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Coniston boating centre jetty and docked boats on a sunny day. Fells and trees in background, reflected in the water below

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Coniston Water and Coniston village

Coniston Water is about five miles long and half a mile wide. Above its western shore, the mountain of the Old Man of Coniston towers above the lake and the village. The lake is half a mile down from the village, where you can hire boats from Coniston Boating Centre. There are shops, pubs and places to eat in the village, a range of guest houses, B&Bs and holiday cottages in Coniston and nearby.

Coniston water looking across to Coniston Boating Centre on the shore with large grassy fell behind

Coniston Boating Centre

Have family days out on Coniston water. Book boat hire; motorboats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and more. Our staff will help you make the most of your adventure, and Bluebird Café has delicious food and drinks.

Book boat hire
White and wooden motorised boat pulling into wooden jetty on Coniston Water. White rope cuts across bottom left of photo

Coniston Launch

The Coniston Launch has various cruises around the lake. It sails from Coniston Boating Centre, with stops at Brantwood and other jetties around the lake. Sails all year round, with a reduced service between November to February.

Plan your Coniston Launch trip
Steam Yacht Gondola on Coniston Water. Long, thin, white and wood Victorian style gondola with tall black chimney releasing steam. Lake is blue with small waves, with green woodland and fields and rocky fell in the background

Steam Yacht Gondola

Steam down the lake on the rebuilt Victorian Yacht, run by the National Trust. Sails from spring into autumn until the end of October.

Choose your Gondola journey
Outside the front of Coniston Information Centre. Triangular roof framing large green wooden framed glass windows. Blue centre sign at the top of the door. Yellow and navy triangle bunting strung mid-way across the entrance. Grey tarmac ground surrounding

Coniston Information Centre

Located in Coniston village, our Information Centre is here to help you make the most of your visit. Whether you’re looking for leaflets, guides, or expert local advice, our friendly team is ready to assist. From exploring Coniston’s stunning landscapes to venturing across the Lake District National Park, we’ll help you discover the best things to see and do – and how to book them. Pop in and let us help you plan your perfect Lake District experience!

Pop in to Coniston IC

Hawkshead

Landscape view of Hawkshead village. Lush green fields, trees and hills, with the stone village positioned in the centre. White houses and a tall church tower

Hawkshead village

This pretty village’s cobbled lanes are best explored by foot. There are many pubs, shops and cafes. You can see Wordsworth’s schoolboy signature carved in a desk at Hawkshead Grammar School. Tabitha Twitchit’s Bookshop occupies rooms once used by the solicitor William Heelis, Potter’s husband.

three adults and child waiting for the ferry in a passenger waiting area. looking out to windermere lake, surrounded by green trees

Windermere ferry to Hawkshead

The Windermere Ferry links Ferry Nab on the eastern shore of Windermere with Ferry House, Far Sawrey on the west. It’s a handy shortcut for Hawkshead, Grizedale forest and Kendal. It is a drive-on, drive-off service where car passengers stay in their cars, with space for 18 cars.

Plan your journey
Mountain bikes on grey tarmac propped against grey slate wall

Hawkshead bike hire

From Hawkshead there are many trails to explore for a range of abilities. There is a network of cycle routes that take you to famous locations such as Lake Windermere, Hill Top and Wray Castle. For the more experienced rider, there are fantastic routes towards Coniston and the Langdales. Visit the Hawkshead bike hire page for more information and booking.

Hawkshead bike hire
Hawkshead information centre. Grey stone two story building by a road on a blue sky day

Hawkshead Information Centre

Hawkshead Information Centre is at the heart of this charming village, ready to help you make the most of your visit. Whether you need leaflets, guides, or expert local advice, our friendly team is here to assist. From exploring Hawkshead’s hidden gems to discovering the wider Lake District National Park, we’ll help you find the best things to see and do – and how to book them.

Visit Hawkshead IC

Haverthwaite

A women walking alongside a man in a electric wheelchair with red steam train blowing steam going passed, surrounded by flowers and trees.

Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

Take a short trip on a steam train and travel 3.5 miles from Haverthwaite to Lakeside pier, south end of Windermere lake. When at the lake you can visit Aquarium of the Lakes, or catch a boat to Bowness or Ambleside with Windermere Lake Cruises.

Visit the railway website
haverthwaite heights woods lined with bluebells on the ground and trees

Greenwood Trail 2: Haverthwaite Heights to Abbots Reading

This walk, round Haverthwaite Heights, follows woodland paths, fields and a small amount of road. The paths are quite rough in places and often muddy (appropriate footwear recommended). The walk involves a few steep sections which gain the best viewpoints. There are 2 routes, 3.5 km and 4.8 km.

