Shilley Pool is a cute little plunge pool that sits at the bottom of a natural waterslide! It’s perfect for families, but also great for a little sunset dip if you want to escape the crowds. The views are very pretty, especially if you go during golden hour, when the water takes on the shimmering colour of the sky above.
The walk to get there is easy, but it’s not signposted, but we have you covered with the directions below.
Here’s exactly what to expect on a visit to Shilley Pool.
The walk to Shilley Pool
The stats
Distance: 850m each way
Elevation gain: 75m
Difficulty: Easy
How to get to Shilley Pool
The trail
From the parking area (details below) you need to head left, back down the road you drove up. It’s not long before you’ll come to a no parking signpost on the left. This is where you leave the road and head up the grassy hillside.
From here the walk does head uphill most of the way to the pool, but it’s very gentle.
The path is in good condition for the majority of the way, and has some pretty bracken lined sections, which get a bit bushier the higher you climb.
After 450m along the grassy track you’ll come to a little side trail on the right. This leads to a tiny little plunge pool hidden away from the main track. It really is tiny, but you could have a paddle if you fancied it!
From here, the path gets a bit rockier and there are some short boggy sections. We visited during a dry spell in summer when all muddy patches could be avoided by rock hopping.
In wetter times you might be less lucky and I’d definitely recommend having shoes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty!
Just a few hundred metres beyond the turnoff to the little pool, you’ll reach Shilley Pool. The track divides a couple of times before you get there, but it all leads to the same place. We found the paths on the right drier.
Swimming at Shilley Pool
Co-ordinates: 50.7048253, -3.9091825
What3Words: Perfumes.prickly.scout
Shilley Pool might be very small, but it’s picturesque and a lovely spot to cool off. Little ones will be able to have a proper swim, but the deepest point for me was only at waist level.
It does get a lot of afternoon sun, so it’s relatively warm water by UK standards, but you still might find it cold if you’re not used to wild swimming in England.
You can continue up the cascades to the left of the main pool, which were only a trickle on our visit, but would normally be a bit more substantial.
Note that the area around the cascades is very boggy. Even for us after so much dry weather, it was seriously muddy and I ended up putting my foot right through a patch that looked solid! So if you do venture higher it’s probably better to go barefoot.
If you’re visiting with kids, this is where they can slide down into Shilley Pool. They were a couple of kids and their pup having a whale of a time when we visited!
Due to the ease of access and how great a spot it is for families, Shilley Pool does get busy. Considering how small it is, you want to try and miss the crowds by coming early or late if visiting during peak season.
We opted for late and got it to ourselves just before sunset, which worked well because you can watch sunset from the pool!
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.
Although there was thankfully no rubbish at Shilley Pool when we were there, high visitor numbers do mean there is an increased chance of litter.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for Shilley Pool
Shilley Pool is located in the northern part of Dartmoor National Park, and is situated between South Zeal and Throwleigh (there are a few narrow roads you’ll have to drive, but all are sealed. Just be prepared for potentially having to squeeze past oncoming vehicles).
The car park for Shilley Pool is located opposite Clannaborough Cottage, postcode EX20 2QF.
It’s a small gravel car park that is free of charge. There are no facilities here, including toilets, so please plan accordingly.
The car park is located 15 minutes from Okehampton, 45 minutes from Ashburton and 40 minutes from Widecombe in the Moor.
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