Land’s End, Lands End, or L’Anzend?



A needless investigation into one of Britain’s least contentious controversies  

As our LEJOG training has progressed, one unsettling question has continued to lurk in the background — whispered over cake, grumbled at map apps, and eventually scribbled in biro on a snack wrapper mid-ride:

Is it “Land’s End” or “Lands End”?

(And why does nobody seem entirely sure?)

I’ve seen it both ways. You’ve seen it both ways. Even my Garmin seems to flinch when asked to commit.

So in the spirit of investigative amateurism, I did what any concerned citizen would do: I fell down a rabbit hole of dubious sources, petty debates, and the kind of linguistic detail that makes you question whether you’re the problem.


The Official Story (Probably)

Technically, the place is called Land’s End — possessive apostrophe and all.

This is how it appears on OS maps, National Trust signage, and in historical references. The logic? It’s the end of the land, so the land owns the end. Fair enough.

But then you look closer. The Land’s End Hotel spells it correctly. The Land’s End Landmark Attraction does too. But stray a little further — into events, marketing copy, or third-party signage — and suddenly the apostrophe goes AWOL. Lands End Sportive. Lands End Trail. Lands End Cycles.

At this point, one begins to suspect a conspiracy. Or at least a grammatical shrug.


The Commercial Rebellion

Enter: the American clothing brand, Lands’ End.

Yes — with the apostrophe after the “s”.

Why? Because of a typo in their first catalogue. And then they never fixed it.

(Yes, really.)

And now, they own the domain landsend.com, which means that Google sometimes thinks this is what you meant — even when you’re just trying to find the edge of Cornwall.

Suddenly, your route planning includes chinos. It’s a mess.


The Secret Third Thing

During a particularly tired ride, one of us (possibly me) proposed an alternate theory:

What if “Lands End” is not possessive or plural, but a corruption of a much older name? Perhaps a Norse mishearing? A smudged medieval scroll? A mistranslation of the original Cornish?

I proposed L’Anzend, which sounds vaguely Breton and possibly like a Game of Thrones character.

No one objected. Possibly out of fatigue.


So What Should We Use?


Honestly? At this point, I don’t know. But here’s how I’m treating it:

  • Land’s End – if you’re being correct, cartographic, or writing postcards
  • Lands End – if you’re booking a ferry or writing a blog post in a hurry
  • L’Anzend – if you’re tired, undercaffeinated, or trying to make it sound cooler than it is


Final Thoughts (and Mild Apostrophe Fatigue)

In the end, it’s not the name that matters.

It’s the fact we’re riding there. One crank at a time, towards the edge of the land.

Call it what you like — just don’t forget to eat something salty on the way.

This one’s for you Ross. You’re welcome! ;)

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