Details
The walk follows a circular route from a parking area on Walna Scar road, near Coniston in the Lake District. It sets off in a westerly direction along Walna Scar road itself, which is now a track, before turning northwards to start the real climbing over Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag. The walk drops down to Goat's Hawse before heading to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, known by many as Coniston Old Man. From the summit there are excellent panoramic views of all surrounding hills and fells, from Black Combe around to the Pennines taking in the Scafell group to the North and as far as the Isle of Man to the West, along with Blind Tarn and Goat's Water below. From the summit, the walk zig-zags down to Low Water before returning to the parking area through the remains of a bygone era in this part of the Lakes - copper mining.
Some absolutely fabulous views over Coniston and beyond! A few sheep and the odd alpaca (!) around so dogs need to be under control. Some steep and slippery areas at parts so good footwear is recommended.
naomiandtheninjas
01/10/2020 at 10:30 amGreat Fell Walk
Absolutely love visiting Coniston Old Man – but it can get very busy, well worth exploring the other fells surrounding it if you’d like more peace and quiet. There are sections where dogs can safely be off-lead, but there can be sheep around and you need to be mindful of other walkers and dogs.
Loads of different routes to choose from, and the main one is a fairly established path, so as long as you have a map and are properly dressed and equipped you should be fine, but just be aware, this is a mountain walk and the weather can change quickly and it’s easy to become lost if the cloud comes down – so plan carefully and be prepared for this!