It's Not All About The Summits

Please note that this blog is still incomplete at the moment.

With winter back with us once again The LakeDistrict offers a different range of walking experiences. For most of the winter the summits have at least a covering of snow and ice, often more than just a covering. While this offers a great opportunity for those who are trained and equipped for winter conditions, it also deters quite a few from venturing too far into this more challenging zone. However, there is still a fabulous array of walks to be had at lower levels. I've chosen just one area, there are several great walks of varying lengths, with fantastic views and lots of interest, from nature, to history, to literature.

Coniston is one such base that has so many different walking options. I have broken it down to five different walks, each of which is a circular walk and can be varied in distance from a half hour stroll up to a twelve mile hike. From walks around the village, into the copper mines valley, along the old railway line, a forest and lake combination, or one of my regular favourites, up to Tarn Hows.

There are many ways to reach Tarn Hows from Coniston and that is perhaps why it is a regular walk of mine, I can do a different variation each time. But perhaps my favourite version leaves the centre of the village along the access road that goes between The Black Bull (on the left) and The Co-op (on the right). Heading towards the fells, the road passes behind The Ruskin Museum. At the end of the tarmac there is a signpost on the right. The main track heads up to the coppermines, but you should turn right, through the gate and follow the direction of the signpost towards Yewdale. The path follows the fell wall behind an area known as Far End, a few houses and a YHA. About half a mile from the village the path passes through a gate and enters Yewdale Woods. In spring the woods are full of bluebells, primrose and violets, followed by foxgloves, to name but a few of the many wild flowers to be seen on this walk. In the autumn the woods are full of many, many varieties of fungi, too numerous to list. The wood is crossed by several mountain streams, most of which will be dry, or almost dry, unless there has been a recent downpour of rain (which can happen around here!). The one likely exception is White Ghyll, know locally as The White Lady. This flows under the third small wooden bridge that you will cross. if you look up to the left as you cross the bridge you will see where this cataract plunges down the mountain as it travels from it’s source on the lower slopes of Wetherlam, to eventually find it’s way into Coniston Water. If you look to the right, across the fields soon after The White Lady, you might see an old lime kiln. There is actually a narrow vein of limestone that passes around Coniston, running from west to north and it outcrops around this point. It is a brownish shade of limestone and you might see it around the path if you observe closely.
After a mile and a half the path emerges from the wood next to the Coniston to Ambleside road (A593), just where the lane to Tilberthwaite branches off to the left. Cross this lane and rejoin the path, it very soon meets the lane up to Holme Ground and Hodge Close. Briefly follow this lane to the left, over Shepherd’s Bridge, a lovely old Lakeland stone bridge and then turn immediately to the right as you leave the bridge. Passing through the gate and past the signpost, follow this track around the back of Yewtree Farm, once owned by Beatrix Potter and used in the film about her life. The track eventually brings you round to the front of the farm and out onto the A593. Look for a footpath on the opposite side of the road and slightly to the right. This footpath will take you through the field to Glen Mary carpark and avoids walking on the busy road. Pass through the carpark towards the orientation board and from there cross the small bridge and head up towards the waterfalls of Tom Ghyll. There are some beautiful cascades and waterfalls on this stream as it makes it’s way down from Tarn Hows. The footpath follows the stream all the way to the tarn and this section represents the only significant bit of uphill on the whole walk, going from around 100 metres at the carpark to just under 200 metres at the tarn.