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Coniston village is especially popular with walkers and outdoor enthusiasts primarily because of its position – at the foot of one of Cumbria’s most popular fells, the Old Man of Coniston and by the western shore of Coniston Water, at 5 miles (8km) long one of England’s largest lakes. A relic fish from the Ice Age, the Arctic Char, still inhabits these waters.
Born on the back of the copper mining and slate quarrying industries, the village today has a thriving economy based on walking, sightseeing, water sports, mountaineering, horse riding and the consumption of real ale!
North of Coniston, two spur roads lead to Tilberthwaite and the old slate quarries, now carved into a distinctive landscape of huge spoil heaps and gaping rock chasms.
Coniston is spoilt for choice with many of its cafes and restaurants having beautiful lake vistas, or are even sited by Lake Coniston itself. How about sitting on a cosy sofa in a Farmhouse tearoom overlooking the lake, or take your coffee, or perhaps something more substantial, on a café terrace, with unrivalled views across the Lake.
Many of the pubs, restaurants and cafes have intimate settings, which are warm and cosy and offer a variety of locally sourced, award-winning foods. There’s everything from Indian food, making a very good choice for vegetarians, to a marvellous selection of traditional pubs with roaring log fires, a warm and friendly service, either in the town itself or in nearby Torver.
The selection of beers are second-to-none, with Coniston having its own local brewery, there is much to try from the Bluebird Bitter to Coniston Old Man Ale.
Portions are often generous without skimping on quality with many eateries being dog-friendly. There’s classy Bistros with beautifully presented inventive cuisine and several of the eating establishments in Coniston aren’t licenced, so you need to BYOB. What better way to enjoy first class food at affordable prices.
Whatever the weather, couples and families will always find somewhere to relax and unwind and enjoy the very best of Cumbrian cuisine and hospitality.
This area’s history is defined by sheep, copper and slate. In the 16th century, rich seams of copper ore were found in Coppermines Valley. With little local mining expertise, German miners were drafted in to work the copper veins. Peak output for the mines was the middle of the 19th century, when most of the copper was used to line the hulls of wooden sailing vessels.
Falling copper prices and greater competition from overseas resulted in a gradual decline and the closure of the mines in 1915 – but the legacy is still visible in the abandoned shafts and open workings that are still pretty dangerous to wander into.
Much of this area was formerly monastic land owned by Furness Abbey which made its money from sheep farming, and iron ore mining and smelting. One of their estates was at Monk Coniston, now owned by the National Trust.
They bred the local Herdwick sheep – from the old Norse for ‘sheep farm’ – whose distinctive grey fleeces and short, sturdy legs were particularly suited to the rigours of living on the open fells. Many Lakeland hill farms continue to farm this old breed.
Slate quarrying developed during the 17th century in response to increased demand for building materials, particularly roofing slates. The quarries at Tilberthwaite and on the ‘Old Man' were mined systematically for around 200 years and one or two are still in operation today.
Quarrying and mining were so profitable that in 1859 a railway was built to bring out the copper and slate. In later years, the railway brought the first tourists to the area, but was subsequently closed in 1964.
Clearly such heavy industry did little to spoil the area’s natural beauty as early tourists still came to marvel at the region’s natural beaty. The influential 19th century writer and social reformer John Ruskin was so enchanted by the landscape that he once declared his house on the eastern shore of Coniston Water – a nice pile called Brantwood – to have ‘the best view in all of England.’
