A day of pond dipping and all things wildlife will mark the 70th anniversary of the Malham Tarn Field Centre on Saturday, reports Lesley Tate.

A DAY of free family-friendly activities will mark the 70th anniversary of Malham Tarn Field Centre on Saturday (April 29).

Malham Tarn recently featured on television's Yorkshire: A Year in the Wild, narrated by actor Sean Bean, when the area's roe deer and other wildlife were put under the spotlight.

So, plenty of visitors are expected to this weekend's event when field centre staff, along with helpers from partner organisations, will be on hand throughout the day to help adults and children experience the fantastic natural environment of Malham Tarn.

Activities will include pond-dipping, natural arts and crafts, den building and hunting for mini beasts.

There will also be guided walks looking at the natural environment and history of the field centre buildings.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a picnic on the lawn overlooking Malham Tarn - the highest inland lake in the country - or inside in the mansion's former ballroom.

People will also be able to buy food on the day, including sandwiches and cakes, all made on site.

All the activities will be free, but any donations and proceeds from refreshments will go to the Field Studies Council Kid's Fund, which helps disadvantaged young people visit the centre.

Malham Tarn Field Centre is one of 18 centres across the country run by the Field Studies Council (FSC). It is an environmental education charity that provides informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore and understand the environment.

There has been a house at Malham Tarn for at least 350 years. At one time the home of Skipton MP and philanthropist, Walter Morrison, it was originally a small, two storey hunting lodge. Towards the end of the 18th century, the foundations and cellars were used as the base of a large, Georgian sandstone building. Built by the wealthy Thomas Lister of Gisburn, later to become Lord Ribblesdale, scree from the cliffs behind the house were used to bury the ground floor of the former lodge and so creating the sloped front lawn that still exists today.

In 1852, Lister sold the estate to James Morrison, whose son, Walter, inherited it on his 21st birthday, in 1857. Walter, then a popular London based philanthropist and MP for Skipton, used the house as his 'mountain retreat, and carried out several extensions.

The house was severely damaged by fire in 1873, but repaired by Morrison. He died in Devon in 1921 and is buried at Kirkby Malham Parish Church. In 1947 a relative of Walter, Mrs Hutton-Croft, donated the house to the National Trust which leases it to the FSC. When the centre first opened in 1947 the North Wing buildings were still garages or stables and have gradually been converted to laboratories and accommodation.

Last year, more than 6,000 people visited the field centre, including school groups, universities and individuals, and also families taking part in one of the varied and hands-on courses.

Saturday's free event will take place from 10am to 5pm. For more information about the event and the centre can be found on the website at field-studies-council.org/malhamtarn.