Tarn Hows

Tarn Hows is one of the Lake District’s most popular beauty spots, attracting over half a million visitors each year. This scenic location boasts beautiful views over Helvellyn, Wetherlam and the Langdale Pikes and is well worth a visit during your camping, glamping or caravan holiday at Park Cliffe.

Circular family friendly walk

A trip to Tarn Hows is one of our favourite days out in the Lake District and a good place to visit with family, young and old. The path around the tarn is wide and level for most of the route. This provides easy access for wheelchairs, buggy’s, bikes and prams. In total, the circular walk is approximately 1.5 miles long and should take around and hour to complete. It could take longer if you make plenty of stops to photograph the spectacular scenery! Along the way you’ll be treated to magnificent views in every direction. Hopefully you’ll also catch a glimpse of rare Belted Galloway cattle and Herdwick sheep grazing on the surrounding fells.

The National Trust have produced a handy map and directions, which you should take a look at ahead of your visit. Tarn Hows is dog friendly so your four legged friend can come too!

Interesting history

Tarn Hows is not a ‘typical’ Lake District Tarn. It is made up of three tarns (Low, Middle and High Tarn), which were connected sometime in the nineteenth century. It is also surrounded by plenty of conifers, which is unusual for the Lake District.

A series of valley and basin mires feed the northern end and are drained by Tom Gill. Tom Gill comes down over several small waterfalls to Glen Mary bridge. This bridge was named by John Ruskin who felt that Tom Gill should have a more ‘picturesque’ name and so named the area ‘Glen Mary’.

Tarn Hows and the surrounding land was put up for sale by the Marshall family in 1930 and bought by Beatrix Potter (for £15,000 for the 4000 acres). Potter then sold the half that contained Tarn Hows to the National Trust and left the rest of the land to the National Trust in her will.

Directions

Tarn Hows is just 30 minutes drive from Park Cliffe Caravan and Camping Park, in between and Hawkshead and Coniston.

Post code for SatNav: LA22 0PP