I ALMOST turned around and went home again, so annoying is the drive to get to this walk.

But I was really glad I stuck with it - and I was very keen to see the place where water voles - Ratty of Wind in the Willows - have recently been reintroduced into the wild.

Malham Tarn is the highest lake in England, and one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe.

I didn't actually see any water voles, but the little feeding platform was still in place, and I can't imagine they come out with too many people about - of which there were plenty, when I was there. Tarn House, now owned by the National Trust, is the home of the Malham Tarn Field Studies Centre, is fascinating - it was once a hunting lodge and the family of the Morrison family.

There is also a nature reserve, with a bouncy boardwalk through it. There is a strict no dogs, pushchairs or wheelchair rule through the nature reserve - the boardwalk is a little narrow - and there was a field of cattle, including a bull and young calves, so not great for dog walkers.

The car park is free, with donations to the national trust, and the views are quite splendid.

1 From Watersinks car park, and with the road to your left, take the Pennine Way and head towards the tarn. You walk along the edge of the tarn for a bit before heading off to the right and joining the track to Tarn House, off to the left. Enter the Malham Tarn Estate and continue along the track, with Great Close Scar on your right.

2 Continue along the track, with Malham Tarn on your left - pausing to try to spot the water voles - and go through gate into woodland, carry on path to Tarn House. Pass to the side and behind the listed house, also passing Orchid House, on the right, which houses an exhibition about the area.

4 Continue along the track as it leaves Tarn House behind you and goes downhill, with high stone walls either side. Pass an old boat house on left, and an entrance to a bird hide. At Sandhill's Cottage, on the left, take the track into the nature reserve (no dogs, pushchairs or wheelchairs from this point). Take track as it passes Sandhill's Cottage on right and continue onto the broadwalk as is winds its way through the marshy nature reserve. Don't go over the wooden footbridge, which goes off to the left, and bear right to join the track, through a gate. Go left along the track and exit through a gate to join road, bear left to junction and take left fork. Continue along road as it goes uphill, passing High Trenhouse residential management training centre on right. Continue to crossroads and cross over stile, ahead and to left. Cross field, heading towards the smelt mill chimney on top of the hill.

5 From the chimney, head uphill towards the corner of the field and and follow the line of the wall - on your left - to a stile. Cross over stile and follow path straight ahead, running parallel to road below you on left. After a short while, the track goes downhill and meets up with another path, coming from right, and passes through a gate.

6 Continue along path - another path will join it from left - continue downhill towards the road, and back to the car park.