Coniston Water...
Start / Finish: Coniston Boating Centre - signposted down the minor road that heads east from Coniston Village (GR: 308 969)
Distance: 6.5 miles
Time: 3hrs
Contact: Coniston Boating Centre, Coniston, LA21 8EW, Tel: 015394 41366, www.lakedistrict.gov.uk
Coniston Water nestles amongst some of the finest mountain scenery to be found in the Lake District and its shores are rich in heritage and history. A ribbon lake, carved out by the massive glaciers that flowed from Coniston Old Man and the Central Fells thousands of years ago, it is five miles long, half a mile wide and has a maximum depth of 184 feet. Smaller than neighbouring Windermere it is nonetheless a magnificent stretch of water that maintains a pleasant sense of both tranquillity and wilderness.
It's western and eastern shores contrast with each other. To the west the rugged, crag bound splendour of Coniston Old Man, Dow Crag and Torver Common. To the east the more gentle, fir clad slopes of Grizedale. The shore line on both sides offers many opportunities for individual exploration, which for significant distance, can be enjoyed well away from the road and the buzz of traffic.
Although there remains a real sense of wilderness on Coniston Water the lake has been home to many communities over the centuries. The Romans mined copper from the surrounding fells and the forests provided charcoal and potash for smelting processes and iron making well into the Middle Ages. There is also a strong historical connection with the Norse, who feeling at home in this very Scandinavian looking terrain settled here in the Dark Ages. They named it Thurstein Waeter and it is from this, that the lake gets its current name.
Literary associations are strong hereabouts, with the art critic and philosopher John Ruskin making his home at Brantwood and Arthur Ransome basing his Swallow and Amazon Books on a fictional lake that combined elements of both Windermere and Coniston Water, although many feel that it was the latter which had the greater influence. This lake has many quiet places to explore, but for a paddler just wanting to try things out then the northern end of the lake has great potential and it is convenient just to hire a canoe at the Lake District National Park's Coniston Boating Centre - this is just half a mile's drive from Coniston Village.
1. From the boating centre, the northern end of the lake opens out and it makes sense to have an outline plan for your trip. For starters head north for 200 yards to where the Yewdale Beck flows into the lake. It's great fun just to explore the place where this powerful stream issues into flat water. Continue north from the outflow to the beach at the far end of the lake - if the wind's strong and from the south or the west, the surf can kick up here, so bear that in mind if a breeze picks up.
2. From the lake's northern extremity go its eastern shore and paddle south, past alternating fields and woodland. Your objective now is Ruskin's old house at Brantwood. Here there is a small dock and jetty where with sense you can safely beach your craft. The house is an interesting museum and if you fancy lunch or tea head off to its Spinning Jenny Café.
3. To your west and south lies the wild shore defined by Torver common and Torver Common Wood. The rising slopes above shield this section from road and habitation and there is a pleasant sense that you are in the middle of nowhere - which is partly what paddling is all about. Explore the shoreline at will, before deciding it's time to turn to home via a straightforward paddle north for a couple of miles or so.
