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Walks from Coniston

14 routes and 9 fells within about 5 km of Coniston, nearest first. Five walks start within 1 km of the village, among them the Sun Pub Walk (Coniston) (6.42 km) and the Old Man of Coniston, up and down from Coniston (8.81 km). Each fell carries today’s conditions and the bus where there is one. Planning the trip? See the full Coniston guide for parking, buses and where to stay.

Starting in Coniston

Five routes start within 1 km of the centre of Coniston in a straight line, nearer Coniston than any other village.

Effort is the size of the day, from the distance and the climb; each route’s own page grades the steepness, navigation, exposure and ground underfoot, and names the hardest.

• The Sun Pub Walk (Coniston) →Start 0.1 km away6.42 km~202 m~1½–2¼ hModerate: terrain🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedPark: Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) · Bus: 505 at the startA short circuit from the door of The Sun in Coniston: 6.4 km with around 200 m of climbing, on the east side of the village. Our description of the way round is being rewritten to match the track; until then, follow the map and the GPX.
• The Old Man of Coniston, up and down from Coniston →Start 0.2 km away8.81 km~759 m~3–4¼ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessWalked in partPark: Coniston, Ruskin Avenue (paid) · Bus: 505 at the startA loop of about 8.8 km from the middle of Coniston to the top of the Old Man of Coniston (802 m) and back, with about 760 m of climbing: out along the Walna Scar Road and up the fell's south side by Little Arrow Edge, then down the main path past Low Water Quarry and Coniston Waterfall into the village.
• North of Coniston Birketts →Start 0.2 km away7.96 km~494 m~2¼–3¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepness and navigationWalked in partPark: Coniston Station car park (paid) · Bus: 505, 500 m walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreThree Birketts on the Yewdale fells north of Coniston — Long Crag, High Wythow and Low Wythow — on a short but steep loop. Steep for the legs (one descent of about 34% over 250 m), harder for the map: faint paths and a clear-day-only navigation challenge, rewarded with rarely-trodden tops and a fine view over Coniston Water.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest descent, about 34% over 250 m. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground.
• Coniston Old Man Round →Start 0.2 km away16.1 km~1155 m~5–7 hHard effort Severe: steepnessWalked August 2024Park: Coniston Station car park (paid) · Bus: 505, 520 m walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreA satisfying round of the Coniston fells, and a simpler approach to the Old Man than my longer outing. From Coniston it climbs to the Old Man itself, then follows the high ridge over Brim Fell and Swirl How and back over Wetherlam, with an out-and-back to Grey Friar along the way, which the distance and climb include. You can extend it further by adding Dow Crag. Big views over the southern fells and the sea, old copper-mine history underfoot, and a proper mountain feel without the biggest mileage.Measured from the GPX track: the distance.
• West Side of Coniston →Start 0.8 km away5.8 km~27 m~1–1¾ hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyPlannedOut and back · Park: Coniston (layby) · Bus: 505, 660 m walk from Coniston, outside John Ruskin SchoolAn out-and-back of about 5.8 km from the lake end of Lake Road in Coniston, with a short loop where it turns, on permissive cycle paths, surfaced and compacted tracks and lanes, with almost no climbing (about 30 m).

