Swanpool ( kw, Lynyeyn Pryskelow, meaning ''cold pool of the elm thicket'') is a small coastal saline lagoon with a shingle bar, separating it from the beach of the same name. The

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises ...

crosses the bar. The pool is near the town of Falmouth, on the south coast of

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...

, England, UK, between

Maenporth Maenporth ( kw, Meyn Borth, meaning ''stones cove'') is a cove and beach in west Cornwall, England. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth on the estuary of the River Fal. Maenporth cove faces east acro ...

and Gyllyngvase. A notable building in the area is Swanpool House, a 19th-century building which was occupied by American forces during the Second World War but is now in use as holiday apartments. There was formerly a mine extending beneath the lagoon.

Natural history

Coastal saline lagoons are water bodies that are fed by saline water, in this case from the adjacent sea of Falmouth Bay, either by percolation through the bar, or, by restricted inlets such as a sluice. Swanpool also receives freshwater from a small stream and from rainfall. The water of Swanpool has permanent vertical stratification with variation in the salinity with depth. Swanpool-Swan-family

The pool is a Local Nature Reserve, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is of scientific importance as it is one of the few locations that has the perfect salinity for the growth of the trembling sea mat (''Victorella pavida''), a

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a ...

n. Some other species of fauna and flora at Swanpool are:

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

moorhen Moorhens—sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus ''Gallinula'', Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots. They are o ...

mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, ho ...

coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usuall ...

water rail The water rail (''Rallus aquaticus'') is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the war ...

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania ...

little grebe The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Lat ...

siskin The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words ''sisschen'', ''zeischen'', which are diminutive forms of Middle High German (''zîsec'') and Middle Low German (''ziseke'', ''sisek'') words, which ...

tufted duck The tufted duck or tufted pochard (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird men ...

, cuckoo flower and yellow flag iris

Swanvale nature reserve

There is also a small

Cornwall Wildlife Trust The Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1962 that is concerned solely with Cornwall, England. It deals with the conservation and preservation of Cornwall's wildlife, geology and habitats managing over 50 nature reser ...

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

called Swanvale which runs from the northern end of Swanpool towards the town. It comprises mostly

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist ...

carr, which provides shelter for many small birds and mammals.

Swanpool mine

Swanpool mine is deep and produced £60,000 worth of silver-lead ore. It started in the early 18th century, closing in 1865 and recommenced on 22 November 1880, financed by Sir Julius Vogel and his friends. It closed shortly after 1885.

Art

There is a painting by Wallace Martin, '' Falmouth Grammar School Swimming Sports at Sunny Cove, near Swanpool, Falmouth'', dated to 1951.

Visitor facilities

Swanpool Beach is a training ground for kayaking, paddleboarding and coasteering, with a beach café, a beach restaurant, Hooked (formerly the Three Mackerels Restaurant), car-parking (charge in summer), a public lavatory and crazy golf. Dogs are not allowed on the beach between Easter Sunday and 1 October.

References

External links

Swanpool Management Plan 2001-2006 (pdf format)

{{coord, 50.14, N, 5.07, W, display=title Beaches of Cornwall Falmouth, Cornwall Lagoons of the United Kingdom Local Nature Reserves in Cornwall Nature reserves of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1995