Tarn Hows
Tarn Hows in the Lake District National Park is one of the most visited and most beloved landscapes in Britain, a tarn set among larch, Scots pine and mixed woodland whose combination of the reflective water, the surrounding trees and the gentle hills creates a scene of such perfect composition it appears almost designed rather than natural. The National Trust manages the surrounding area and the walking circuit of the tarn is one of the most popular short walks in the Lake District. The tarn is in fact partly artificial, created in the late nineteenth century when a landowner dammed several smaller tarns to create the single larger water body visible today. The planting of the surrounding woodland that frames the tarn so perfectly was also part of the Victorian landscape improvement. Beatrix Potter owned the Tarn Hows area as part of her conservation programme and bequeathed it to the National Trust. The Red Squirrel Trust maintains a population of native red squirrels around Tarn Hows and the squirrels can often be observed at feeders near the car park. The combination of the accessible circular walk, the scenic quality and the wildlife interest make Tarn Hows one of the most visited and most consistently appreciated short walks in the Lake District.