{"id":18570,"date":"2022-08-09T11:39:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T09:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=20672"},"modified":"2022-08-09T17:36:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T15:36:15","slug":"walk-old-man-of-coniston-cumbria","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/walk-old-man-of-coniston-cumbria\/","title":{"rendered":"Walk: Old Man of Coniston, Cumbria"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Anthony Burton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 09 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The village of Coniston, an attractive little\u00a0spot bisected by\u00a0the bustling waters of a mountain stream, sits near the northern end of beautiful Coniston\u00a0Water in Cumbria.<\/p>\n

It is an area that was made famous for Victorian tourists\u00a0by John Ruskin, who has a grandiose\u00a0memorial in the churchyard. There are still memories of those days in the rebuilt elegant 19th-century\u00a0steam yacht gondola that offers regular trips on the lake.<\/p>\n

The village was here long before visitors discovered the delights of the picturesque scenery, for this was originally a mining village, and the walk up the Old Man of Coniston reveals both these aspects of Lakeland life: the wild beauty and the all-but-forgotten industrial past.There are two great advantages to choosing\u00a0the Old Man as a Lakeland summit: it doesn\u2019t involve any climbing or mountaineering skills (though as with all high level walks, weather conditions can\u00a0make a huge difference); and you don\u2019t have to retrace your footsteps, adding to the variety of the\u00a0scenic views.<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/p>\n

Best walks in the Lake District<\/a><\/li>\n
Best mountains for beginners<\/a><\/li>\n
Britain\u2019s most beautiful lakes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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There are two ways to\u00a0start the walk. Those staying\u00a0in Coniston itself, who prefer\u00a0to do everything on foot, can walk out from the centre of\u00a0the village. Or you can drive a short way to a\u00a0car park at the foot of the hill. This description provides directions for the more energetic who prefer\u00a0two feet to four wheels.<\/p>\n
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1. Mining ways<\/h3>\n
The walk leaves Coniston via Station Hill. The road was once a line to the local railway station,\u00a0before falling victim to the Beeching Axe, an initiative that saw cuts to the rail network. The route continues straight\u00a0up the road towards the car park at Fell Gate. Just before reaching that point, turn right on to the rough track, originally used to bring slate down from the hillside. Extensive mining\u00a0remains can be seen on the slope to the left of the track.<\/p>\n
2. Metal valley<\/h3>\n
Follow the gentle hill until a track joins in from the right. This path has come up from Coppermines\u00a0Valley, a name that tells you exactly what was going on down there.<\/p>\n
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