What we love about it

Sitting beneath the wrinkled head of The Old Man himself is the atmospheric village of Coniston. Protected by its far-reaching woodlands and rugged fells, and with a longstanding legacy of mining and quarrying still evident in its characterful landscapes; from poets and authors to hydroplane pioneers, Coniston is irremovably stitched into the history and lives of so many of the Lakes’ ‘greats’.

Story

Situated on the shores of Coniston Water, the village itself is swathed in mystique, its name deriving from the Old Norse for ‘king’ and its lower fells littered with the remnants of medieval settlements. 

Mining is at the heart of Coniston’s history, and dates back 400 years to when Queen Elizabeth I introduced German miners to the region to exploit the local deposits. Mining continued here until the 1950s and the remnants of mines are a constant feature around the slopes of the village.  

Coppermine Valley, as it is now known, hosts the first youth hostel in the Lake District and is a beneficiary of National Lottery funding to help develop the history of the copper mines. 

The romantic charm of Coniston is rooted in its literary influences. Poet John Ruskin famously pre-humously rejected the notion of burial in Westminster Abbey, insisting he was laid to rest at St Andrew’s. The eponymously titled and award-winning Ruskin Museum describes itself as a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ telling the tale of Coniston. Arthur Ransome based his tale ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on and about the shores of Coniston Water and is a main feature at the museum alongside Donald Campbell and his legendary Bluebird.

Where to take your family

For a relaxed family day simply stroll along the shores of Coniston Water, where you can hire boats and bikes from Coniston Boating Centre.  

Take a boat trip to Peel Island, the inspiration for Arthur Ransome’s Wild Cat Island in Swallows and Amazons and write chapters in your own tales of family adventure. 

A visit to the Ruskin Museum is a must, where your young ones can learn about the first Stone Age fell walkers and their trade in stone axes to the 1950’s jet era glamour of Donald Campbell and his speed-record attempts on Coniston Water aboard Bluebird K7. Learn all about the local Herdwick ‘smiling’ sheep and their local patronage by Herdwick lover and children’s author Beatrix Potter.