Introduction
The pool at Millendreath is one of the few man-made tidal pools on the South East coast of Cornwall. Found on a fairly quiet sheltered, family-friendly beach. this large, shallow pool provides a safe swimming environment for smaller children.
The pool doesn’t hold water long, with a drain at the seaward end resulting in the pool water levels falling and rising in time with the tide. As a result, this pool is best visited as close to high tide as possible.
It’s not high on our list of pools for the more adventurous swimmers, but the stretch of coast between here and Looe is great for an open-water sea swim on calm days.
History of the Millendreath Sea Pool
I’ve not been able to find out much about the history of this pool. It’s situated on a private beach and estate and is constructed of a 20th Century concrete pier on one side with a retaining sea wall, beach and cliffs on the other sides.
These old photos of Millendreath Beach Resort reveal how it may have looked back in the day
How do you get to the Millendreath Sea Pool?
Head to the main car park at Millendreath Beach Resort (Post Code PL13 1PD). From here it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk down to the beach where you’ll quickly spot the sea pool under the cliffs on the eastern side of the beach.
When is the best time to visit the Millendreath Sea Pool?
This pool drains quite quickly, through an outlet pipe, with the falling tide so it’s best to visit just before or just after high tide when there’s still plenty of water in the pool.
Is Millendreath Sea Pool dog friendly?
Access for dogs to the pool is easy but there is a seasonal dog ban on Millendreath beach from 1st May to 30th September each year.
Is the Millendreath Sea Pool suitable for small children?
This is the perfect tidal pool for families with younger children. There is a gently shelving beach area that leads into the pool, it’s easy to access and park a buggy, there are also toilets and a cafe nearby.
Are there any food and drink options at Millendreath Sea Pool?
There is a beach bar and a beach cafe, but the food here was very disappointing when we visited (August 2022) so it’s best to bring a picnic, or head over to the Three Pilchards in Polperro (about 20 mins away) to have a decent meal and make a day of it.
What else is there to do near Millendreath?
Millendreath is close enough to Chapel Pool in Polperro to fit both in on the same tide, it’s also not too far from Gold Diggings Quarry if you fancy a freshwater swim on the same day.
Other places to check out in South East Cornwall:
- Looe
- Polperro
- Rame Head
- Fowey & Polruan
