Land of Power and Ore

Start: The Ruskin Museum, Coniston
Distance: 3.5 miles (5.5km)
Time: 3.25 hours
A strenuous but rewarding route.

Points of interest

1 Paddy End

Find out about Paddy End Mill on the information panel.

2 Simon’s Nick Viewpoint

From here you can see the deep cleft in the hillside called Simon’s Nick. It marks where Coniston’s miners first started to hack their way underground on the high crags around Levers Water over 400 years ago – when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Miners worked by
candlelight to remove just enough rock to squeeze along the emptied veins. Some set fires underground to speed things up.They would throw water and vinegar on the embers to crack the superheated rock.

3 Thriddle Incline and Shaft

Find out all about Engineman Thomas Millican and his tragic end on the information panel.

4 Old Engine House and Bonsor Mine Entrance

This tower held the wooden channel that brought fast-flowing water from the fells to turn a massive waterwheel. If you stood here in 1870 you would hear water thundering down the channel. The waterwheel creaked as it drove water pumps to drain deep Bonsor Mine and hauled clanking trains of tubs heavy with ore. The wheel was controlled by an engineman who worked the flow of water to stop and start, slow
and speed up the wheel as needed.

5 Bonsor East Engine House

Coppermines Valley’s first waterwheel for the deep mines turned in this rectangular pit. It lifted out rocks
and pumped out water.

Some of the graffiti on this rock was carved by quarrymen
working the stone quarries near the copper mines. Can you spot J Mara,1871? This is a great viewpoint of the whole of Coppermines Valley. Today it is a lot more tranquil than a normal working day in 1870 when you would see people constantly moving between mine entrances, ore-processing factories and waterwheels. Gunpowder blasts from deep inside the mines shake the ground. Waterwheels constantly
creak and groan as they turn under the force of fast-flowing water to power mine pumps, winding chains and the factories.
What can you hear today?

A fragile environment

Mines are dangerous places with hidden shafts and drops, and should never be entered. Take care on the fells and please keep to the paths. Though it has survived hundreds of years, the site can be easily damaged. The site is legally protected as a Scheduled Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Lake District is recognised as a World Heritage Site with outstanding universal value. Local industries like copper mining have contributed to its unique character. Please help preserve the Lake District’s heritage by leaving the site exactly as you find it.

Need to know

These are walking trails. There is no access for vehicles. You’ll need walking boots, outdoor clothing and waterproofs. The trail maps are not a substitute for an Ordnance Survey
map, so it is recommended you take ‘OS Explorer Map OL 6, English Lakes, South West’ on to the fells.

Getting there

Coniston is served by regular buses on service 505 from Ambleside and Hawkshead. There are also buses linking from Ulverston. For more details and latest times visit Traveline