 William Crossing relates in his "Guide to Dartmoor" that James Perrott, a well-known Dartmoor guide from Chagford, built a cairn in the pool and placed a bottle there for visitors' cards in 1854.Cranmere Pool is at the heart of several Dartmoor legends, the most common of which involve the former mayor of Okehampton, Benjamin Gayer or Gear who was actually mayor of the town five times during the 17th century and has a memorial in Okehampton church vestry.In one version of the legend "Benjie Gear" was convicted of stealing sheep and as punishment was ordered to empty Cranmere Pool with a sieve.