Blea Tarn - The Victim of Its Own Beauty??
'I'm never coming here again' I said to myself as I stood on the shoreline of Blea Tarn....one of the most iconic and beautiful views one could ever see in the UK. It was a sad affair, a place of such beauty shouldn't look or be treated like this. Tents and deck chairs everywhere, towels hanging from trees, the hint of smoke drifting across the tarn from the dying embers of camp fires and barbeques, litter and beer cans carelessly discarded, trees cut down to fuel the fire pits which scorching the ground..it was a sorry sight indeed. This was the summer of 2022 and while I have visited on occasion, it has been a location that I've actively avoided since then. Yes, the utter disregard of the place by a minority of visitors is one reason, but also its sheer popularity. The last visit I was stood with at least 10 other photographers, wild campers in the woods and wild swimmers taking a morning dip. Now I love that people are enjoying the outdoors and I do enjoy meeting and chatting to folk, however what I don't enjoy is being restricted in my photography and I was increasingly finding this and it was hampering my enjoyment. So, regrettably it meant I had to stay clear. The place had just become far too popular.
Blea Tarn B&W Contrasts - Even on a moody day this place is simply stunning.
Fast forward to 2026. I've always enjoyed being up on a fell opposed to by the shore. However my rickety old body has had other ideas recently with a bit of a dodgy calf muscle which has kept me from hiking. Walking was off the agenda but photography certainly wouldn't be, so I started visiting locations that have had greater accessibility, one of these being the afore mentioned Blea Tarn. With a car park literally 1 minute walk from the Tarn it was a perfect choice with my ailments. I had been up on Birk Knott, a short hike up to a little lump which sits handsomely above Blea Tarn and offers a spectacular view over the Tarn and surrounding fells. Once the light had gone, I decided to head down to the tarn for curiosity sake and not really to get the camera out. Well I found a nice composition I quite liked, so I set up and hoped the sky might pop...well it didn't, sadly, but it did stir something in me. It was lovely and quiet, the tarn was flat calm and produced stunning reflections...it reminded me of its beauty. No shot on this occasion, but the composition was stored in the memory banks for another time. This was a week later, however, again luck was against me. The water levels had dropped dramatically and the weather conditions weren't in my favour. However I did come away with a nice Black and White image....so not all was lost.
Blea Beauty - The shot I was after. 4th time lucky and time well spent.
After a week of unsettled weather and a bit more rain, I decided to go back again, hoping the water levels had risen and the weather would play ball. I arrived to perfect water levels and reflections, but again fortune wasn't with me as the thick cloud cut out all light and the promise of a colourful sunset. I did however have the place to myself apart from witnessing a marriage proposal which I assume was a 'YES' by the enthusiastic hugging and kissing. It was wonderful to see and illustrated that this place is and will always be special to many people. After this, I whipped off my socks and immersed my feet in the cool water of the tarn and just took in scene, no sunset...no problem...just me and the ducks. It was just wonderful sitting and admiring the view and it is a spectacular one.....there is no doubting this. I can see why it is so popular.....why wouldn't it be?? Well, empty handed off I went again. Two days later and the 4th visit in a matter of weeks I made my return and this time I managed to get what I was after. Water levels, light and not a wild camper insight....this is what its all about. I was joined by a wild swimmer and a handful of other photographers, but I decided to not be so miserable and just embrace it....as everybody there was rightfully respecting and enjoying the place.
Blea Calm - The sun dips and starts to light the hazy clouds.
There is no doubting that Blea Tarn is a wonderful place, its iconic, its a destination people want to visit and there is nothing wrong with this. If used and treated responsibly, as it should be, its a stunning place and is welcome to be visited, photographed, swam and paddled by all. I think for me what has ruined the experience is the anti social behaviour. The wanton disregard for our outside spaces has become a problem and continues to be, this is a minority but that minority has the power to ruin it for the ones who treat it with respect. This isn't anything new, this has been happening for years, but covid and the growth of social media has played a major role in increasing awareness of the great outdoors. Again, not all people on social media promote the anti social element, in fact majority fight back and promote responsibility, but there is again a minority that do encourage this anti social behaviour and that is sad to see. People's attitudes seem to have certainly changed. Anyway, this is another conversation and one that isn't going to be solved quickly. I actually really enjoyed my visits over the last few weeks, I rediscovered Blea Tarns sheer beauty, I witnessed people enjoying it and making memories there and thats a powerful thing. I think for me, I just need to choose my times to visit the more popular locations and just enjoy them for what they are.....and maybe not be so much of a grumpy git.
Tim