Chapel Carn Brea is close to Land’s End in the far south-west of Cornwall, not to be confused with Carn Brea which is near Redruth. From the vantage point of the former on a clear day you can see all the way to the Lizard and sometimes to the Isles of Scilly.

Alas not on the evening my son and I climbed up there, hoping that maybe, despite the cloud and promise of rain, there would be a glimpse of a sunset. Instead we found some lovely, friendly horses and a view of the airport below. Oh, and this lovely beacon which is  is still lit every Midsummer’s Eve to celebrate the solstice, starting a series of beacon lightings across the county.

The hill is is riddled with remains of barrows. Of the original barrows, there are two of particular note: an entrance grave on the brow of the hill from the late Neolithic period and of a type only found in Penwith and Scilly, and another older specimen, a long barrow dating from the early Neolithic period. It was dusk when we were there so we didn’t have time to investigate, but it is definitely a place I shall return to in daylight.

Chapel Carn Brea is often referred to as the first hill in Cornwall and as such it commands uninterrupted views of West Penwith.  I’d be more likely to say it is the last hill, unless of course you arrive here by sea from the Isles of Scilly!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #62 | Silhouettes