An easy 10 minute walk leads to this peaceful quarry pool that’s perfect for a long leisurely swim. The water shines a deep green in the sunshine and the rock walls make the setting feel dramatic.
The pool is very deep and relatively cool, especially if you’re usually used to swimming in tidal pools, however, in summer, it’s refreshing rather than freezing.
Unlike many quarries around Cornwall, this one doesn’t have no swimming signs, so it’s a great alternative to places like Gold Diggings Quarry where swimming is now prohibited.
Here’s how to find it.
The walk to Kit Hill Quarry
The stats
Distance: 0.75 mile circuit (1.2km)
Elevation gain: 25m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Layby on Kill Hit Climb Road
Summary: There are two ways of reaching the quarry and they are both similar in length so we opted to make a circuit.
If you want to go and return via the easiest route you should take the north/eastern path that heads anticlockwise from the parking area and return the same way - this is described as the return route in the notes below.
Both trails are generally well formed and though there is a bit of a climb back up from the quarry, it’s not overly steep and doesn’t last very long.
The trail
We started with the fractionally longer route from the layby (full parking details below) and the walk begins along the gravel path that heads west before passing through the gate on the right 180m later.
You’ll now follow a grassy track and start to get some pretty views of the rolling fields.
After 120m, or 300m into the walk, the path narrows as it becomes enclosed by bracken and you will begin heading downhill.
You’ll come to another gate at the 450m mark and continue descending for a further 100m to a fork. Head right here and follow the path for 100m to the quarry.
This section of track becomes heavily waterlogged after rain, so if you’re visiting when it’s been wet expect wet shoes here.
The return route is 50m shorter and after visiting the quarry and passing back along the potentially flooded path you will now turn right at the fork.
You follow this path, which is largely gravel and cobblestone, to the car park.
It’s flat at first and then heads uphill for a couple of hundred metres. When you reach the road you’ll turn right and the car park is 100m away.
Kit Hill Quarry swimming
Kit Hill Quarry is gorgeous in the sunshine when the water reflects the surrounding trees and shimmers a vibrant green.
The craggy rock walls tower above you and there are plenty of birds and dragonflies to complete the peaceful scene.
Entering the pool involves walking a short distance through shallow water with a gravel bottom. It’s not too bad, but some people might prefer having water shoes for this bit.
It then becomes deep enough to swim off and I didn’t encounter any debris or obstacles in the water, so it was very leisurely.
The water is cold so go in slowly if you’re not used to cold water swimming. As it’s a big pool there’s plenty of room for a proper swim which will help you warm up quickly.
In terms of how busy it gets, we visited on a sunny Sunday in June and though we had it to ourselves for about 20 minutes, there was a constant stream of people before and after.
It might be quieter in the evening or very early in the morning.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Getting to Kit Hill Quarry
Kit Hill Quarry is located just outside the town of Callington in Cornwall, postcode PL17 8HR, you can see the exact location of the layby to park at on Google maps here.
There is free parking at the trailhead which currently has no time limit.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support.