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Medium length - Easy (28 or 36km)/Road and Cycle Track
Our ghyll scrambling, gorge walking & canyoning experiences around Coniston suit most fitness…
Explore one of the Lake District’s famous lakes, Coniston Water, and see the magnificent scenery…
• Sleeps 4 • Outstanding lake views • Private balcony and garden • Up to 2 dogs welcome • Open…
Located on the shores of Coniston Water with sensational lake and fell views, this classic Lakeland…
• Sleeps up to 22 • 4 inter-linking cottages, can be booked individually sleeping 4-8 or together…
Thornthwaite Farm is set amidst the beautiful scenery of the Woodland Valley. We have four…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
This very special full day photography workshop is guided by Amy Bateman, British Life Photographer…
Nestled in the scenic English Lake District, The Crown Inn in Coniston offers a charming retreat at…
Outdoor provider based in the Lake District. Rob Green Guiding offers fantastic outdoor experiences…
Tarn Hows is a stunning local beauty spot, artificially made in the 19th Century by joining 3 tarns…
Enjoy a guided tour around the magnificent Coniston Water and immerse yourself in its stunning…
Experience a night-time adventure with the whole family on Coniston Water in rafted canoes. Enjoy…
• Sleeps 4, • Luxury cottage rated 5 Star Gold by Visit England • Private hot tub with open…
Tarn Hows is a stunning local beauty spot, artificially made in the 19th Century by joining 3 tarns…
Coniston used to have its own railway line with a terminus station in the village just up from the…
On-site cafe/restaurant serving teas, coffees and light lunches all homemade on the premises.…
Generally you expect to find long rolling descents on mountain bike routes in the higher peaks and…
Each of the three roads out of Coniston village are traced for part of their route by cycle paths.…
The Coniston Fells are fronted by the rugged face of Coniston Old Man and the towering cliffs of…
Float back to Victorian times as you indulge in a luxurious cruise on captivating Coniston water in…
The Coppermines Valley lies directly behind Coniston village cutting a deep gash between the long…
Spoon Hall Caravans is a quiet family run farm site with beautiful views over Coniston water.…
The Lake District Where modern tourism was born
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Cumbria
Medium length - Easy (28 or 36km)/Road and Cycle Track
Our ghyll scrambling, gorge walking & canyoning experiences around Coniston suit most fitness levels. Experience exhilarating waterfalls, canyons, and water challenges on our guided private sessions.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
46 reviewsConiston
Explore one of the Lake District’s famous lakes, Coniston Water, and see the magnificent scenery from a canoe. We'll tailor the day to suit you - whether it’s a fun day of games, exploring the lake and splashing with the whole family or a relaxing…
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
456 reviewsConiston
• Sleeps 4
• Outstanding lake views
• Private balcony and garden
• Up to 2 dogs welcome
• Open fire
• Village location close to several pubs and shops
Coniston
Located on the shores of Coniston Water with sensational lake and fell views, this classic Lakeland slate building has undergone an exciting restoration to create a stunning pub with rooms. Open all day, every day for food, drinks and rooms.
Coniston
• Sleeps up to 22
• 4 inter-linking cottages, can be booked individually sleeping 4-8 or together sleeping 22
• A total of 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms
• Each cottage comes with its own hot tub - 4 hot tubs in total
• Stunning mountain location with…
Broughton-in-Furness
Thornthwaite Farm is set amidst the beautiful scenery of the Woodland Valley. We have four cottages including our 4 star VisitEngland Gold Award barn conversion and a handbuilt Log Cabin all with stunning views of the Lakeland fells.
Coniston
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View the fully restored Bluebird craft in the Bluebird wing of the museum. Discover the mineral wealth of the fells, all at 'the most thought provoking…
Coniston
This very special full day photography workshop is guided by Amy Bateman, British Life Photographer of the Year, author and photographer of Forty Farms, and Rich Jones, a Cumbria based Professional Photographer.
The course will be held at Yew Tree…
Coniston
Nestled in the scenic English Lake District, The Crown Inn in Coniston offers a charming retreat at the heart of this quaint village.
Coniston
Outdoor provider based in the Lake District. Rob Green Guiding offers fantastic outdoor experiences from a qualified Mountain Leader; guided mountain days out, navigation training and general mountain skills coaching and training.
Nr Coniston
Tarn Hows is a stunning local beauty spot, artificially made in the 19th Century by joining 3 tarns together. In 1929 it was bought by Beatrix Potter who sold it to the National Trust. There is a 1.5 mile, level footpath around the tarn.
Coniston
Enjoy a guided tour around the magnificent Coniston Water and immerse yourself in its stunning mountain scenery. We’ll make a stop on the lake shore and our expert instructors will teach you the fundamentals of bushcraft.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
456 reviewsConiston
Experience a night-time adventure with the whole family on Coniston Water in rafted canoes. Enjoy the beauty and vastness of the night sky in the heart of the Lake District.
Torver
• Sleeps 4,
• Luxury cottage rated 5 Star Gold by Visit England
• Private hot tub with open countryside views
• Up to 2 dogs welcome
• Stunning, luxurious interior
• Wifi
• Walks from the door including The Old Man of Coniston
• Wood-burning…
Coniston
Tarn Hows is a stunning local beauty spot, artificially made in the 19th Century by joining 3 tarns together. In 1929 it was bought by Beatrix Potter who sold it to the National Trust. There is a 1.5 mile, level footpath around the tarn.
Cumbria
Coniston used to have its own railway line with a terminus station in the village just up from the Sun Hotel. It was connected to the Furness Railway at Foxfield but sadly it was abandoned in 1958. The track bed has since then been unused (apart…
Coniston
On-site cafe/restaurant serving teas, coffees and light lunches all homemade on the premises. Parties and groups catered for. Outside seating on the terrace overlooking the lake.
Cumbria
Generally you expect to find long rolling descents on mountain bike routes in the higher peaks and fells. However, tucked away amongst the low fells around Tilberthwaite and Tarn Hows are two trails that break this convention. The first one is an…
Cumbria
Each of the three roads out of Coniston village are traced for part of their route by cycle paths. They offer traffic free cycling along easy travel tracks passing through some very pleasant landscape. The one alongside the A593 Ambleside Road and…
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