More trail details

Grizedale

Grizedale Forest orange brown conifer trees

Grizedale Forest

Between Windermere and Coniston is Grizedale Forest, Hawkshead. LA22 0QJ. Discover art sculptures through the forest, 10 walking and 9 cycle trails to explore, including off-road mountain bike trails. Hire bikes on site, adventure play area, picnic areas and a café.

More on Forestry England
six adult females with electric mountain bikes stood smiling at the camera, green field, woodland and fell backdrop on a sunny day

Bike hire

Hire a bike from Hawkshead Information Centre, or book yourself, friends and family onto a Hawkshead eBike Tour with two routes going through Grizedale Forest.

Hawkshead eBike tours

More spots to visit

Esthwaite Water

This small lake, just two miles long, near Hawkshead is privately owned. However there is a footpath to the lake from the road just south of Hawkshead which follows the shore for a short time. There is also a small public access area by the lakeshore just before Sawrey.

Brantwood House. Cream house, slate roof and small windows. Plants grow half way up the house walls, small outhouse attached, green grass garden, in front of Coniston lake and fells

Brantwood

The home of John Ruskin, the house, gardens and estate host many of Ruskin’s treasures, along with contemporary exhibitions, concerts, courses and special events.

Discover Brantwood House
A couple stood outside Ruskin museum in Coniston with mountains behind

Ruskin Museum in Coniston village

The museum, in the centre of Coniston village, tells the story of Coniston from the first Stone Age fell-walkers, who made and traded stone axes, to the Jet Era when the 1950s speed ace Donald Campbell used Coniston Water as Bluebird K7’s race-track.

Image credit: visitlakedistrict.com

Learn about the Ruskin Museum
View from the top of the Coniston Coppermines with old industrial wheel looking down to the valley

Coniston Copper Mines

See the remains of Coniston Copper Mines. Get a glimpse into Coniston’s past and learn about the geology, how the copper mining industry developed, and the miners and their families who earned their livelihoods from it. Download a self-guided trail.

Coniston Copper Mines

Walking routes

People walking through woodland on a path on a Lake District National Park guided walk

Free guided walks in the Southern Lakes

We host free guided walks in the Southern Lakes. Book yourself on to explore the area as a group.

Book a guided walk
elderly man on off-road wheelchair parked by coniston water lake shore on a bright day

Miles without Stiles routes, easy access routes

The Coniston area has 5 easy-access routes suitable for those with limited mobility, wheelchairs, trampers, pushchairs, visual impairments, young children and legs that need care. The routes have no stiles and are graded for some, many or all with descriptions on length, terrain, path type and facilities.

See what is accessible for all
two adults in waterproof coats holding and pointing to map, only arms and torso in frame

The Greenwood Trails

A collection of walks in Rusland, an area that stretches between Windermere and Coniston Water to the south of Grizedale forest.

Travel to and around the Southern Lakes

Bright green Coniston bus reading 505 Windermere at top of large glass front window. People stood next to the bus on the side of the road

Getting to Coniston

There are regular buses to Coniston from Ambleside and Hawkshead (service 505, Stagecoach) and from Ulverston and Barrow (Service X112, Blueworks Travel) For more details and links to timetables see our getting to and around the Lake District page below.

Getting around the Lake District

Lakes maps and guides

pdf
Map and guide to Coniston Water

Explore other areas of the Lake District

Looking down a wooden jetty into Derwent Water. The lake is blue and orange, reflecting the sunset sky and woodland hills above

Explore Derwentwater and Keswick

Aerial view of lake Windermere at sunset/ Purple blue lake, green woodland and fields, brown fells and buildings surrounding the lake. Motorised, sailing and small boats on the water.

Explore Windermere and Ambleside

Panoramic landscape view overlooking Wastwater towards Great Gable and surrounding grey fells. Lake and fells framed by the stone lake shore foreground and overhanging tree branches with green leaves

Explore Wasdale, Wastwater and West Coast

Ullswater at sunset, blue sky with white clouds, orange glowing fells reflected in the water

Explore Ullswater

picture of Bassenthwaite Lake reflecting green and orange fells at sunset, leafless shadowed tree on lakeshore in foreground

Explore Northern Lakes

Langdale fells on a pink and orange sunset. Tall orange trees are in front of snow dusted fells

Explore Langdale Valley

Overlooking Grasmere water with bluebells in the foreground and sunsetting behind the fells in the distance.

Explore Grasmere and Rydal

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