Easedale Tarn is a
tarn in the centre of the English
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
, about two miles west of the village of
Grasmere. It lies in a hollow between
Tarn Crag to the north and
Blea Rigg
Blea Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District, lying between the valleys of Easedale and Great Langdale. One of the Central Fells, it is a broad plateau with a succession of rocky tops. Many routes of ascent are possible, beginning either fr ...
to the south, about 910 feet or 280 metres above sea level. The hollow was formed by a small
corrie glacier, and is believed to have filled with water around 11,000 years ago when the ice finished melting.
Easedale Tarn is one of the larger tarns in the district, about long and wide. Its outflow is Sourmilk Gill, named after the milky white colour of its waterfalls, which runs east towards Grasmere. The
gill
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...
displays impressive water scenery when seen from Grasmere, and from the path to the tarn.
The tarn is a popular destination for walkers. Many people climb the path from Grasmere which overlooks Sourmilk Gill. The ascent was popular during the Victorian period, and a refreshment hut was even established in the 19th century by Robert Hayton of Grasmere above the outlet of the tarn to service the thirsty visitors. The hut is long gone, and nettles now grow where the ruins used to be.
[Wainwright, A., A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book 3, Francis Lincoln, 2007.]
References
External links
Lake District Walks - Easedale Tarn Walks Near Grasmere
''historical sources including pictures''
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Lakes of the Lake District
South Lakeland District