Mousehole Rock Pool given a new lease of life

The future of a much-loved rock pool swimming spot in west Cornwall has been secured.

Generations of children have been taken to Mousehole Rock Pool for their first swimming lessons, but it is in dire need of repair.

A group of concerned locals came together to clear the pool of rocks and seaweed.

They have now obtained official permission to lay new concrete walkways to make the pool accessible to all.

Mousehole Rock Pool dates back to the late 1960s when a team of local men used building blocks and concrete to reinforce the naturally square rock pool.

Elaine Bawden, who has lived in the area all her life, said: “I used this pool as soon as I was old enough to get in the water, my dad and a few other dads in the village helped build it.

“It’s just a really special place, it’s a safe place for kids to learn to swim, we love it.”

Over the years, the pool has been repaired by community volunteers, but the walkways over the rocks have become extremely worn and slippery.

“He had a couple of near misses, he fell, it was very slippery and full of rocks and weeds,” he said.

“I was hanging out in the pool and I noticed that families would go down, but the less able family members, whether they were kids in wheelchairs or grandparents in wheelchairs, would be sitting on the path, about 30 or 40 meters distance from the pool. and I can’t share that memory of being together.”

The concrete has to be colored black to match the surrounding rocks and the contractors have had to time the project to catch a spell of dry weather between high tides.

Double Olympic champion Helen Glover, originally from Newlyn, and her husband, TV naturalist Steve Backshall, have agreed to be patrons of the Friends of Mousehole Rock Pool charity.

In a video message, Steve Backshall said: “It was extremely important for my family, my children learned to swim here, we look for crabs and anemones and all sorts of other interesting things here and I hope you have the same opportunity because the place this rock, literally.”

Chris Yacoubian added, “Steve believes fundamentally in what we’re trying to do, from a health perspective and an educational perspective in terms of wildlife, marine life and getting whole families involved in it.

“Helen is obviously one of the best advocates for fitness, outdoor swimming, outdoor sports and being involved in the environment outside and less with phones or tablets indoors.”

Further building works are planned to plug the leaks in the pool while preserving the unique character for the next generation.