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| Out Dubs Tarn | ||
|---|---|---|
| Historic Name | Out Dubs | |
| Name Meaning | Distant poolquestionable | |
| Name Origin | Old English + Old Norse + possibly Celtic |
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| Type | Hydrosere tarn | |
| Inflows | Cunsey Beck | |
| Outflows | Cunsey Beck | |
| Max. Depth | 3 metres (10 feet) | |
| Surface Elevation | 62 metres (203 feet) | |
| Access | No access | |
| Topo Map | OL7 Explorer | |
| Coordinates | 54.345212 , -2.9769355 | |
| OS Grid Ref. | SD365948 | |
| what3words | plank.rewriting.vision | |
Out Dubs Tarn is a small tarn at the southern end of Esthwaite Water, a short distance south-west of Near Sawrey. Like it’s similar neighbour, Priest Pot, situated at the northern end of the lake, it was once probably part of a larger lake before is was cut off by alluvial deposits from Cunsey Beck. The wider lake area is of glacial origin, created by a separate tongue of ice from the Langdale Fells.
The tarn comes under the umbrella of the Esthwaite Water Site of Special Scientific Interest (1987) status, ensuring the area is protected by conservation. It is around 3 metres (10 feet) deep, lying at an elevation of 62 metres (203 feet).
Etymology
This name has been used since at least the 1770s, and was recorded as such in the 1851 Ordnance Survey map of the area. The first element out comes from Old English ute ("out, outdoors, outside, at a distance"). The second element dub ("pool or puddle") is of an uncertain origin, maybe Celtic. It could roughly translate to distant pool, but this is debatable.
For the third element tarn, see etymology of the word tarn.
Formation
Out Dubs Tarn was separated from the lake by an alluvial plain, rich in sedimentary deposits. The soil is composed of peat, suggesting that "a tract of marsh once existed between the lake and tarn."[1] The Tarn itself looks like a hydrosere, which is the natural process of an ecological community changing from one state to another over an extended period of time. At Out Dubs the various flora plays a significant part in this transformation. As Don Blair states from his field guide, Exploring Lakeland Tarns:
"The Tarn is best seen from the air, or in an aerial photograph, whereby the zoning of the aquatic plants can really be appreciated. From the central area of open water towards the shoreline, concentric zones of plants adapt to the varying depths. First, in the deeper central water, are the yellow water lilies. These are surrounded by belts of common reed, then sedges and grasses, and finally the willow carr." [1]
The open water of such tarns, given over to certain ecological conditions, will eventually dry out and become woodland. The completion of this process happens via several stages: phytoplankton → submerged → floating → reed swap → sedge-meadow → woodland → climax. This final stage could be forest if humid, grassland if sub-humid, and desert if arid or semi-arid.[2]
Access
Due to its development as a hydrosere, the tarn is not accessible. A small part of the tarn can be seen above treeline along the eastern shore from the single-track lane by Dub How Farm. Only the wooded wetland can be seen from the main thoroughfare to the Esthwaite Water Trout Fishery. That’s about it. For the protection of the area, there are no public footpaths up to or around the tarn.