Tucked into Cornwall’s clay country.
Sheltered by woodland, Ennal’s Pool lies within the contours of Cornwall’s former china-clay workings. Trees have returned to the banks, framing open water and quiet corners where wildlife makes its home. Traces of the lake’s working past remain woven into the landscape.
See the latest photographs from two viewpoints across the lake.
Caring for the water and the life it supports is at the heart of our work here.
Caring for the water
A solar-powered oxygenation system helps us care for the lake. Over the past year, there has been a visible improvement in the water’s clarity and condition.
Seeing a trout glide close to the spray during an early run was a memorable moment, bringing the pleasure of watching wildlife into the practical work of looking after the water.
Carved into the old landscape
The lake is carved into the land below the surrounding fields. Between the front and back pools, a raised piece of ground remains close to the original land level, with an old boundary oak growing at its edge. Together, they offer a glimpse of the landscape before the clay workings.
This lower position also connects the lake to the water held in the surrounding ground. Its level responds to changes in groundwater, gathering water from the land around it as conditions become wetter.
Across roughly 2.5 acres of open water, a rise of just one inch represents about a quarter of a million litres - a small movement at the water’s edge with a remarkable volume behind it.
Along the water’s edge
Wooded banks meet the water, with sheltered margins and patches of wet ground adding to the variety of habitats around the pool. To the south, a separate stream follows its own course through the site. Old maps and surviving structures reveal how water was once channelled through this landscape to serve the clay works.
A lake that changes with the seasons
Each season brings a different character to the pool: fresh leaves and yellow gorse in spring, fuller woodland in summer and open views through the trees as the year turns. Along the banks, changing stretches of shoreline give familiar places a different shape.
Time beside the lake
A quiet paddle, an afternoon on the bank or a few moments watching the reflections all offer a different way to enjoy Ennal’s Pool. Photographs and everyday wildlife sightings are gradually building a record of the place as we get to know it.
Staying at Ennal’s Pool? Our kayaks are available for staying guests to use on the lake free of charge. See nature stays and woodland camping near the Eden Project.
