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Coniston can be found at the northern
end of Coniston Water and overlooked by the Old Man of Coniston
2,627ft [801m]. The village is in a wonderful setting and
is a popular centre for exploring this area of the Lake
District, although it is slightly off the beaten track.
Coniston grew from the mineral wealth of copper which was
found in the mountains and mined especially during the 18th
& 19th Century's with the village expanding. The workings
from these mines can be seen in the area, especially in
Coppermines Valley. Slate quarries can be also found in
the area and a few are still worked.
Within the village you will see dark local stone which mingles
with other whitewashed buildings. One popular feature in
Coniston is The Terrace [The Forge] which is a whitewashed
seven doorway terrace and is over 150yrs old. It can be
found beneath the Old Man and overlooks Church Beck [leading
from Levers Water Beck].
One of the beauties of Coniston is Coniston Water, with
its wooded banks and little islands and is 5 miles [8km]
long. Boats can be launched [no powered craft], sailing
dinkies and windsurfers can also be hired around the slipway.
On Coniston Water you can take a trip along the lake on
a Coniston
Launch which can be inter-linked with walks if you wish.
Sail pass Peel Island, known as "Wild Cat Island" from Arthur
Ransome's "Swallows & Amazons" at the southern end of the
lake. One of the crafts you will see operating on Coniston
Water is the Steam
Yacht Gondola operated by the National
Trust.
Coniston Water was also used for water-speed records attempts
in the past. Donald Campbell lost his life in 1967 attempting
to break the record when his craft (the Bluebird) somersaulted
at over 300mph. His body was never found. You can see a
memorial plaque at the village green which commemorates
Donald Campbell.
Grasmere had William Wordsworth, Coniston has John Ruskin who lived at Brantwood
across Coniston Water on the eastern shore. Brantwood is
said to have some of the finest views in the Lake District
and to be the most beautifully situated house. Within the
house you will discover a large collection of Ruskin's paintings,
furniture and memorabilia. Also there is an excellent eatery
here.
John Ruskin was an artist, poet, social reformer and an
art critic. He is buried in Coniston and lies underneath
a carved cross in the northeast corner of the churchyard.
Within Coniston you will also find the John
Ruskin Museum.
Coniston is a popular place for walkers who want to tackle
the Coniston
Round which has some fine views on clear days. Climbers
also come here for Dow Crag, close to the Old Man Of Coniston.
You can visit Tarn
Hows from here, which is a beauty spot with a gentle
stroll around the man-made tarn.
Clicking
on the various Level Maps below will show different map
views of Coniston and District. Maps Courtesy of
Multi
Map.
County Level Map
Town Level Map
Street Level Map
