Dozmary Pool

East Cornwall


About a mile south from the A30, this glassy expanse of water has many myths and legends associated with it – including one that claims it's where Arthur was given his famous sword, Excalibur, by the Lady of the Lake. It's also supposedly bottomless: another local legend concerns young Jan Tregeagle, who made a pact with the devil and in return was damned to spend his days emptying the neverending pool with a leaking limpet shell.

It's generally too cold for swimming, and since there are no trees around its edges, it can be fiercely windy – but it's a mysterious and atmospheric place nonetheless.

To the west is Colliford Lake, Cornwall's largest and highest reservoir.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby East Cornwall attractions

1. Stripple Stones

3.19 MILES

Near the hummock of Hawk's Tor are the Stripple Stones, a circular alignment that once enclosed 28 stones, although only four now remain standing. The…

2. Golitha Falls

4.16 MILES

Around 1.25 miles west of St Cleer, these crashing waterfalls are one of the most renowned beauty spots on the moor. Around the falls are the remains of…

3. Cheesewring

4.21 MILES

Looking like a gigantic game of granite Jenga, this stack of rocks is legendarily said to have been the work of giants – but the truth is even stranger. A…

4. King Arthur's Hall

4.45 MILES

One of the most impressive – and strangest – prehistoric sites on Bodmin Moor, this great structure is formed of 56 standing stones, although…

5. The Hurlers

4.51 MILES

This unusual triple stone circle is said to have been formed by a group of local men who contravened the sabbath and played the local game of hurling (a…

6. Carnglaze Caverns

4.81 MILES

Slate was once an important local export on Bodmin Moor, and these deep caverns were cut out by hand by miners, leaving behind an atmospheric network of…

7. Trethevy Quoit

5.36 MILES

Three miles south of Darite is this impressive example of a quoit, or dolmen – a Neolithic burial chamber resembling a flat stone table, supported by…

8. Cardinham Woods

6.37 MILES

Just outside Bodmin, this large public forest is a great spot for a woody wander, and also has a network of mountain-bike trails if you're feeling more…