Coniston Old Man
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- Interesting and varied circuit
- Wide ranging views over to the Irish Sea
- Arthur Ransome country
In many ways I find the Coniston range a bit of a mess. The quarrying which has cut such a deep scour across the landscape and looks as though it has eaten in to the guts of the mountain is a place to avoid. The quarrying is carrying on today with blasting and digging still recovering the much sought after olive green slate. The man tracks in to the range skirt the actual quarrying but really give little mountain experience and the tracks are particularly rough on the feet. Therefore my favourite ascent of the Coniston range is via the Walna Scar Road which links Coniston village with ittle known Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley and the subsequent passage under the cliffs of Dow Crag and the lovely tarn, Goats Water. In a similar vein the finest descent is over Wetherlam, a huge whaleback fell which displays many of the characteristics I so cherish in the Lakeland fells; rocky outrops, bracken strewn slopes and a multitude of confusing ridges offering a good map reading challenge. I say this with some feeling as part of the assessment for my Mountain Leadership qualification was over Wetherlam. The views on the ridge between the Old Man and Swirl How are very good and I took some pleasure (and an element of frustration) to see the hordes piling up the quarry path having encountered next to nobody near Goat’s Water and on Wetherlam.
Recommend: Arthur Ransome based his books largely on the Coniston area; the copper mines and the ‘charcoal burners’ (now closed) were a large industry on Wetherlam and ‘Kanchenjunga’ is of course the Old Man.
All maps are copyright of Where2Walk ©2013
| OS Map: | O/S 1.25,000. OL6 The English Lakes South West. Buy Map |
| Start Point: | SD 303975. Cross the river from the car park and immediatelt take the road up hill aiming for the Wana Scar road to Seathwaite |
| Height to Climb: | 935ms (3,067 feet) |
| Terrain: | Good paths throughout but not an ordeal like the main quarry ascent path is. The track down from Wetherlam is a particular pleasure |
| Eating & Drinking: | I rarely get past the Sun Inn and it is my favourite pub in Coniston, along with the Crown. For tea shop fiends there is a very good choice. |
| Similar Walks Nearby: | Beatrix Potter Country Great Carrs & Wetherlam Woodland Fell & Beacon Tarn |
| Places to Stay: |
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I like finding my way up one of the many gullies/ridges from Goats Water to Dow Crag. The summit is a grand airy spot. I also really like the outlying Grey Friar, in several visits I’ve never seen anyone else on it even when the Old Man – Swirl How ridge has been covered in holiday makers.