Talkin Tarn - with four seasons in one day!

Today, we visited Talkin Tarn near Brampton in NE Cumbria.

This place brings memories back of my attempt 22 years ago to walk around it 36 times making a 50-mile walk (for some reason our school was obsessed with the Kennedy Challenge) - we had started at 6am on midsummers day and I had a rest at 1am after completing 29 laps - and never started again. I can't believe now that three boys in our year actually ran it! (they later joined the marines) I have a vivid memory of crying in the car all the way home... after stubbing my toes on what felt like every tree root on the path...

Anyway the tarn (1.3 miles perimeter) is now part of a country park area managed by Carlisle City Council, and they have made a lot of improvements including relaid paths and a shiney new toilet block!

The weather today was predicted to be mixed - it was very windy already hence quite changeable. After completing a lap we visited the tearoom and bird/squirrel feeding area, where I saw a red squirrel happily eating alongside robins, blue tits and chaffinches. While having our tea the sky went black and the heavens opened - with snow! Or was it hail; perhaps a mixture.

So I fed my crusts to the ducks and we headed back to the car.

Links:

Visit Cumbria

BBC Walking Page

Another Walk

Visit Northwest

Pictures of England

360 Panorama