Attractive tarn and surroundings with rowing boats to hire during the summer and easy going walks to enjoy either around the shoreline or in amongst the conifer forest.

Walking the dog, feeding the ducks, rowing a boat and stopping for an ice cream at the boat house.

In Brampton, which is a small market town, you can find accommodation in the Hotel's.

For more details use one of the links here. Simply enter the name of this lake, village or town into the web site search window that appears. Hotels and Guest Houses Youth Hostels for Families etc

From the A69, you need to come off at the sign for Brampton. As you enter Brampton from the Carlisle side you will notice a "T" junction and slight hill on your right. A church is situated just off the side road - head up and around this road which takes you into the small town centre of this market town. Follow the road around and take the B6413 for Talkin Tarn. Just four miles along and you go over a railway crossing. About a half mile further will be a small and insignificant sign on your left for Talkin Tarn.

Clickable map! >
Cumbria County Council
Warden Permission Required.
Disabled divers will find access is easier than other sites.
Dog walking and duck feeding around this tarn is the order of the day.

But before you get into Talkin tarn you may want to check on the spooky side first !

This tarn is full of freshwater life. Heaps of oxygenating weeds that measure 3 metres in length, Perch and big Pike everywhere, although the Pike are shy. Also, a fast finning fish that appears to be Dace. Have any anglers caught one of these? - please tell me what it is.

Apart from the fish life, diving this shallow tarn will give you time to hunt down wrecks! Sunken radio controlled ships to be fair, but in the 1980s, Carlisle Airport and talkin Tarn had an unexpected shock when a trainee helicopter pilot crashed in his chopper in this tarn.

Not the best site for Disabled Divers. Poor Viz and heavy weed in areas.

Maximum depth is 8.3 metres in this tarn unless you can somehow break this record. Once again, back in the 1960s/70s it was claimed that she was bottomless. They even had a deep sea sub planned to take the trip to discover the bottom but this was just a publicity stunt.

Torches: Advisable because although shallow, visibility suffers from peat water running into this tarn. Expect the lights to be reddish in this one.

Thermoclines: None observed.

If new to freshwater diving: then this is not the best place to start. Heavy oxygenating weed infestation is a pain at times. Poor visibility too and having finished your dive, do take a look at the uprooted weeds floating on the surface! You will come out looking like "The Thing from the bog".

Red Fox Carlisle based. Air compressor location. unknown
Carlisle Sub Aqua Carlisle based. Air compressor at Carlisle.

Kendal + Lakes: branch is based at Kendal Leisure Centre.

For more details see "Dive Clubs & Air" page.

Visibility: 2 + metres.

Temperature range is 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.

Visibility: improves to 3 + metres.

Temperature range is 4 degrees above zero.

Mobile phones do work in the dive area.

Public phones: Public phone by the Cafe/Boat house.

For the latest on the weather: "Scuba Weather Report"

Nearest toilet: just behind the cafe/boat house.

A good basic cafe and a restaurant above, make for a pleasant visit for the family not diving. The small sandy beach areas are man-made with a number of walks to enjoy around the tarn shorline or amongst the woods.

For Angling or Canoeing contact relevant agency - see links page for non divers.

No powered boats (RiBs etc) allowed on lake. other than Tarn rescue craft.

Carlisle City Council have now taken over the running of Talkin Tarn.
Warden is: Katherine.
The person refered to as the "Tarn attendant" Mobile no. is 07976062153. (Katherine?)

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