The Loe

The Loe is a large natural freshwater lake in Cornwall, lying south of Helston between Porthleven and Gunwalloe. It covers fifty hectares and is separated from Mount’s Bay by the shingle ridge called Loe Bar. The lake and bar belong to the Penrose Estate, managed by the National Trust, and form a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The South West Coast Path crosses the bar, offering walkers views of the water on one side and the sea on the other. Carminowe Creek, the lake’s southern arm, adds quiet waterways to explore. The setting combines open water, shingle banks and wooded slopes within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The lake’s history is tied to the River Cober, once an estuary now blocked by the bar. Storms once breached the bar every few years, letting seawater mix with fresh water until the gap closed again. In the 19th century engineers cut the bar to lower flood waters in Helston, lowering the lake by over six metres at times. The deepest silts in the lake date from the early 1800s, showing how human actions changed the water body. A memorial cross near Carminowe Creek remembers over one hundred sailors lost when HMS Anson grounded in 1807. Henry Trengrouse, who witnessed the wreck, later invented the rocket life-saving apparatus as a result. Visitors find a calm lake surrounded by mixed woodland and farmland. A path follows the northern shore from Helston’s southern edge to the bar, where the shingle meets the waves. The bar’s pebbles, mostly flint and quartz carried from far away, crunch underfoot as the wind shapes the ridge. On the lake side herons stand still among reeds, while on the seaward side waves break against the stones. The contrast between fresh water and salt spray makes the crossing memorable. From the bar the coast path continues west to Gunwalloe or east to Porthleven, both offering longer walks along the shore.