Mermaid's Pool

Mermaid’s Pool is a small, mysterious body of water tucked into the western slopes of Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. Shrouded in legend, the pool is said to be the home of a beautiful mermaid who can be glimpsed at sunrise on Easter Sunday. According to local folklore, anyone who sees her on that sacred morning is granted immortality.

Unusual for an upland pool, Mermaid’s Pool is rumored to contain salty water. This oddity has led to speculation that it may be secretly connected to the distant Atlantic Ocean via a hidden underground passage, although no scientific evidence supports this claim. The saline nature of the water has only added to the pool’s mystique, setting it apart from the many other moorland tarns scattered across the region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the legend appears in The Reliquary, a 19th-century antiquarian journal, where writer Henry Kirke tells the tragic tale of a young man who drowned in the pool after falling hopelessly in love with the mermaid. His unrequited desire lured him to his doom, emphasizing the mermaid’s role as both enchanting and dangerous.

In a different telling, the creature of the pool is portrayed not as a mermaid in the traditional sense, but as a water nymph—an otherworldly being who lives on the moors of Kinder Scout and bathes in the pool each day. This version describes how she once appeared to a lonely local man, captivated him with her beauty, and led him to a secret cavern hidden among the rocks. There, she bestowed upon him the gift of eternal life, offering him a chance to live forever in the mystical realm beneath the hills.

Whether a tale of doomed romance or eternal enchantment, the legends surrounding Mermaid’s Pool have made it a site of fascination for hikers, folklore enthusiasts, and spiritual seekers alike. The promise of immortality, combined with the haunting beauty of the landscape, continues to draw visitors each Easter in hopes of catching a glimpse of the legendary mermaid.