Cumbria Way: Coniston to Dungeon Ghyll

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Walk directions

Leave Coniston along Tilberthwaite Avenue, turn left along Shepherds Bridge Lane and, at Coniston AFC ground, cross the beck then turn left on a footpath signposted to High Yewdale. Pass a ruined byre with a castle-like front and climb to a wood. From here, the retrospective views of Coniston Water are excellent.

Walk through the wood and follow a well-worn path through two fields to a track. Descend left towards Low Yewdale Farm but do not cross the stone bridge over Yewdale Beck. Instead, cross a stile on the right.

Follow a path, parallel to the beck, to a wood. Take an uphill track through the wood, emerge at Tarn Hows Cottage and turn right on a track that leads to the Tarn Hows Road. Turn left, soon to reach this Lakeland jewel.

The Cumbria Way follows the left-hand side of the Tarn, but it’s well worth a complete circuit if you have time. Then follow the signed path north, away from the tarn, to meet a rough stony track. Turn left along this to the A593 Coniston–Ambleside road.

Cross, then turn right along a permissive path near the main road. At a gate, emerge back to the road but bear left immediately along a track to a junction of lanes. Take the middle one, ahead, to High Park Farm. Go right on a clear waymarked path across fields then down through a wood to meet the Little Langdale road at Colwith Bridge.

Do not cross the bridge but turn right along the road and soon cross a stile in the wall on the left to follow a clear path through a wood and over fields. Just before meeting the main A593 again, the path swings left then forks left and down to a footbridge over the River Brathay, just above impressive Skelwith Force.

Cross the bridge and turn left to walk through fields where two exciting things happen: the Langdale Pikes loom ahead and the river swells into Elter Water. At Elterwater village, cross the bridge and continue upstream for 0.25 miles (400m), along a surfaced road. At a sign, follow a riverside path to a footbridge. Cross to a road and go left along it for 50yds (45m), passing the Wainwright Inn, to a rough track on the left.

Follow this track past Thrang Farm, bridge the Brathay, and take a riverside path to the former farm of Oak Howe. Contour and then descend to Side House Farm and beyond here re-cross Great Langdale Beck to the main road. Go through the large car park and pass left of the buildings (there are toilets here and the popular Sticklebarn, a National Trust-run pub).

At a fork just above take the left-hand path, follow the rough path along the intake walls. It climbs a little then runs generally level to the Old (grid ref. NY 284 062). There is a bus service to Ambleside.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Mostly stony paths and tracks, a few quiet lanes

Landscape - Wooded and rocky low fells dotted with tarns, leading to a grand glaciated valley

Dog friendliness - On lead whenever sheep are present

Parking - Pay and display car-parks at start and finish

Toilets en route - At start; at Tarn Hows car-park; beside Sticklebarn

About the walk

Coniston is a well-serviced tourist centre today, but still remains firmly grounded, with a strong industrial background that goes back to Roman times, but it was not until the 16th century that miners from the Mines Royal at Keswick were brought to work the copper mines here. The region is rich in...