Britain : England : Lake District :
Coniston
Coniston is another popular area for walkers, at the southern end of the Lake District. It tends to get more good weather than the rest of the Lakeland fells so on good days it can get crowded!
Most of the walking around Coniston is on grassy hillsides with wide "tourist" paths. This doesn't make it an easy day out though - most routes involve long steep climbs. Swirl How and Dow Crag often include some scrambling - there is even a rock climb on Dow Crag.
Prison Band and Swirl How
The region's main peak, Old Man Of Coniston, is heavily mined on its eastern side for copper. The paths down this side pass through some of the quarries, passing some old stone huts and abandoned machinery.
Low Water and the quarries below Old Man Of Coniston
Old Man Of Coniston and Dow Crag from Swirl How
A popular walk at Coniston is the horseshoe - Wetherlam, Swirl How and Old Man Of Coniston. On a clear day, the views are far-stretching - the Langdale fells and the Scafells to the north, and Morecambe Bay to the south. You can sometimes spot Blackpool Tower as well.
Wetherlam from Swirl How
The village of Coniston is popular for tourists, so there's plenty to do if the walk ends early. Coniston Water is the lake on which Sir Donald Campbell attempted to break the world water speed record, which he had already set himself, which ended tragically when his boat crashed. His boat, the Bluebird, has recently been raised from the bottom of the lake.
Pubs
Coniston is a fairly large village so it has a few pubs to choose from. A few cafés and tea rooms as well.
Maps
Coniston is covered by these maps:
- OS Outdoor Leisure (scale 1:25,000) 7 : South East Lakes
- OS Landranger (scale 1:50,000) 97 : Kendal & Morecambe
- OS Landranger (scale 1:50,000) 90 : Penrith & Keswick
