Penlee Point, Mousehole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Penlee Point |
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Lifeboat Station slipway
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| Location | Mousehole, Cornwall, England, UK |
| Coordinates | 50°05′17″N 5°31′55″W / 50.088°N 5.532°W |
Penlee Point is a rocky headland (a piece of land sticking out into the sea) in west Cornwall, England. Its name comes from the Cornish words Penn Legh, which mean 'stone-slab headland'. This special place is found near the pretty fishing village of Mousehole.
Penlee Point is well-known for being the home of the Penlee Lifeboat Station. This station was the base for the Penlee lifeboat, which was sadly lost during a rescue mission in 1981.
Penlee Point: A Place of Stone
For many years, Penlee Point was a very busy place because of its quarries. Quarries are places where stone is dug out of the ground. In 1883, a man named Mr. J. Runnalls ran these quarries and stone-mills. He had about seventy people working for him.
Stone for Roads
The stone from Penlee Point was mostly used for building roads. People said it was one of the strongest and most lasting types of stone available. It was so strong that it took a huge amount of pressure to crush it.
The stone was sent to many different places. It traveled by ship to ports in Wales, and also to big cities like Bristol, Ipswich, London, and Lowestoft in England. Stone going to London was shipped weekly from nearby Penzance. Smaller sailing boats also carried stone from Mousehole.
A Special Place for Nature
In 1990, Penlee Point was given a special title: a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means the area is protected because it has important geological features.
The SSSI area at Penlee Point includes the cliffs and the rocky shore. It also has two small quarries that are no longer used. This protection helps to keep the unique rocks and landforms safe for everyone to learn about and enjoy.