More walking routes within about 5 km

• The Coniston Horseshoe →Start 1.4 km away20.8 km~1333 m~6¼–8½ hSevere effort Severe: distanceWalked in partPark: Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) · Bus: 505, 1.8 km walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreThe full Coniston Horseshoe — the grand ~21 km, ~1,330 m round of seven Wainwrights above Coniston: Wetherlam, the steep Prison Band onto Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, the Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag. The big day out; for the shorter version see the <a href="/routes/coniston-old-man-round.html">Coniston Old Man round</a>.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 31%.
• Dow Crag without the Old Man →Start 1.4 km away11.88 km~630 m~3¼–4¾ hModerate effort Hard: steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Walna Scar Road, Coniston (paid, rough track) · Bus: 505, 1.8 km walk from Coniston, outside The Ruskin CentreA loop of about 11.9 km from the Walna Scar Road car park above Coniston, with about 630 m of climbing: out along the Walna Scar Road, up a public footpath past Goat's Water to Goat's Hawse and the top of Dow Crag, along the ridge over Buck Pike and Brown Pike, out over Walna Scar to White Maiden and back, and down the Walna Scar Road.
• Holme Fell and Black Fell →Start 3.1 km away13.74 km~614 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Moderate: distance and steepnessWalked June 2023Park: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.2 km walk from Holling Brow (near)Two low wooded tops between Coniston and Tarn Hows, and a fine half-day when the high fells are under cloud — nothing above 323 m, though 50 path junctions near the line mean it pays to keep track of which one you are on.
• Holme Fell and Black Crag from Tarn Hows →Start 3.1 km away12.91 km~785 m~3¾–5¼ hModerate effort Hard: steepnessPlannedPark: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.2 km walk from Holling Brow (near)
• Tarn Hows circuit →Start 3.2 km away2.92 km~61 m~½–1 hModerate: navigation🏞️ Easy & familyWalked in partPark: Tarn Hows (NT, paid) · Bus: 505, 1.4 km walk from Holling Brow (near)A gentle circuit of one of the Lake District's prettiest tarns, ringed by pines with the Coniston and Langdale fells beyond. Easy underfoot, with National Trust parking, toilets and a seasonal refreshment van.
• Wetherlam by Birk Fell →Start 3.5 km away8.22 km~633 m~2½–3¾ hModerate effort Severe: steepnessPlannedPark: Tilberthwaite (paid) · Bus: 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at HallA loop of about 8.2 km from Low Tilberthwaite, with about 630 m of climbing: on to Birk Fell, steeply up beside Wetherlam Edge to the top of Wetherlam, down the broad ridge to the south, and back to Low Tilberthwaite by the path beside Tilberthwaite Gill.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 39%.
• The Tilberthwaite Birketts →Start 3.5 km away5.26 km~307 m~1½–2¼ hEasy effort Hard: steepness and navigationPlannedPark: Tilberthwaite (paid) · Bus: 505, 3.5 km walk from Monk Coniston, at HallA short loop of about 5.3 km from Low Tilberthwaite, with about 310 m of climbing: up the public footpath beside Tilberthwaite Gill, across open ground over four Birketts, Blake Rigg, Haystacks, Hawk Rigg and High Fell, then round below Great Intake and down by Blake Rigg Gill.
• Top o' Selside →Start 4.8 km away8.71 km~381 m~2¼–3¼ hModerate effort Hard: navigationPlannedPark: Dodgson Wood car park, Coniston Water east shoreThree tops in the woods east of Coniston Water — Top o' Selside, Arnsbarrow Hill and Stang Hill. 8.7 km and 381 m, rated hard to navigate. About 2¼–3¼ hours.Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.
• Carron Crag from Grizedale →Start 4.9 km away10.99 km~392 m~2¾–4 hModerate effort Hard: navigationPlannedPark: Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre (paid) · Bus: 505, 4.8 km walk from Hawkshead, at Tourist Information CentreThe high point of Grizedale Forest, a loop of 11 km with 392 m of climbing averaging about 9% with a 21% pull over 250 m at the start. Rated hard to navigate — forest tracks all look alike. About 2¾–4 hours.Measured from the GPX track: the steepest sustained climb, about 18%. Navigation: estimated from the map, not checked on the ground. Summary checked by Lee McCoy, 26 August 2026.

Fells within about 5 km

• The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man) →3 km away802 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsThe Old Man of Coniston at 802m (2,633ft) stands guardian over the Coniston valley, its summit the finest viewpoint on the Coniston fells and one of the most popular destinations in southern Lakeland.
• Brim Fell →3.3 km away796 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsBrim Fell at 796m (2,611ft) is the intermediate summit between the Old Man of Coniston and Swirl How on the main Coniston ridge, a broad, grassy top that most walkers cross without pausing.
• Holme Fell →3.3 km away316 m~2–2½ h🚌 BusDecent · 66 · rated on 27 OctoberDry, firm underfootHolme Fell at 316m (1,036ft) is a delightful, craggy little summit above Yewdale near Coniston, its rocky outcrops of Uskdale Gap and Ivy Crag providing surprisingly varied and interesting walking for such a modest height.
• Wetherlam →3.8 km away763 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsWetherlam at 763m (2,503ft) is the eastern buttress of the Coniston Fells, a broad, craggy summit that Wainwright described as giving some of the best views of the Helvellyn range of any southern fell.
• Dow Crag →3.9 km away778 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsDow Crag at 778m (2,552ft) is one of the great rock climbing crags of the Lake District, its eastern face dropping in a series of buttresses and gullies to the dark waters of Goat's Water below.
• Carron Crag →4 km away314 mCarron Crag at 314m (1,030ft) is a Birkett top in the Grizedale Forest above the Furness Fells, its summit giving views across Esthwaite Water and south to Morecambe Bay.
• Swirl How →4.2 km away802 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsSwirl How at 802m (2,633ft) is the central hub of the Coniston Fells, from whose summit the ridges radiate like spokes to the Old Man, Wetherlam, Grey Friar and Great Carrs.
• Walna Scar →4.6 km away621 mWalna Scar at 621m (2,037ft) is an Outlying Fell above the Duddon valley near Seathwaite in the South Lakeland group, standing just south of the ancient Walna Scar Road, which passes about 140 m north of the top, with views across the head of Dunnerdale and towards Coniston Old Man.
• Great Carrs →4.6 km away785 m~3½–4¼ h🚌 BusSave it · 20 · rated on 27 OctoberToo windy for the topsGreat Carrs at 785m (2,575ft) is a Wainwright summit in the Southern Fells, forming the rocky northern arm of the Swirl How ridge above Wrynose Pass.

1 of the fells here are rated good to climb on 27 October — see live conditions →
A prediction from our daily fell score, not a guarantee — always check the mountain forecast before you go. Our daily score covers the Wainwrights only, so the 2 Outlying fells here have no rating. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab).

Distances are straight-line from the centre of Coniston — ‘within ~5 km’ means as the crow flies, not that the walk necessarily starts there. Always plan your own route and check the bus before you travel.