Malham Tarn DCNN 4017 – Gone for all the wrong reasons.

54.0999 -2.16381 Met Office Assessed CIMO Class 4 Installed 1/1/1949 closed sometime recently

Malham Tarn is probably the epitome of North Yorkshire – one of God’s own country’s finest points. The weather station was established, like very many others, to record weather conditions for transport and communications purposes in relatively extreme locations. The roads around Malham are notoriously treacherous at times of the year – but that doesn’t seem to deter the local motor cyclists who “enjoy” the odd burn up around there!

I started reviewing this site only to discover that it was recently closed for quoted reasons that seemed unusual if not improbable

Malham Tarn is a glacial lake at 381 metres amsl. Whilst it is reasonable to say its unique status means the weather station can only be representative of its own distinct locality that certainly does not make the site’s data worthless. The temperature readings ceased on 12/8/2022 but it appears that rain gauge readings have continued. The Field Studies Council managed the weather station whilst the overall site is owned by the National Trust. The FSC felt their operation there was no longer financially viable given the protection constraints on the site imposed by National Trust.

“Changes in customer needs and at the location itself made the centre no longer viable for our charity. The understandable need to protect such a rare environment meant that access to the Tarn became increasingly restricted, disappointing some of our learners. Options to grow and develop our business were likewise restricted. Unreliable water supplies and sometimes no water at all meant that visitors had to relocate at short notice.  In 2022 we closed to visitors.”

Somewhat odd to quote a lack of water supply by a glacial lake but there must be reasons. The weather station effectively closed down when the FSC vacated the site.

This is the view of the beautiful weather station setting from the FSC Facebook page.

It seems somewhat odd for the Met Office to have accepted closure of the manually reporting site rather than automating this site which has a 75 year continuous history. This is especially curious given the “Climate Change” effects that the National Trust claimed for this immediate area.

Those highly qualified “experts” at the National Trust claimed

“AN 18th century barn at Malham Tarn is a casualty of climate change and has collapsed as a result of soil shrinkage, the National Trust has said.

The Trust has created a mapping tool to outline the threats and ‘worst case’ climate impacts on heritage and landscapes across the country by drawing up a “game changer” climate change map plotting areas where they may be possible threats.”

So it didn’t collapse due to being 300 years old and quite possibly improperly maintained by its custodians the National Trust?

Perhaps these “experts” at the National Trust should restrict themselves to preserving the fabric of the buildings entrusted to them instead of making such ill informed pronouncements (bordering on propaganda) regarding issues they clearly have no understanding of. And just perhaps they could have taken on the continuation of the weather station within their own estate if they were so concerned about “Climate Change” and its effects. Or are they not concerned with real world data?

Source: https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2024/11/07/malham-tarn-dcnn-4017-gone-for-all-the-wrong-reasons/