, climbing gently to join the cycleway that runs alongside the road to Mousehole.

2 Ride through the quaint harbour town and start your first proper climb of the ride up Raginnis Hill out on to country lanes. Continue to follow Route 3 on the road to Lamorna, then there is a brief bridleway shortcut before you join the B3315 passing the Merry Maidens stone circle and Cruk Tregyffian burial chamber, both beside the road.

3 Turn right to take the lane to St Buryan and turn left on to Land's End Road at the church. Continue to follow Route 3 by turning right on to a narrower lane that cuts inland across fields towards Sennen village.

4 Make the out-and-back trip to Land's End. A paved cycle lane beside the road leads to Maria's Lane, a residential street with incredible views over Sennen Cove, and then on to a magnificent stretch of gravel track called the Cornish Way, over the clifftops to reach Land's End.

5 Head north from Land's End and continue to follow the coast by taking a short stint on the A30 and B3306 past the airport. Turn off to the left in Kelynack, to reach a narrow, twisting lane. Cycling UK asks cyclists to dismount and walk for the last 150m of this trail before the road to Bosorne (SW 36492 30562 to SW 36434 30672), as a courtesy to the local residents. This leads you to a short, technical singletrack climb to the gorgeous Cot Valley.

6 After descending a short while on the tarmac through the valley, veer off to the right on to a steep bridleway climb out of the valley on the coast path, briefly joining Carn Gloose Road before a rocky byway descent towards Cape Cornwall. This is really chunky lower down, so you may need to walk a short stretch. When you reach the car park, climb up on the Cape Cornwall Road to St Just.

7 After a highly recommended cafe stop, descend out of St Just to Nancherrow, picking up Old Foundry Road to head back towards the coast and a gravel doubletrack. You'll ride past Wheal Edward - an old beam engine house - and Botallack Mine on this incredible stretch of gently undulating coastal gravel. When you reach Levant Mine, turn back inland to Trewellard.

8 Climb on Trewellard Hill out of the village and turn left on to a gravel doubletrack bridleway that skirts around Pendeen Carn and down a brilliant rocky singletrack. After a short stint on the B3318, turn left on to a gravel track that passes close to Chûn Quoit. This is a magnificent trail that's much like a pump track nearing the farm.

9 Take the lane past Lanyon Quoit, then take a sharp left to climb the lane and gravel track passing Greenburrow Engine House and Ding Dong Mine to reach Boskednan. From here the views down to Mount's Bay, St Michael's Mount and the Lizard peninsula are breathtaking. The winding lane leads you to the beautiful Bone Valley, gently descending to join Polmennor Road.

10 Take School Lane into Gulval, then cross over the A30 on the bridge to finish the route along the Mount's Bay cycle route right next to the sea back to the train station.

THE CORNISH WAY TO LAND'S END. © SAM VOADEN

DESCENDING THE BYWAY TO CAPE CORNWALL. © SAM VOADEN

Handy tips

This route is best enjoyed in the late spring and early autumn, to strike the balance between drier, warmer weather without the crowds and traffic of the peak tourism season in July and August. You follow the coast path for several sections, which are best enjoyed when quiet rather than at peak times.

While the West Kernow Way is an official bikepacking route, it's not waymarked at all, so you'll need to have your own way of navigating around the loop. A GPS cycle computer or phone navigation app is ideal.

Cycling UK offers much more information about the full bikepacking route, including a paper or downloadable guidebook: www.cyclinguk.org/west-kernow-way

Facilities and refreshments

At a little over halfway through the route, the Cafe Dog and...