Blea Tarn
I have had this location in the back of my mind for some time now, a popular lake district photography destination near Ambleside. When free time comes around I normally head out on more wildlife centred trips and even en route to and from my many Scotland trips i have had a little look on google maps to see how much of a diversion it is but it has never fit in with any plans.
I visited Windermere in January for my best friends wedding and so when I saw that Blea Tarn was only 30 minutes from our hotel it was immediately planned into the day we were heading home.
Despite poor weather for weeks leading up to this point, there was a small window of opportunity where the rain was due to be interspersed with sunny spells. I therefore planned to get into position, set up the composition I wanted and simply wait for the light….despite a few battles with wind and rain and having to wipe the front of the lens a few times, a few patches of light did appear on the mountain backdrop.
The water levels were very high due to the amount of rainfall over the previous days and weeks, the base of the fence leading into the lake is usually visible resting on some rocks, whereas in my images you can’t even see the rocks! The stream leading from here and others in the area were also very full and fast flowing, allowing some nice opportunities to capture some images. It was also a thrill to see a hunting Peregrine Falcon circling above!
There is an official car park here, with a pay and display meter (cash only) but free for members of the national trust. Just a 5 minute walk brings you to the famous fence reaching out into the waters of Blea Tarn. The mountains in the background looking stunning when the light hits them!
The surrounding area is also stunning - it is the lake district! Just behind where the famous fence is you can venture out into more hills and valleys with more streams and cascades. Today the streams were more like rivers they were that full and fast flowing! As the expected rain clouds gathered again I made my way back to the car and headed home. I am pleased to have finally visited this stunning location and already thinking about fitting more visits to the Lakes into my plans…