Easedale Tarn
Encyclopedia
Easedale Tarn is a tarn
in the centre of the English Lake District
, about two miles west of the village of Grasmere
. It lies in a hollow between Tarn Crag
to the north and Blea Rigg
to the south, about 910 feet or 280 metres above sea level. The hollow was formed by a small corrie glacier, which 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 480 metres long and 300 metres wide. Its outflow is Sourmilk Gill, named after the milky white colour of its waterfalls, which runs east towards Grasmere. The gill
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.
NB Most walking sites recommend that the circular walk is done in the opposite direction from that recommended on this site.
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
in the centre of the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, about two miles west of the village of Grasmere
Grasmere
Grasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
. It lies in a hollow between Tarn Crag
Tarn Crag
Tarn Crag, may refer to a number of hills in the English Lake District:*Tarn Crag - near Grasmere*Tarn Crag - near Longsleddale...
to the north and Blea Rigg
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...
to the south, about 910 feet or 280 metres above sea level. The hollow was formed by a small corrie glacier, which 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 480 metres long and 300 metres wide. Its outflow is Sourmilk Gill, named after the milky white colour of its waterfalls, which runs east towards Grasmere. The gill
Gill (stream)
Ghyll or Gill is used for a stream or narrow valley in the North of England and other parts of the United Kingdom. The word originates from the Old Norse Gil...
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.
External links
NB Most walking sites recommend that the circular walk is done in the opposite direction from that recommended on this site.