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, ancient sites, ruins, old mines, waterfalls, rivers and streams, lakes, woodlands, towns, mountains, castles, historic buildings, historic monuments, caves, bluebell woods, nature reserves, disused railway lines, airports and islands.
Cartmel Fell, White Pike (Seathwaite), The Knott, Broughton Moor, Catbells, Orrest Head, and Haystacks 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, Styhead Tarn, Troutbeck, Orrest Head, and Wild Boar Fell.
Villages to visit near Coniston include Eskdale, Coniston, Seatoller, Troutbeck, High Borrans, Kentmere, and Brigsteer.
Coniston has some unmissable ancient sites nearby like Hardknott Roman Fort, The Hawk, Sunkenkirk Stone Circle, Castlerigg Stone Circle, High Borrans Romano-British Settlement, Mayburgh Henge, and Gunnerkeld Stone Circle.
Coniston's best nearby ruins can be found at Bonsor East Mine Workings, Bonsor Dressing Floors, Penny Rigg Copper Mill, Appletree Worth, Stephenson Ground Limekiln (ruin), Water Yeat Limekiln (ruin), and Hebblethwaite Hall Gill.
Coniston has some unmissable old mines nearby like Penny Rigg Quarry Adit, Three Kings Mine, Tilberthwaite Gill Head Waterfall Level, Horse Crag Quarry, Tilberthwaite Deep Level Adit, Cathedral Quarry, and Parrock Quarry.
The area around Coniston boasts some of the best waterfalls including Tilberthwaite Gill, Rydal Falls, Hebblethwaite Hall Gill, Styhead Gill Waterfalls, Taylorgill Force, Aira Force, and Hell Gill Force.
River Lickle, Appletree Worth Beck, Styhead Gill, Crowdundle Beck, Aira Beck, Hell Gill, and River Kent at Kentmere are some of Coniston best rivers and streams to visit near Coniston.
Tarn Hows, Thirlmere Reservoir, Derwentwater, Styhead Tarn, Windermere, Wastwater, and Ullswater are great places to visit near Coniston if you like lakes.
There are a several good woodlands in the Coniston area like Broughton Moor, Brigsteer Park, Cow Close Wood, Jeffy Knotts Wood, and Grubbins Wood.
There are a several good towns in the Coniston area like Sedbergh, Bowness On Windermere, Ulverston, Penrith, Kendal, Ambleside, and Kirkby Stephen.
There are a number of mountains near Coniston including Scafell, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Skiddaw, Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike [Caudale Moor], Place Fell, and Wild Boar Fell.
There are a number of castles near Coniston including Brough Castle, Lowther Castle, Pendragon Castle, Lammerside Castle, Kendal Castle, Sizergh Castle, and Castlesteads (Lowther).
Historic Buildings to visit near Coniston include Acorn Bank, Acorn Bank Watermill, Church of St Peter Askham, St Michael’s Church at Lowther, Lowther Mausoleum, Askham Hall, and Smardale Gill Viaduct.
There are a number of historic monuments near to Coniston including Fairy Steps.
Coniston has some unmissable caves nearby like Cathedral Quarry, Fairies Cave, Holy Well Cave, and Buttermere Tunnel.
Coniston has some unmissable bluebell woods nearby like Cow Close Wood, and Jeffy Knotts Wood.
There are a number of nature reserves near to Coniston including Smardale Gill Nature Reserve.
Don't miss Smardale Gill Nature Reserve's disused railway lines if visiting the area around Coniston.
There are a several good airports in the Coniston area like Barrow/Walney Island Airport, and Carlisle Lake District Airport.
The area close to Coniston boasts some of the best islands including Piel Island.
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
