Blea Tarn

by Pat Holt

Have you ever watched Countryfile – the BBC’s long-running TV series about the British countryside?If so, you will know that the programme usually opens with a breathtaking sequence of aerial shots, mostly taken in the Lake District. Alan and I used to watch this each Sunday, and I invariably gasped at the sight of a lone swimmer making his way across a beautiful lake. There were no other people to be seen; no boats, no buildings, just a perfectly unspoilt tarn, surrounded by mountains.

Every week, I said how wonderful it would be to swim in this glittering expanse of calm water. Each time, Alan nodded patiently, knowing how much I love wild swimming.

Early in 2014, in response to viewers’ requests, the Countryfile team decided to reveal the names of the locations used for the opening credits. So at last we knew the name of the lake: Blea Tarn, in a remote area just off the Langdale Valley.

Fast forward to 30 June 2014, and we were in the Lake District, staying at Rosthwaite in Borrowdale.

With some difficulty, Alan had planned a visit to Blea Tarn.

We were up at 5am and by 6.45 we were on our way by taxi to Keswick, where we caught a bus to Grasmere. There we met another taxi driver, who took us along miles of steep, narrow, winding lanes. He remembered the crew making the Countryfile film sequence and knew the area in detail, so he was able to leave us at the roadside in an out-of-the-way spot, quite close to the tarn.

It was still early in the morning and there was no-one else around. Bees were buzzing among the wild flowers, in the warm sunshine. Blea Tarn was still, quiet and even more lovely than on TV. We were both delighted.

Hastily, I changed into my swimwear, and struggled barefoot across the sharp shingle at the water’s edge. Before long, I was swimming out to the middle of the lake. I could hardly believe this was really happening. Alan was laughing, taking pictures and movies too.

The water was cool and the gleaming surface held a perfect reflection of the Langdale crags and the blue sky. The only ripples were the ones I made myself.

Alan had literally made my dream come true! This is one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever been given.

We were reluctant to leave this gorgeous place, but eventually we headed back to Borrowdale, crossing Stake Pass and walking along Langstrath Dale – an energetic walk of about ten miles.

I will always look back at this day as one of the best of my life.