**

Birk Crag, Harrop Tarn and Blea Tarn

NOTE: Dobgil car park is closed as is the middle part of the west Thirlmere road. You may be able to walk along the road from Steel End car park, which is open.

Harrop Tarn is blessed by a number of interesting routes to its quiet and remote feeling shore. Two are direct, here we offer another. A steep, but easy grass rake, with a good view of the Binka Stone, and lots of mature juniper bushes. The top of Birk Crag has fantastic views of Thirlmere and across to the Helvellyn massif.

Harrop Tarn is a classic glacial tarn in a high corrie with the impressive Tarn Crags around its south west shores. Its water comes from the Ullscarf catchment area above bringing with it much sediment which is gradually silting up the tarn as shown by the great swaths of sedge grass around its edge. At best it is only 4m (4 yards) deep. The outfall drops north west down Dob Gill to reach Thirlmere reservoir.

Blea Tarn lies just over the central ridge in a hollow below the less imposing crags of Coldbarrow Fell. Its source is again part of the great peaty Ullscarf catchment. Here though the tarn is much deeper: 13m (14 yards), at a height of 476m (524 yards). The bridleway from Watendlath to Blea Tarn is notoriously boggy, our walk here perhaps drier gives a gentle introduction to the 'delights' of this area.

Park at the United Utilities Dobgill pay and display car park.