Coniston is a Village in the county of Cumbria.
Coniston is a Village in the Lake District. The Old Man of Coniston rises dramatically behind the houses in the centre of the village. Coniston is a good place to start, for walking and climbing in the Lake District. It is also the place to start your walk if you want to investigate Coniston’s Copper Mines and Tilberthwaite Slate quarries.
In 1871 John Ruskin bought Brantwood, just across Coniston Water from Coniston Village. He lived there from 1872 until his death in 1900. He is buried in St Andrew’s Church graveyard and his grave is marked with a large carved cross, made from green slate, from the local quarry at Tilberthwaite.
The Ruskin Museum’s Ruskin Gallery holds the most comprehensive display in the Lake District about the life and work of John Ruskin.
Coniston is also famous for John Campbell setting the water speed record in Bluebird on Coniston Water in 1955. Campbell was killed attempting to regain it again in 1967. He is buried in the churchyard and there is a memorial to him on the Village Green.
Coniston Water is the location for Arthur Ransome’s book “Swallows and Amazons”. There is information about Arthur Ransome’s inspiration for “Swallows and Amazons” in the Ruskin Museum.
The Monk Coniston Estate, owned by Beatrix Potter, stretches from Coniston to Skelwith Bridge. It includes the famous beauty spot, Tarn Hows, now owned by the National Trust.
The National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola runs cruise’s on Coniston Water, with stops at Brantwood and Monk Coniston.
Coniston postcode: LA21 8
There are great places to visit near Coniston including some great hills, hiking areas, villages, towns, lakes, airports, islands, ancient sites, rivers and streams, ruins, woodlands, waterfalls, mountains, castles, historic buildings, historic monuments, caves, old mines, bluebell woods, nature reserves and disused railway lines.
Cartmel Fell, White Pike (Seathwaite), The Knott, Broughton Moor, Catbells, Orrest Head, and Lad Hows are great places to visit near Coniston if you like hills.
There are a several good hiking areas in the Coniston area like Cartmel Fell, Coniston Coppermines Valley, Borrowdale, Troutbeck, Orrest Head, Wild Boar Fell, and Over Staveley.
The area around Coniston features a number of interesting villages including Eskdale, Coniston, Askham, Arnside, Burton-in-Kendal, Kirkby-in-Furness, and Troutbeck.
Don't miss Sedbergh, Ulverston, Penrith, Kendal, Ambleside, Kirkby Stephen, and Cockermouth's towns if visiting the area around Coniston.
Coniston's best nearby lakes can be found at Windermere, Wastwater, Tarn Hows, Thirlmere Reservoir, Derwentwater, Ullswater, and Haweswater.
The area around Coniston features a number of interesting airports including Barrow/Walney Island Airport, and Carlisle Lake District Airport.
The area around Coniston's best islands can be found at Piel Island.
Hardknott Roman Fort, The Hawk, Sunkenkirk Stone Circle, Castlerigg Stone Circle, Mayburgh Henge, Gunnerkeld Stone Circle, and Castlehowe Stone Circle are some of Coniston best ancient sites to visit near Coniston.
River Lickle, Appletree Worth Beck, Crowdundle Beck, Aira Beck, Hell Gill, River Kent at Kentmere, and River Kent at Basingill are some of Coniston best rivers and streams to visit near Coniston.
Appletree Worth, Stephenson Ground Limekiln (ruin), Water Yeat Limekiln (ruin), Hebblethwaite Hall Gill, Shap Abbey, Sedgwick Gunpowder Works, and Old Lime Kiln at Dalton are great places to visit near Coniston if you like ruins.
Broughton Moor, Cow Close Wood, Jeffy Knotts Wood, Grubbins Wood, and Brigsteer Park are some of Coniston best woodlands to visit near Coniston.
The area around Coniston boasts some of the best waterfalls including Rydal Falls, Hebblethwaite Hall Gill, Aira Force, Dungeon Ghyll , Pull Beck, Skelwith Force, and Ibbeth Peril.
Don't miss Scafell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike [Caudale Moor], Place Fell, and Wild Boar Fell's mountains if visiting the area around Coniston.
Brough Castle, Lowther Castle, Pendragon Castle, Lammerside Castle, Kendal Castle, Sizergh Castle, and Castlesteads (Lowther) are great places to visit near Coniston if you like castles.
Acorn Bank, Church of St Peter Askham, St Michael’s Church at Lowther, Askham Hall, Acorn Bank Watermill, Lowther Mausoleum, and Smardale Gill Viaduct are great places to visit near Coniston if you like historic buildings.
There are a several good historic monuments in the area around Coniston like Fairy Steps.
Coniston has some unmissable caves nearby like Cathedral Quarry, Fairies Cave, Holy Well Cave, and Buttermere Tunnel.
Coniston's best nearby old mines can be found at Cathedral Quarry, Parrock Quarry, Hodge Close Quarry, Penny Rigg Quarry Adit, Three Kings Mine, Horse Crag Quarry, and Tilberthwaite Gill Head Waterfall Level.
The area around Coniston boasts some of the best bluebell woods including Cow Close Wood, and Jeffy Knotts Wood.
The area close to Coniston boasts some of the best nature reserves including Smardale Gill Nature Reserve.
There are a number of disused railway lines near to Coniston including Smardale Gill Nature Reserve.
Coniston History
There are some historic monuments around Coniston:
Walks in Coniston
Appletree Worth and River Lickle
A scenic walk with an interesting lost village, returning along a section of the River Lickle.
Length: 7Km (approx.)
Difficulty: Easy
Hodge Close Explore
A short but deadly explore around Hodge Close and Parrock Quarry with flooded quarry tunnel and dangerous cliffs.
Length: 1.45Km (approx.)
Difficulty: Dangerous
