Land's End - Review for families

Best for:

9 – 12 / 12 +, as children of this age will be more likely to appreciate where they are

OK for:

Toddlers & Preschool / 5 - 8

Cost

Entry to Land’s End is free. You just have to pay for parking, which is £5. The total cost will depend on how many attractions you visit, but don’t worry – they’re all individually cheap and you can buy a family ticket to visit them all.

What’s on offer

Quite literally, what’s on offer is where the land ends. It’s an important point to stand on and it’s one of those ‘we kind of have to visit’ places. The famous Land’s End sign can be personalized to read the name of your hometown. Unfortunately, it does cost to get your picture taken here, as it’s owned by a local photography company.

There’s also the Arthur’s Quest attraction, based around the legends of King Arthur, where participants go on a journey to find items like Excalibur through a mirror-walled maze. It’s a bit weird, that’s for sure, but it’s certainly educational – especially if your children have not yet been acquainted with the famous tales!

Land’s End also has a 4D sensory film experience. Viewers can enjoy an animated version of 20,000 leagues under the sea complete with motion simulator seats, wind and spray machines, smoke machines and the usual 3D experience.

Enjoy free admission to the End to End Story, which celebrates those whom have adventured from top to bottom of the country. The exhibit uses graphics and interactive technology to make you and your family feel like you’ve actually travelled from Land’s End all the way to the northern tip of the country, John O’Groats.

Arguably the best attraction, Greeb Farm, is part farm part craft workshop. There are feeding and petting sessions available with the lovely collection of animals, though you won’t really get in on the action in the craft workshop.

There’s also a visitors centre with a few shopping outlets. Facilities include six eateries and six sets of toilets on site. The site is generally buggy friendly.

Highlights

Admittedly, it’s a bit more Blackpool than a National Trust or English Heritage site, but even that can’t take away the incredible views of the coast. Greeb Farm is a delight, with cute animals and a charming farm experience that young children will especially love. There’s a stunning fireworks show on specific evenings and the famous sign is a nice touch, but £10 for a photo is rather extreme, though it is an essential photo to get whilst you’re there.

What to watch out for

• The infamous Land’s End sign has been moved to make it more tourist-friendly. Be warned that it’s no longer at the most southwesterly point of the mainland. The company in charge of the sign is external to the company running the main attractions at Land’s End.

• The site is very overly commercialized, which a lot of reviewers on TripAdvisor felt was tacky, filled with tat and ‘ruined’ the experience. They all sang the praises of the sensational views and natural beauty of the area.

• Many visitors using TripAdvisor felt that the parking fee was too expensive.

• It’s very busy during the summer months and peak periods. The site can be packed.

• There’s a lot of walking involved, so it’s not ideal for those who are unsteady on their feet or suffer from waling difficulties.

• There are no barriers or fences along the coastal walks. Keep tight a hold of your little ones hands!

• The Arthur Quest has largely been trashed on TripAdvisor by reviewers with children.

• Once you add up, parking eating out… you’ll probably end up paying more than you think.

MFM tips:

• If you want to visit all of the attractions, buy your family ticket at least a day in advance online to save some money. If you’re not too fussed about all of them, Greeb Farm is the best, so just a pay a few pounds entry in there and enjoy the natural beauty of Land’s End instead.

• If you’re not interested in the attraction and just want to show your children then stunning views, then (try, somehow) to walk straight through the village to the other side without stopping at any attractions.

• There are plenty of other non-commercialised areas of Cornwall to visit, including Sennen Cove, where you can walk a coastal path to Land’s End and pay much less for parking. There’s also Lizard Point, a better preserved area which is the most southerly point on the mainland.

What the owners say

"The beautiful scenery of Land's End has made it one of Britain's favourite destinations for days out. At the most south-westerly point of mainland Britain, you can appreciate fully how the relationship between land and sea is constantly changing.

Parking your car is the only thing you have to pay for, and you can then walk the clifftops to see how Cornwall changes from season to season, or contemplate the thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean which begin at the First and Last Point.

No visit is complete without having your picture taken at the famous land's end signpost. Then do a spot of souvenir shopping at the West Country Shopping Village, before taking time out to relax in the Land's End Bar and Restaurant."

Visit the official Land’s End website

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