Malham Tarn ~ Easy Walk

 

Distance Covered: 4 miles Time to Complete Walk 2 hours

Suitable for dog walking: No

This part of North Yorkshire always guarantees an amazing walk and this walk is no exception. Starting at Yorkshires largest lake Malham Tarn, you meander through the Malham Tarn estate passing Malham Tarn House and then onto the boardwalks of the nature reserve. Not to mention the limestone cliffs along the way. An amazing walk great for a family day out.

General Safety Tips: It can get cold/windy up at the lake- take some warm clothing. Take car on the road part of the walk.

The Malham Tarn Walk 

Getting There

From Middlesbrough Head onto the A66 towards Darlington and onto the A1M. Turn off onto the A6055 through Catterick Garrison and then follow the A1608 through Bellerby to Leyburn. Take the A684 through Wensley. Head through West Burton on the B6160 to Buckden and take a right turn to Arncliffe. Follow the road up to Malham Moor. Parking is free of charge in the car park just before Malham Tarn.

                                                      Maps of the Malham Tarn walk

The Walk

From the car park head right onto the grassy path to Malham Tarn 

Keep right on the grassy path which moves away from the Tarn and towards a copse and trees.

Head round the trees and head onto a path and through a gate on your left. 

The path soon bends to be beside the tarn and then heads into some woods.

Head through the gate and up the path which soon arrives at Malham Tarn House. Head to the right and there is some interesting diversions including the Orchid House

Head down a path from Tarn House through a limestone passage. There are some interesting sculptures along the way.

Soon you arrive at Malham Tarn Natural Nature Reserve which is highly reccommended. Turn left onto the boardwalk which takes you through the Nature Reserve.

Follow the boardwalks until you come to a bridge and then turn left and follow the boardwalk until you come to the exit onto a path.

Turn left and then leave the path onto the road and follow the road to a junction.

Turn left onto the road which climbs, passing a retreat. Keep on the road until you come to a junction.

Turn left and follow the road back to the car park.

Malham Tarn

Malham Tarn is a glacial lake near the village of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, England. The lake is one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe. At an altitude of 377 metres (1,237 ft) above sea level it is the highest marl lake in the United Kingdom. Its geology, flora and fauna have led to it being listed under a number of conservation designations. The site is currently owned by the National Trust, who used to lease part of the site to the Field Studies Council but this closed as a field centre in 2022. The site was the inspiration for Charles Kingsley's 1863 novel The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby.

Malham Tarn is situated in the Yorkshire Dales, a national park in the Yorkshire Pennines. It lies approximately 25 miles (40 km) north-west of Bradford and about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of the nearest settlement, Malham.

At 377 metres (1,237 ft) above sea level it is sometimes, but erroneously, considered the highest lake in England, but there are lakes at higher altitudes such as Innominate Tarn. It is, however, the highest marl lake in Great Britain The lake is one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe, having a pH between 8.0 and 8.6.The catchment area of the lake is 600 hectares (6.0 km²; 2.3 sq mi) and the main inflow is a stream at the lake's north-west corner. The lake is 4.4 metres (14 ft) at its deepest, with an average depth of 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) and the surface area is 62 hectares (0.62 km²; 0.24 sq mi) It takes approximately 11 weeks for water to leave the lake after it has entered. The primary outflow is a small stream at the southern end of the lake. The outflow stream goes underground after approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) before emerging downstream of Malham Cove as a source of the River Aire.