Coniston

Civil Parish in Lancashire South Lakeland

England

Coniston

Coniston is a civil parish located in the county of Lancashire, England. Situated in the southern part of the county, it is part of the South Lakeland district. With a population of around 1,000 residents, it is a small and close-knit community.

The village of Coniston is nestled in the beautiful Lake District National Park, surrounded by stunning natural landscapes. It is renowned for its picturesque setting, with the iconic Coniston Water, a glacial lake, dominating the area. The lake offers various recreational activities, including boating, fishing, and sailing, attracting tourists and locals alike.

Coniston has a rich history, dating back to the medieval period. It was primarily an agricultural area, known for its fertile land and sheep farming. The village grew in the 19th century with the development of mining and quarrying industries, particularly for copper and slate. The remnants of these industries can still be seen in the local landscape, contributing to the area's historical significance.

Today, Coniston is a popular tourist destination, offering a range of amenities and attractions. The village has several quaint shops, welcoming pubs, and cozy cafes where visitors can relax and soak in the scenic beauty. One of the notable landmarks is the Coniston Institute, a community center that hosts various events and activities.

Coniston also gained fame through its association with author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, who owned property in the area. Her connection with the village is celebrated through the annual Coniston Winter Festival, which showcases local arts, crafts, and performances.

Overall, Coniston is a charming and idyllic village, attracting visitors with its natural beauty, historical heritage, and warm community spirit.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Coniston Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.380542/-3.080312 or Grid Reference SD2998. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Roughly grassed field at Dixon Ground

Dixon Ground is an area of land lying west of Coniston. The view here is from the publicly accessible part of the Walna Scar Road which has risen from the village. The steep, broken slope beyond lies across Church Beck and rises ultimately to Wetherlam.

Trevor Littlewood

Irish Cottages, Coppermines Valley

Irish Cottages in the valley of Church Beck is a terrace of houses above Coniston; two of them together form a climbing hut of the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club. The gravel flats through the centre of the image are where the Church Beck flows and winds.

Trevor Littlewood

Road heading for Coppermines Valley

The valley is actually that of Church Beck but is popularly known as the Coppermines Valley because of the extensive disused mine workings there. The road is private but is used to access accommodation in the valley including houses, a youth hostel and two climbing club huts. The road is also a public footpath. Coniston Old Man is the mountain seen against the sky.

Trevor Littlewood

Slope with minor rock outcrops

The near slope is close to the feature named on OS maps as Flat Bield and is separated from the camera location by a steep stream groove. The valley beyond it is Red Dell. The sunlit rockface at the centre of the image and beyond Red Dell is Kennel Crag, sometimes known as Kernel Crag.

Trevor Littlewood

Large rocks at eastern shore of Levers Water

Levers Water is an enlarged tarn, dammed to create a greater volume of water for the generation of power for use in the mines below. The dam can be seen in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood

Settling tanks at Bonsor upper mill

The series of shallow depressions near to the Coppermines Youth Hostel is named as 'tanks' in the 1969 volume, 'Industrial Archaeology of the Lake Counties' - Marshall & Davies-Shiel. It's supposed that they were settling tanks in which small particles of rock etc. would be allowed to fall to the bottom before the then clearer water would be allowed to flow down to Coniston in the valley below.

Trevor Littlewood

Coppermines Cottage

In the past, when copper was being mined, the cottage was occupied by a mine official, presumably the site manager. In 1958 it was acquired by the Barrow Mountaineering and Ski Club which still uses it as a club hut.

Trevor Littlewood

Path towards The Old Man Of Coniston

Steven Brown

Minor road near Coniston

Steven Brown

Irish Cottages, Coppermine Valley

In 2022, the foreground buildings, Irish Cottages, were the property of the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club. I am unsure of their status in January 1973 when this image was taken. Mine workings can be seen in the background.

Julian Paren

The head of Coppermine Valley, Coniston

In January 1973 the white building was the Youth Hostel. A track continues beyond here into the Coniston Fells.

Julian Paren

The Air Ambulance on Wetherlam

The Coniston Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) were training at base when the call came for a fell-runner who had slipped on descent, injured his ankle, and could no longer stand. The team attended and carried him down below the cloud. Fortunately a helicopter was available to transport the casualty to Furness General Hospital.

Michael Earnshaw

The Wheel of Misfortune

The Thriddle Incline from the New Engine House Shaft waterwheel pit - The Wheel of Misfortune

Shaun Ferguson

The Pudding Stone in Pudding Cove

shikari

Shallow pool on ridge rising to Wetherlam

A broad, lengthy ridge which in its higher reach is fairly featureless rises generally northwards to the Wetherlam summit. There are minor knolls and a tarn or two; this is the more attractive of them. Helvellyn and Fairfield and their satellite mountains are in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood