New lease of life for park's historic tarn

An historic hidden tarn on a Cumbrian holiday park is once again brimming with aquatic life, 10 years after botanist David Bellamy made an urgent plea for its restoration.

Hidden deep in woodlands, Slew Tarn at Skelwith Fold caravan park in Ambleside had become badly choked with weeds. It appeared to be beyond reclamation.

On a visit in 2005, conservationist David Bellamy declared the spring-fed tarn an important ecological feature and urged restoration.

Environmental departments from the universities of both Cumbria and Lancaster then carried out surveys.

Their positive findings on its chances of recovery prompted an extensive clean-out operation.

Now, after completion of the project, the tarn’s waters are once again crystal-clear, and abound with wildlife including kingfishers, dragonflies, newts and water lilies.

As Bellamy's son Rufus discovered when he visited recently, the tarn is also once again recognisable as one of the locations used for shooting scenes in the 1974 film version of Swallows and Amazons.

The final chapter in Slew Tarn's new lease of life was written this summer when a forest track was created around most of its edge. It means that park guests can explore the tarn on foot, bicycle or mobility scooters.

More details from skelwith.com

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