Nanny Pat’s days out: Blackberrying at Argal Reservoir


Two children picking blackberries for a bush with Argal Lake in the background.

With a buggy-friendly walk, great views and opportunities for wildlife spotting, Argal Reservoir has lots to offer families looking for a child friendly day out in Cornwall. In September, blackberries are abundant, as Nanny Pat found out. Here are her thoughts about her latest day out.

off-on-an-adventure

Argal is not far from Wilf and Megan’s house, so we often go there when we fancy popping out for a couple of hours. Sunny days in late September and early October are perfect for getting outdoors. We went out on a mission to collect some blackberries to make apple and blackberry pie for lunch and stock up the freezer.

We did the circular walk around the lake. It’s approximately two miles long and takes you through meadows and woodland. The lake is well stocked with fish. It’s a popular spot for coarse fishing, and you can buy permits from a ticket machine on site.

October is a wonderful time to explore Cornwall with children
Enjoying the autumn leaves

It’s a pretty walk and we found plenty of blackberries to fill our basket along the way.

There’s also bird hide at the Argal village end. We sat and watched a heron and cormorants fishing for their tea. The undergrowth was buzzing with bees, butterflies and dragonflies – it’s a great location for a little wildlife spotting.

Enjoy birdwatching at Argal Reservoir
View from the hide

It’s a good spot to come for a relaxing couple of hours for a walk with a view and somewhere to stretch little legs. Most of the walk is suitable for buggies. There’s also a children’s play area with swings and climbing equipment where kids can burn off a little more energy before the journey home.

The playground at Argal is a great feature

The Argal View Café adjoins the car park. They have the most wonderful cakes and cream teas with superb Italian coffee. It’s run by Hayley and Mark who also have Café Nova at Stithians Lake. Hayley’s cakes are legendary, so I suggest you put this lovely little spot on your ‘to do’ list!

Useful information

There is plenty of car parking on site (small charge) plus accessible toilets. Dogs are welcome at Argal, but you’ll need to keep them on a lead.

There are plenty of picnic tables and a BBQ area, so it’s ideal for a leisurely family day out at any time of year.

Argal Reservoir offers beautiful views
View across Argal Reservoir

Getting there

Argal Lake is just outside Penryn, near Falmouth and is approximately 40 minutes’ drive from Bosinver.

If you and your family visit Argal Reservoir (or try out any of of Nanny Pat’s other suggestions for family days out in Cornwall), we’d love to hear about your adventures. You can leave a comment below, share photos on our Facebook page, or even tweet us @Bosinver when you’re out and about!

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!