Across the centre of the Lizard sprawls the barren Goonhilly Downs, a flat, grassy heathland which – rather improbably – also happens to be home to one of the UK's largest satellite stations. Not too long ago, these massive dishes (all named after Arthurian characters) transmitted a fair proportion of the UK's satellite traffic, but the dishes were decommissioned by owners British Telecom in 2010, and now their future is uncertain.
The area of heathland around the satellite station is an important SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), and an excellent spot to see rare butterflies, slow-worms and even the occasional adder in summer.
