Stickle Tarn, with Pavey Ark to the right
A prime piece of Lake District real estate has been put up for sale by the national park’s authority.
Stickle Tarn, in the shadow of Pavey Ark and Jack’s Rake, has been placed on the market by park bosses.
Agents acting for the national park authority have put a guide price of between £20,000 and £30,000 for the tarn, which is actually a reservoir formerly used to supply the Elterwater Gunpowder Works.
Michael C L Hodgson of Kendal describes the property as an ‘iconic, simply majestic, stunning tarn’. The property, which covers a total of 9.8ha (24.2 acres), includes a strip of land around the water.
Access, the agents said, is via Stickle Ghyll from the Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.
Their property description says: “Stickle Tarn is located in one of the most spectacular areas of the Lake District.
“The tarn itself extends to about 24.23 acres is surrounded by the wonderful Langdale Pikes with magnificent views across Langdale and beyond.
“Built as the water supply for the old Elterwater Gunpowder Works the tarn is still used as a water supply. The original water level was raised by a damn, and the regulations of the Reservoirs Act 1974 apply.
“The sale includes a strip of land surrounding the tarn. The whole area is a part of the Langdale Pikes [site of special scientific interest] and surrounded by common land.”
The estate agents warn anyone wanting to view the property should be properly kitted out.
“Conditions can be difficult under foot and potential buyers should ensure that they are properly equipped. The walk can take in excess of an hour.
“The land may be viewed at any reasonable time during daylight hours.”
Agents say the sellers will not be obliged to highest offer. The sale will be by tender with a closing date of 12 March.
As well as being a SSSI, the tarn is also subject to the open access land provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. It lies on popular ascent routes from Great Langdale to Pavey Ark, Sergeant Man and Thunacar Knott. In volume three of his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, Alfred Wainwright said: “Stickle Tarn is a place of popular resort, and on most summer days it is only necessary to follow the crowds.”
The tarn is overlooked by the crags of Pavey Ark, including the grade-one scrambling route Jack’s Rake, which has been the site of several fatal falls in recent years.
Potential buyers will have to fill in a questionnaire on their intentions and aspirations for the future of woodland on the land.
The agents added: “The monitoring and maintenance of the damn [sic] is subject to the regulations of the Reservoirs Act 1974.” Any new owner will also have to maintain walls and fences on the site.
Grough was unable to contact the national park authority at the time of posting.
Simon Withey
06 February 2015It is estimated by the National Psrk that over 1 million visitors use the footpath commonly known as Stickler Ghyll, but is actually called Mill Beck. It is one of the most used footpaths in Europe. Can anyone tell me why the National Park needs to sell off an asset when they have spent s huge amount of money building a hydro scheme in Mill Beck? It does not make any sense. Saying that it might go towards one of their brighter ideas of building a cable car up to Claife Heights on the west side of Windermere. The mind boggles. Combind this with building Sainsburys only 7 miles away in Ambleside and allowing a national hotel chain to build in Ambleside it seems to me that this authority has lost all sense of proportion. UNESCO will never award World Heritage Status now. Lots of money spent by district councils have gone to waste.
MSP
11 February 2015I have seen quite a few details of what new "owners" will not be allowed to do. The big question is what will they be allowed to do that would encourage them to buy it? Where money is concerned, things that don't initially look like the thin ends of wedges have a funny habit of turning into exactly that.
Callo Drin
27 February 2015Only £30k? They're nuts. Even if there's 100k of hidden costs in maintaining the dam it's a steal. This is Stickle Tarn we're talking about! My bid's going in this weekend, but I'm sure some rich guy will pay ten times what I bid.
Stephen Clothier
11 March 2015I cannot begin to understand how a piece of common land can be resold to a private bidder by an Authority that was established to look after that common land. Can someone tell me what the legal basis is?
Although the land is probably protected for its longstanding purpose, this autocratic privatisation of chunks of British heritage is the beginning of an idealogical slide which could result in a lot of other prime areas being privatised (in the interest of short term economics) and in some cases developed.
I find it a mind-boggling development.