

Talkin Tarn Country Park
Talkin Tarn Country Park, close to the historic market town of
Brampton, nestles in a 165 acre site, containing a glacial tarn
surrounded by mature woodland and gentle meadows with the stunning
Pennine Hills as a backdrop.
The Tarn has a 1.3 mile circular path that is ideal for a gentle
stroll. This path is hard surfaced and accessible to all. There are
also three way marked trails of varying lengths; 1.5km, 2.5km and
3.5km starting from the car park and on into woods and fields.
The boathouse has been renovated to incorporate the Tearoom and
Gift shop. The whole building has full disabled access including a
lift.
A permanent orienteering course and numeracy trail are available
for self led activities. The park is an ideal location to bring
your class for a day of environmental education activities.
Equipment can be borrowed from the site office and the staff will
be happy to help give you some ideas for activities.
Please note that rowing boats are not available for hire
until further notice.
Talkin Tarn footpath diversion
A public path diversion order has been made to divert the
legal route of a footpath at Talkin Tarn (though the
actual route on the ground will not change). Please
see the downloadable documents section of the road closures and diversions page for
details.
Bookings for the Alex Boathouse Exhibition Area
The Alex Boathouse is available for local crafts people to hire
in order to sell and exhibit their products. For more
information contact the Tearoom Manager on 016977 41050 or heatherth@carlisle.gov.uk
Bookings for the Alex Boathouse in 2014 will be open from April
15th until May 15th 2013. A maximum of
two weeks can be booked. If any space is still available after May
15th then bookings will be taken on a first come first
served basis.
Please make your reservations by e mail only
from midnight on April 15th .
A long history
The Tarn has traditionally been used for recreation since at
least the middle of the 1800's. It was a popular destination for
Victorians from Brampton and Carlisle and accessed by train from
the North East. The wrestling ring, bathing house and boathouses,
which existed then, were all well used. Find out more about the
History of Talkin Tarn.
About the management
Managing Talkin Tarn Country Park is all about finding a good
balance between the needs of the wildlife and the needs of the
visitors. This beauty that we have in and around Talkin Tarn is
largely the result of man's management, particularly farming, and
to keep this beauty that everyone cherishes so much we must
continue to manage it carefully and sensitively.
Educational development is key, as are efforts to reduce CO2
emissions into the atmosphere by using environmentally friendly
energy sources.
Carlisle City Council took over the management of Talkin Tarn
Country Park in April 2006 and has invested £1 million to upgrade
the existing facilities to ensure they comply with the Disability
Discrimination Act and health & safety regulations. The
development work promotes a Cleaner, Greener & Safer
environment and uses materials in keeping with the local
surroundings.
Natural England Country Parks Accreditation
We are very pleased to have been awarded
Country Parks Accreditation (external link) by Natural
England.
This shows that we provide the facilities and services expected
of Country Parks. Not all sites calling themselves country
parks currently deliver all the facilities and services expected of
them.
Country Parks were established as a result of the 1968
Countryside Act and there are currently more than 400 sites that
call themselves Country Parks in England. They are visited by over
70 million visitors a year.