Lizard 2025
Lizard Point Youth Hostel, Cornwall
Sat 6th to Sat 13th September 2025
“We lived within two hundred yards of the sea, and its voice was in our ears night and day.”
— Edward Carpenter
Come and explore where the land meets the sea. The southernmost point on the island of Great Britain. Where the next stop south is Brittany and to the west is Canada! Until last year, Cornwall was unexplored territory for the Edward Carpenter Community. There's more to explore - Let’s go on an adventure - Let’s ‘Go West’!
(Together) your hand in my hands
(Together) we will make our plans
(Together) we will fly so high
(Together) change our pace of life
(Together) we will love the beach
(Together) we will learn and teach
(Together) change our pace of life
(Together) we will work and strive (in the kitchen)
20 men and 3 organisers - coming together for a week in community. It's about the connection between 23 people and being aware of each other. Living together - playing together - cooking together - washing up together - cleaning together. Workshops, walking, days out, daily circles, heart circles, intimacy, hugs, closeness, and friendship!
The week will be self catering with a facilitator working with a team each day to create simple lunch and a heartwarming dinner each day from locally sourced, in season foods - inclusion is important to us, we want no side table with special diets - but for the menu to be inclusive (food labelled) so that people can all share from the same table but make choices for their needs. The food served will be vegetarian and vegan.
To support those in recovery, we ask people not to bring alcohol this week.
As a community, everyone will be asked to pitch in with the cooking and the cleaning at the hostel but that should not take away from the fantastic location - local coves and walks or a short drive to days out at places like St Michael's Mount, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, The Eden Project, The Minack Theatre.
St Michael's Mount
Kynance Cove
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Eden Project
Organisers
Your organisers this year are Ian Williams, Zarith Hanipah and Antony Chuter (Fuzzy).
Ian Williams:
I have been involved with ECC since the 1990s and keep returning. I have been an organiser on quite a few official ECC events as well as unofficial ones in other countries. I was one of the organisers last year and, despite that, I look forward to returning to the Lizard and meeting friends, old and new!
Zarith Hanipah:
I only went to my first ever ECC retreat last year, and it was in sunny Lizard. It was so momentous and addictive that I even went to the AG weekend in Autumn and also High Close retreat in Spring. ECC meant so much to me as we can connect in many different ways through our love, care, kindness and compassion towards each other. I am looking forward to being an organiser for this year as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of ECC! Lots of love.
Anthony Chuter (Fuzzy):
I have been around ECC, the Radical Faeries, Loving Men, Tantra 4 Gay Men and Celebrate since the mid 90s. I have been a member of the community on many weeks and look forward to the energy that the space holds. I am looking forward to a week that is full of positive community spirit, helping each other and caring for each other.
The Venue
We have exclusive use of this spectacularly-situated YHA Youth Hostel overlooking the ocean. It's fully wheelchair-accessible and can accommodate 23 men. The sleeping accommodation is a little cramped but the living accommodation is spacious.
Lizard Youth Hostel - A History
This former Victorian hotel is now a 4-star hostel boasting beautiful grounds, homely social areas and a warm welcome for the muddiest of walkers! Its special peninsula location means there are panoramic sea views, beachcombing, walking and unique wildflowers nearby, so it’s a popular location - perfect for an activity break in Cornwall or a quieter seaside holiday. Kynance Cove is within easy walking distance and the hostel is a good base for walking and birdwatching holidays.
Originally known as Polbrean House, it is a large Victorian villa built between 1864-67 for local landscape painter Thomas Hart. The house had a dedicated studio built that was extended into the main house by its next owner in 1921. The house became the Polbrean Hotel which, at the time, was the most southerly hotel in mainland Britain. The hotel was subsequently bought by the National Trust in 1993 and was handed over to YHA following a major refurbishment. YHA opened the hostel officially in 2003.
Essential Information
Venue: YHA Lizard Point, The Polbrean, Lizard Point, Helston TR12 7NT www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-lizard-point
Dates: Saturday 6th September (arrival from 5pm onwards) to Saturday 13th September
Places: 20 places will be available on the week and we’ll reserve a proportion for first-timers until 12th May. When bookings open, places can fill up very quickly.
Mobile Phones: There is no mobile signal or wifi at the hostel - but there is a landline phone.
Accommodation: Standard YHA beds but small bedrooms with only 2 - 3 bunks in each room. Some double beds on the lower level will create some extra space.
Accessibility: The ground floor of this hostel is accessible with 2 accessible bedrooms.
Nearest shops: Lizard Village is a 14 min walk away
Travel
It is a long way west - but it could be a lovely journey! It takes around the same time as it used to take to get from London to Laurieston Hall. We strongly encourage participants to use the train and the bus, or arrange carshares.
By Car: There is some limited parking if people want to drive but we recommend car sharing - There are only 7 parking spaces available. There is additional parking available in the NT car park nearby (Charges apply).
Arrival/departure: Arrive from 5pm on the 6th September. The organisers can’t get in much before this time, so please don't arrive early. We need to leave by 10am on 13th September.