Loe Pool ~ Helston

Cornwall  King Arthur  Excalibur  Alfrrd Tennyson  Knights of the Round Table

Loe Pool is a long 'L' shaped lagoon near Porthleven, about two miles south of Helston in Cornwall, which is separated from Mount's Bay and the open sea by a narrow stretch of stones and sand. It is the largest freshwater pool in Cornwall, being just over 7 miles in circumference.   The name Loe means 'pool' in Cornish. Around certain parts of the lake there can be strong atmospheres and strange silences, and this may have something to do with the legends that have built up around it.   One sinister tradition is that the Pool must claim a life every seven years! So be careful when visiting. In the summer months this is a very popular spot for locals and visitors.   This is one of the two Cornish sites that claims to be the home of the Lady of the Lake. Loe Pool fits most closely to the medieval romantic descriptions of the Lake into which Sir Bedivere returned Excalibur after the fateful Battle of Camlann.   The sea once went up all the way inland to the town of Helston, but this path, via the River Cober, was cut off by massive deposits of sand after a violent storm as far back as the 13th Century.   Before Loe Bar was formed, merchant ships were a common sight at the bottom of the town. This throws some doubt on its being a pool in King Arthur's day, let alone the waters that received Excalibur.   In his own quest for Arthur, Loe Pool was visited by Alfred Tennyson who so believed the spot fitted the account of the Lake into which Sir Bedivere cast Arthur's sword after the last Battle of Camlann, that he suggested this to many others.   The poet's influence convinced many that this was indeed the spot where Excalibur was received by the hand of the Lady of the Lake.   If Tennyson was right, this battle may have taken place in the surrounding countryside of Cornwall and the wounded Arthur could have been taken off to the Isle of Avalon from Mount's Bay.