The Fishy Tale of Bowscale Tarn

The short but stunningly beautiful Lake District walk from the hamlet of Bowscale, in the North of the Lake District, up to Bowscale Tarn, which sits below the summit of Bowscale Fell in the Northern Lake District. Following in the footsteps, or rather, pony trekking steps, of Victorian gentlefolk to discover the secrets beneath the waters of Bowscale Tarn.

Victorian tourists enjoyed visiting Bowscale Tarn to absorb the moody atmosphere of the Tarn and possibly catch a glimpse of the immortal fish, made famous by the poet William Wordsworth in his poem 'The Feast of Brougham Castle'. The tourists did not climb the fell, but ascended from the hamlet of Bowscale via pony, guided by local guides, most of whom were farmers The money the farmers charged for the pny trekking trips supplemented their meagre incomes from farming.

The pony trekking path from Bowscale to Bowscale Tarn still exists, and is used by Lake District walkers to make the journey to the tarn.