Keighley Tarn
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| Keighley Tarn | |
|---|---|
| Redcar Tarn | |
 Jetty, Redcar Tarn | |
| Location | Keighley, West Yorkshire |
| Coordinates | 53°52′37″N 1°56′28″W / 53.877°N 1.941°W |
| Type | Tarn |
| Basin countries | England |
| Surface area | 2 hectares (4.9 acres) |
| Average depth | 3.6 metres (12 ft) |
| Water volume | 73,464 cubic metres (2,594,400 cu ft) |
| Surface elevation | 287 metres (942 ft) |
| References | [1] |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Keighley Tarn | |
Keighley Tarn, also known as Redcar Tarn,[2] is an upland lake 1.2 miles (2 km) north-west of Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. The site is popular with bird-watchers, model boat hobbyists and star-gazers. The tarn also is maintained by Bradford Council as a nature reserve.
Keighley Tarn is noted for being one of several small lakes in the Aire Valley, with Malham Tarn being recognised as the biggest, and Eshton tarn the smallest; the tarns at Bog Lane, Skipton and Sea Moor near Silsden have been lost.[3] The surrounding bedrock is in the Millstone Grit series, and consists of a type of siltstone mixed with sandstone that is known locally as Keighley Bluestone,[4][5] which was much used locally as a road surfacing stone.[6] The tarn lies on Blackhill at an altitude of 287 metres (942 ft) above sea level, and some 1.2 miles (2 km) north-west of Keighley town centre.[7][8][9] The tarn covers an area of 2 hectares (4.9 acres) at an average depth of 3.6 metres (12 ft), and has a volume of 73,464 cubic metres (2,594,400 cu ft).[1] The pH value of the water in the tarn has been recorded at 6.9 in 1993.[10]
It is thought that a larger lake existed on the current site of Keighley Tarn during the last glaciation period. Water from this lake overflowed via cutwaters southwards into the valley of the North Beck, a tributary of the River Worth.[11] Until 1865, the tarn was described as being a "swampy marsh", which the local skating club developed into a 2.8-hectare (7-acre) lake and building the clubhouse in 1873.[12] During the 1990s, the tarn was in danger of drying out, but action taken by Bradford Council stopped the tarn from being lost.[13] Bradford Council own and maintain the site as a nature reserve, although Keighley Council have expressed an interest in running the site.[14][15]
The site is a popular location with the local public;[16] when frozen over, the lake has been used for ice-skating, with a particularly cold-spell providing ice that was inches thick. This became a special event locally with local transport running to the site and car-owners using their headlamps so the skating could continue at night.[17] During the summer it is used to host model-boat events, such as the 1966 Roses Regatta model-boat competition between Lancashire and Yorkshire clubs.[18][19][13] The upland locality offers opportunities for observing the night sky.[20]
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