Tarns of the Lake District: Difference between revisions

There are some tarns the result of human intervention, created for our increasing need for clean drinking water, dammed and turned into reservoirs to increase capacity. More than a third, maybe even as many as 40% of the tarns in Lakeland, have probably had some form of alteration.<ref>Blair, ''Exploring Lakeland Tarns'',(2003) p.10</ref> In addition to industrial purposes, this also includes the draining of tarns to create more land for new agricultural ambitions. The more controversial interference would be our justification for aesthetics, such as that fine example seen in the Victorian landscaped [[Tarn Hows]], near [[Coniston]]. However we look at the humble tarn, it can be difficult to define what these diverse bodies of water actually are. Ask anyone familiar with the Lake District and the chances are they would be aware of tarns and explain what one is, even if never having visited one in person.

From the expanse of [[Devoke Water]] to the Miniature [[Lang tarn]] on the Heathwaite Fells there is such a variety of size, and from [[Watendlath Tarn]] to [[Foxes Tarn]] such a variety of situation, that every tarn is unique. But more than anything else tarns reflect the seasons and the weather so that no two visits are ever the same.<ref>Nuttall, ''The Tarns of Lakeland'',(1995) p.7</ref></blockquote/>

The following figures are sourced from Dr Smith's book, which collates years of research in this field of study.<ref>Smith, ''Smaller Lakes and Tarns'',(2014) p.12</ref>

These are small bodies of water usually formed in mountainous hollows or corries, known also as glacial cirques. These are bowl-shaped, ice-excavated rock basins, some of which are naturally deep, once carved by millions of tonnes of ice, erosion and weather. Cirques typically have three steep sides containing a headwall and two enclosing sidewalls, with a fourth being more open where a glacial till or moraine (rock debris that formed a dam) eventually enclosed and trapped the remaining ice.<ref name="smith24">Smith, ''Smaller Lakes and Tarns'',(2014) p.24</ref> Some of the best examples of a cirque tarn are [[Blea Water]], [[Angle Tarn (Langdale)]], [[Stickle Tarn]] (below image), [[Blind Tarn]] and [[Scale Tarn]]. Water will usually flow from the moraine, ensuring the tarn maintains a fairly constant depth, and continue its journey down towards another tarn or lake via a network of becks and a river as seen at [[Little Langdale Tarn]] before eventually flowing into a larger body of water, in this case, [[Windermere]].

The typical characteristics of cirque tarns resemble a pudding bowl, some definitely more circular than others. This bowl will have a single deep point, usually in or near the centre, some of which are very deep for their size. A prime example of this is [[Blea Water]], just north of the [[Kentmere]] valley and west of [[Haweswater]] Reservoir. It has a depth of 63 metres (206 feet), almost twice the depth of [[Grisedale Tarn]] at 33 metres (108 feet). The next deepest is [[Red Tarn]] at 26 metres (85 feet), and [[Easedale Tarn]] at 22.5 metres (74 feet).<ref>Smith, ''Smaller Lakes and Tarns'',(2014) p.27</ref> The moraine can also affect how deep the tarn is, depending on how much debris was moved during the "ice action" of its excavation.

Unlike cirque tarns, areally scoured tarns were created from a different process. The immense ice sheets, hundred of metres thick, covered the National Park in its entirety. It was busy moving radially outwards in multiple directions, gouging and excavating the earth and rock that, eventually, created a disproportionately large number of small lakes, tarns, and pools compared to their larger counterparts. There are approximately 800 of these natural bodies of water throughout the Lake District,<ref name="smith37">Smith, ''Smaller Lakes and Tarns'',(2014) p.37</ref> some of which are nothing more than insignificantly small pools. But collectively, they are part of a much bigger story of the of how the ice changed the landscape of Lakeland.<ref name="smith37"/> Some areally scoured tarns are huge, for example [[Devoke Water]], [[Angle Tarn (Patterdale)]], and [[Burnmoor Tarn]] are like small lakes themselves. It’s the process of how they were formed that makes them differ from other bodies of water of a similar shape and size.

As already mentioned, tarns come in a variety of different shapes and forms, createdthe fromproduct of different processes, and serving different purposes. There are other types of natural tarns that can be seen across the Lake District, created at the same time of the lastLast glacialGlacial periodPeriod, but are neither of the cirque or areally scoured variety of tarns. They are at home in the upper reaches of the fells as well as the wider, open lowlands, in many cases located in barren, boggy and sometimes challenging to reach places. NotablyRock ledge tarns ([[Broadcrag Tarn]] - the highest tarn in Lakeland), thesesummit aretarns, and saddle tarns (located onin rockthe ledges,dips onbetween summits,) inare amongst these. saddlesAdditionally, there are tarns with natural dam tarnsfeatures, kettlecreated holeby tarnsalluvial deposits, rocks falls and landslides. Examples of thethese lowlandsinclude [[Overwater]], drumlinwhich fieldhas tarnsextensive sedimentary build up from Dale Gill and tarnsthe situatedRiver inEllen, peat.and That[[Greendale saidTarn]], which has been held back by extensive rock debris.<ref>Smith (2014) pp.77-79</ref> Tarns in kettle holes reside in the bestdepressions exampleand hollows of glacial deposits, usually small in size and clustered in groups.<ref>Smith (2014) p.94</ref> Tarns in drumlin fields are featured in depressions between small elliptical-shaped hills (drumlins) that are aligned with the flow of ice.<ref>Smith (2014) p.103</ref> The latter two lieare situated in the lowland areas, some of which are either partially, of wholly, outside the boundary of the National Park.

What features are deemed of interest in the selection process? Should we only include tarns that are natural, and have names? What about tarns that are so shallow they dry up each summer? Or tarns that are the smallest of pools? These are the questions that require answering in order to make an informed decision. John and Anne Nuttall answer this eloquently by stating that "It is impossible to be precise about it and any selection is bound to be a personal one, for when seen in sparkling sunlight under a blue sky even the merest puddle can look enchanting."<ref>Nuttall, ''The Tarns of Lakeland'',(1995) p.9</ref> They used Ordnance Survey maps and only included named tarns within the National Park. However, at the time of writing their volumes, they decided to include other bodies of water commonly accepted as tarns, even though they were not officially named on the maps.

Here is an incomplete listing of some of the more well-known tarns. Each tarn will have its own page and, if enough decent photos are captured, its own gallery too, which can be added to at any time. It is preferred that photos capture the tarns throughout the differing seasons of the year. This is a long-term project and more will be added in due course.

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