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Bleaberry Tarn, Buttermere
runs into:-    Sour Milk Gill
Bleaberry Tarn
civil parish:-   Buttermere (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   tarn
coordinates:-   NY16591544 (etc) 
1Km square:-   NY1615
10Km square:-   NY11
altitude:-   1621 feet
altitude:-   494m

photograph
BVH08.jpg (taken 17.8.2011)  
photograph
 Click to enlarge
BVQ04.jpg (taken 1.11.2011)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 69 10) 
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   perhaps old map:- Saxton 1579
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.
image
Sax9NY11.jpg
item:-  private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   possibly old map:- Mercator 1595 (edn?) 
placename:-  
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Northumbria, Cumberlandia, et Dunelmensis Episcopatus, ie Northumberland, Cumberland and Durham etc, scale about 6.5 miles to 1 inch, by Gerard Mercator, Duisberg, Germany, about 1595.
image
MER8CumE.jpg
""
outline, coast shaded, tinted blue; lake 
item:-  JandMN : 169
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old map:- Speed 1611 (Cmd) 
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile Described, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, 1610, published by J Sudbury and George Humble, Popes Head Alley, London, 1611-12.
image
SP11NY11.jpg
outline, shaded, oversize 
item:-  private collection : 16
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old map:- Jansson 1646
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.
image
JAN3NY11.jpg
Outline with shore shaded, dotted area. 
item:-  JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   probably old map:- Morden 1695 (Cmd) 
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695-1715.
image
MD12NY11.jpg
Outline with shore shading. 
item:-  JandMN : 90
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Gents Mag 1751
placename:-  Bleeby Tarn
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Black Lead Mines in Cumberland, and area, scale about 2 miles to 1 inch, by George Smith, published in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1751.
image
GM1306.jpg
"Bleeby Tarn"
outline with form lines; lake 
item:-  JandMN : 114
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.
image
BO18NY11.jpg
outline with form lines 
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NY11NE.jpg
"Bleaberry Tarn"
lake 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P131, button  goto source
Page 131:-  "... large hollow craters scooped in their bosoms, once the seeming seats of raging liquid fire, though at present overflowing with the purest water, that foams down the craggy brows; ..."
image WS21P134, button  goto source
Page 134:-  "... Four spiral towering mountains, ... The more southern is, by the dalesmen, from its form, called Hay-rick; the more pyramidal High-crag; the third High-style; and the fourth, from its ferruginous colour, Red-pike. Between the second and third there is a large crater, that, from the parched colour of the conical mountains,"
image WS21P135, button  goto source
Page 135:-  "in whose bosom it is formed, appears to have been the focus of a volcano, in some distant period of time, when the cones were produced by explosion. At present it is the reservoir of water, that feeds the roaring cataract you see in the descent to Buttermere. Here all is barrenness, solitude, and silence, only interrupted by the murmurs of a rill, that runs unseen in the bottom of a deep dell. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Crosthwaite 1783-94 (But/Cru/Low) 
placename:-  Blebba Tarn
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, An Accurate Map of Buttermere, Crummock and Loweswater Lakes, scale about 3 inches to 1 mile, by Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, Cumberland, 1794, version published 1800.
image
CT8NY11S.jpg
"Blebba Tarn"
Drawn detached from the river, indicating it is further off? 
item:-  Armitt Library : 1959.191.2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
placename:-  Burtness Tarn
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P039, button  goto source
Page 39:-  "[Burt]ness Tarn, or Bleaberry Tarn, lies of the south-west side of Buttermere, in a recess between High Stile and Red Pike; its stream forms the cataract called Sour-milk gill. ..."
"..."
image OT01P126, button  goto source
Page 126:-  "... three adjoining summits are called High-crag, High-stile, and Red-pike. ... between the second and third lies Burtness Tarn."
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NY11.jpg
"Bleaberry T."
outline with shore form lines, lake or tarn 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
placename:-  Burtness Tarn
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P133, button  goto source
Page 133:-  "... Sourmilk Ghyll ... issues from Bleaberry, or Burtness Tarn, on the side of Red Pike. ..."
evidence:-   outline view:- Black 1856
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Print, lithograph, Outline Views, Buttermere - Mountains as seen from the Knots near the Hotel at Buttermere, and Mountains as seen at the Seat in Lanthwaite Wood, Scale Hill, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, Lothian, about 1900.
image  click to enlarge
BC08E5.jpg
"... 10 Bleaberry Tarn ... 11 Situation of Bleaberry Tarn ..."
item:-  JandMN : 37.19
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   outline view:- Black 1841 (3rd edn 1846) 
placename:-  Bleaberry Tarn
source data:-   Print, engraving, outline view, Mountains as seen from The Knots near the Victoria at Buttermere, and Mountains as seen at the Seat in Lanthwaite Wood, Scale Hill, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, Lothian, about 1846.
image  click to enlarge
BC02E7.jpg
"... 10 Bleaberry Tarn ... 11 Situation of Bleaberry Tarn ..."
item:-  JandMN : 32.11
Image © see bottom of page

photograph
BVH09.jpg (taken 17.8.2011)  
photograph
BPA54.jpg (taken 16.4.2008)  
photograph
 Click to enlarge
BVQ05.jpg  Hills behind; High Stile, Chapel Crags, Red Pike.
(taken 1.11.2011)  
The tarn sits in a cirque, with what looks like another cirque above it.
notes:-  
 Nancy Price:-
"Lonely Bleaberry Tarn seems to be floating detached as if surprised to find itself so high up instaed of in a comfortable valley. It seems to dislike the wind that turns its surface into gooseflesh,and it is always shivering, even in the sun."

Baron 1925
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