Coniston

Why base here

Coniston grew up on copper and slate, and the workings are still visible on the flanks of the Old Man of Coniston, the fell that fills the skyline directly above the village. Coniston Water stretches south from the shore, the lake where Donald Campbell died attempting the water speed record in 1967 and where Arthur Ransome set much of Swallows and Amazons. It is a quieter base than Ambleside or Keswick, with a smaller centre, but it puts a mountain, a lake, and one of the best-known easy viewpoints in the Lakes, Tarn Hows, all within a few miles of each other.

On foot versus by car

The Old Man of Coniston can be climbed straight from the village, starting past the Sun Hotel and up beside Church Beck, so no car is needed for the main event. Coniston Boating Centre, for kayaks, canoes and rowing boats on the lake, is a few minutes’ walk from the centre on Lake Road. Tarn Hows sits about 2 miles northeast of the village, up a narrow road, and while a very fit walker could reach it on foot, almost everyone drives; the National Trust says the bus from Hawkshead to Coniston drops off a mile away. Ambleside, Hawkshead and the central fells are all a drive or a bus ride away on the 505 Coniston Rambler.

Practicalities

Coniston’s own railway closed in 1962; Windermere is the nearest working station, linked by the 505 bus, which also calls at Ambleside and Hawkshead on its way through. There is no direct rail replacement, so a car or a willingness to plan around the bus timetable matters more here than in Ambleside or Keswick. The village sits on level ground by the lake, with the steep roads reserved for the fell behind it.

With children

Tarn Hows solves the age that ruins most days out: too heavy to carry far, too young to walk far. The path from the car park is firm, compacted stone, flat enough for a pushchair, and reaches open water in five minutes; the full circuit is under two miles for anyone who wants more. The Old Man of Coniston is the opposite case. Its path climbs 773 metres past old mine workings and loose scree above Low Water, and the disused shafts close to the path are a reason to keep children within reach. This is a fell for capable school-age walkers and older, not a first hill. Coniston Boating Centre, a few minutes from the village on Lake Road, hires kayaks by the hour, but hire is self-directed after a brief safety talk rather than taught, which suits an older child capable of managing their own boat better than a young one. Between the two, Tarn Hows is the one that still works with a buggy in the boot.