Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve

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Overview

A rare natural lake in generally porous Carboniferous limestone country, Malham Tarn is a popular Dales beauty spot nestling in lush upland farming pastures. The NNR also includes rugged moorland, exposed limestone pavement, and hay meadows rich in wildflowers. Malham Tarn NNR is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year, but especially in summer when the wildflowers and dragonflies are in abundance. It is home to a number of rare species, such as bird’s eye primrose, which are remnants from the last Ice Age. The tarn is said to be the highest limestone lake in Britain and is rich in aquatic plants. It is also home to six fish species, white-clawed crayfish, and birdlife includes great crested grebe, moorhen, coot, tufted duck and teal. The adjacent raised bog on Tarn Moss includes plant species such as wild cranberry, bog rosemary, crowberry, round-leaved sundew and bog asphodel.

Features

Opening Times
Open all year

Location

Waterhouses, SETTLE, BD24 9PT

About the area

North Yorkshire, with its two National Parks and two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is England’s largest county and one of the most rural. This is prime walking country, from the heather-clad heights of the North York Moors to the limestone country that is so typical of the Yorkshire Dales – a place of contrasts and discoveries, of history and legend.