The cross marked way

Land’s End was quiet this morning as we timed our departure before most of the attractions opened. A photo of a sign post and a quick look at the stories of other End to Enders was enough and we were off. 

Wind, sun, rain, hail and eventually a rainbow: such was the weather in the first two miles.

On the way up to Sennen village, I was joined by Bob and Hannah, two experienced End to Enders. This short section to Sennen has now featured in all three of Team Lees Warwicker End to Ends.
At Sennen village the church of St Sennen claims to have been founded in 520AD, possibly named for an Irish saint. There are a number of early Stone crosses in the churchyard and others on the route across to St Buryan.

These are simple slab crosses, a shaft and a rounded head which is often incised with a cross or a figure. Due to age and exposure to the weather these are often quite difficult to make out. They are found at cross roads and in church yards, but also in fields, at field boundaries and just anywhere along the side of the road. These ancient stones were not the only ones in the landscape. Much older standing stones, burial cairns and stone circles are also scattered across the landscape clearly indicating what an important area for human settlement West Cornwall has been for millenia.

The crosses continued to occur beyond St Buryan, also named for an early Irish saint, and together meant that the whole days was very much a cross marked way.

Prayer

Creator, who made the darkness for rest,
Surround us this night
So that our words, our thoughts, our breath,
May rest in you.

JAL 02.04.2019

Day 1: Land’s End to Castellack