Land's End and The Lizard are well-known for being the most westerly and most southerly points on the British mainland, respectively. Gwennap Head - the most southwesterly point that forms the bottom-left corner of the British mainland - is much less of a household name, but equally dramatic.
The walk starts at Porthcurno and climbs the headland to the Minack theatre, which was largely the work of one very determined woman who carried sand on her back from Porthcurno beach to built it.
The route along the coast passes the remains of St Levan's chapel and holy well at Porth Chapel on the way to Porthgwarra, where a tunnel leads to the beach that was created by tin miners from St Just.
As the path climbs onto the headland, the runnelstone buoy can be seen, as can the currents around the Runnelstone reef.
The reef lies just below the surface and was a nightmare for shipping. Despite the conical markers erected on the shore, it was hit by at least 30 steamships between 1880 and 1923. The final one hit it with such force that the rock pinnacle that once appeared above the water a low tide was snapped off around 20 feet below the surface.
The route continues to Gwennap Head, the most southwesterly corner of the British mainland, and where the English Channel meets the Atlantic Ocean. The headland has a huge funnel-shaped chasm, formed by a collapsed sea cave.
The return route is across the fields via St Levan's church. Keep a look out for choughs which can often be seen in the area.
