visit coniston, tarn hows, tilberthwaite & torver...

Coniston, nestling between Coniston Water and the Coniston Fells, owes its early prosperity to copper mining and slate quarrying.

Today, the village's proximity to dramatic landscapes has given rise to a thriving economy based on sightseeing, water sports, mountaineering, horse riding and the consumption of real ale!

Tilberthwaite is where quarrying on an industrial scale has created a distinctive landscape of huge spoil heaps and gaping rock chasms. To the south is Torver, a quiet rural hamlet that hosts a Lakeland Country Fair in August every year.

explore coniston

History & heritage

Coniston developed on the back of copper mining and slate quarrying and later became an attractive destination for early tourists.
history
heritage

Arts & culture

From John Ruskin's home, 'Brantwood' to Andy Goldsworthy's 'Tilberthwaite Touchstone' sheepfold.

art & culture

Natural environment

'From the tranquil beauty of Tarn Hows and Coniston Water to the rugged backdrop of Coniston Old Man there is a wealth of dramatic landscapes and environments to explore'.

natural environment

What's on

From the Water Festival and fell racing to the country fair there are plenty of events taking place across the year, with something for all the family.

local events

quirky coniston facts....

Steam yacht gondola

The Steam Yacht Gondola, built by the Furness Railway Company, was launched on 1 December 1859. After being taken out of service in the late 1930s and converted into a houseboat it was sunk in 1963 before being rescued by the National Trust.

Simon's Nick

Simon's Nick, ‘a fearsome crack in the rocks below Levers Water', was where a seam of copper was worked by a miner called Simon Puchberger. He was blown up by his own explosives. His ghost is said to haunt the mine to protect what remains of the copper ore.