#lizard point

The most Southernly point in mainland Britain is not, as commonly believed, Land's End in Cornwall; it is in fact The Lizard, or more specifically Lizard Point, also in Cornwall. The name 'The Lizard' derives from the Cornish word 'Lys Ardh' meaning 'high court' and is completely unconnected to the large number of sea serpents which can be found in the sea below. These serpents, attracted by the high concentration of serpentine gems found in the rock, (again, complete coincidence) have long been regarded as the Southern Coast's biggest danger, only briefly overtaken in 1826 when the opening of Devon's Jurassic Coast released juvenile ichthyosaurs into the area.