The Lizard
peninsula in Cornwall, England, UK / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at grid reference SW 701 115. Lizard village, the most southerly village on the British mainland, is in Landewednack, the most southerly parish.
The peninsula measures approximately 14 miles (23 km) x 14 miles (23 km). It is southwest of Falmouth ten miles (16 km) east of Penzance.[1][2]
The name "Lizard" is most probably a corruption of the Cornish name "Lys Ardh", meaning "high court".[3] The name is not connected to the rock called serpentinite which is found here.
The Lizard's coast is particularly hazardous to shipping and the seaways round the peninsula were historically known as the "Graveyard of Ships". The Lizard Lighthouse was built at Lizard Point in 1752 and the RNLI operates The Lizard lifeboat station.