Malham Tarn | |
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![]() A view of the north-east corner of Malham Tarn | |
![]() Malham Tarn shown within North Yorkshire | |
Location | Yorkshire Dales, England |
Coordinates | 54°05′45″N 2°10′0″W / 54.09583°N 2.16667°W |
Type | Glacial |
Catchment area | 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) |
Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Surface area | 0.62 km2 (0.24 sq mi) |
Average depth | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
Max. depth | 4.4 m (14 ft) |
Residence time | 11 weeks |
Surface elevation | 377 m (1,237 ft) |
Designated | 28 October 1993 |
Reference no. | 634[1] |
Malham Tarn is a glacial lake near the village of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, England. The lake is one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe. At an altitude of 377 metres (1,237 ft) above sea level it is the highest marl lake in the United Kingdom.[2] Its geology, flora and fauna have led to it being listed under a number of conservation designations. The site is currently owned by the National Trust, who used to lease part of the site to the Field Studies Council but this closed as a field centre in 2022.[3] The site was the inspiration for Charles Kingsley's 1863 novel The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby.