Blea Tarn, Langdale
 

Blea Tarn is a small intimate sheet of water that one can easily walk around. It is surrounded by grass, bracken, heather and rocky country to each side and to the rear looking down are the Langdale Pikes. It is one of the easiest natural tarns to visit, with plenty of convenient car parking. Some say it is supposed to be the best view in the lakes, but that is a matter of personal taste.

Altitude 600ft  Depth 23ft 

Devoke Water
 

The largest Tarn in the Lake District is situated on the Birker Moor road between Eskdale and Ulpha by way of a bridle track.There is a sense of desolation enhanced by the two storey boathouse-cum-refuge and its ruined stable. The outflow of Devoke Water is from the northwest via a small stream, Black Beck. It flows gently for a short distance before plunging over a rock down a 26ft cascade and away towards the River Esk.
 

Altitude 770ft  Depth 46ft

Red Tarn Helvellyn

Beneath the summit of Helvellyn, enclosed in the arms of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, is Red Tarn, possibly one of the best known tarns in Lakeland.

Red Tarn is fed by a number of streams running down its back wall into the corrie and it flows outward down into Glenridding Beck in the 1800`s the Tarn was dammed with boulders, raising the level of water some eight or nine feet in order to supply power to the lead mines in Glenridding.

Altitude 2,356ft  Depth 82ft

Mockerkin Tarn

The easiest to reach of all the tarns,Mockerkin is situated south of Cockermouth beside the A5086 between Mockerkin and Ullock.The tarn itself is surrounded by lush pasture,but in the distant skyline can be seen Ousen Fell and also,high and further, Knockmurton Pike. It is picturesque both in summer and winter,when with a hard deep penetrating frost the tarn freezes over to form a perfect ice rink.

Altitude 377ft Depth 11 1/2 ft 

Tarn Howes

The most photographed,painted and visited tarn,Tarn Howes,was formed from three natural tarns early this century,when James Marshall of Monk Coniston Hall built a small dam at its southern end. He also planted the spruce and larch that surround the tarn.

The whole property was bought in 1930 by Mrs Healis,better known as Beatrix Potter,who gave it to the National Trust.

Tarn Howes can be approached by car from high cross,or Hawkeshead Hill from the B5285 Coniston to Hawkeshead road.

Altitude 618ft Depth 29 1/2ft

Scoat Tarn, Wastwater

Scoat Tarn (from 'skuti' ancient Norse for projecting crag) is one of several tarns that when approached from below keep their secrets from the visitor until the very last moment.The tarn is only a few hundred feet below the summit-it is strange that such a deep rock basin tarn should be so near the summit and have no steep crag as its back wall, as do so many corrie tarns.

Access to the tarn is via a track that leads from Netherbeck Bridge beside Wastwater which rises steadily upwards,and is full of absorbing interests and delights.

The stream (Netherbeck)emerges from a deep ravine and another half a mile or so up stream there is another deeper one,where the rushing waters crash down to Wastwater

Altitude 1,956ft Depth 65 1/2ft