Penwith (Cornish: Pennwydh) is an area of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, located on the peninsula of the same name. It is also the name of a former local government district, whose council was based in Penzance. The area is named after one of the ancient administrative hundreds of Cornwall which derives from two Cornish words, penn meaning 'headland' and wydh meaning 'at the end'.
Natural England have designated the peninsula as national character area 156 and named it West Penwith. It is also known as the Land's End Peninsula.
The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches. The contact between the granite and the adjoining sedimentary rock (mostly shales) is most clearly seen forming the cliffs at Land's End, the most westerly point in the district and this geology has resulted in the mining that has made Cornwall famous. Tin and copper have been mined in the area since pre-Roman times and the landscape is dotted with ruined mine buildings. Inland, the peninsula is primarily granite with a thin top soil. This combined with Cornwall's exposed position and the prevailing weather systems from the Atlantic Ocean means that, with the exception of the high moor areas, much of the area is a semi-bare plateau standing around 130 m above sea level. This is most evident on the north coast between St Just and Zennor where the remains of the ancient seabed of the Pliocene era are visible. Its highest point is Watch Croft (252 m).
Penwith Hundred was one of ten ancient administrative hundreds of the county of Cornwall, England, UK. The ancient hundred of Penwith was larger than the local government district of Penwith (1974–2009) which took its name. The eastern part became part of Kerrier District.
All of the Hundreds of Cornwall belonged, and still belong, to the Duchy of Cornwall apart from Penwith which belonged to the Arundells of Lanherne. The Arundells sold it to the Hawkins family in 1813 and the Hawkinses went on to sell it to the Paynters in 1832. The Lordship of Penwith came with a great number of rights over the entire hundred. These included: rights to try certain cases of trespass, trespass on the law, debt and detinue, to appoint a jailor for the detention of persons apprehended, to receive high-rent from the lords of the principal manors and to claim the regalia of the navigable rivers and havens, the profits of the royal gold and silver mines, and all wrecks, escheats, deodands, treasure trove, waifs, estrays, goods of felons and droits of admiralty happening within the hundred.
Bewildered by silence
Stuck by its questions and lucid ways to make us aware
I did not know how cruel that could be
That so many cases will never be solved
That so many stories will never be told
I did not know how cruel that could be
Fighting a war that rages inside
The world can't see the hate that burns in there
How can we face what lies beneath,
If we just fear and don't fight back?
How many questions left unanswered?
How many tears and inner strength shall we need?
How any times can we encounter this again and again?
How many things exist that blind us?
How many forms of brutal violence can we see?
How many images of pain will make us numb
So hard, so cruel, we fail to see, we fail to feel?
So afraid, even without thecourage of despair?
Fighting a war that rages inside
The world can't see the hate that burns in there
How can we face what lies beneath,
If we just fear and don't fight back?
Afraid of ourselves, arfaid to stand up
I did not know how cruel that could be
We failed to see, we failed to feel
Still afraid, what if you love someone?
What if this happened to your loved ones?
What would you do if you were there at that time?
What makes you act like nothing happened?
Nothing's wrong, you're doing fine?
What makes you think you are immune to this?
What drove us so far to the edge of tolerance?
If judging and accusing is so easy, then why
Why still?
Fighting a war that rages inside
The world can't see the hate that burns in there
How can we face what lies beneath,