Travellers go wild for prettiest village in the Lake District
With cream teas available on the high street, ancient pubs, and gently gurgling streams surrounded by lush, rolling hills, there’s nothing quite like an English village.
Coniston in Cumbria epitomises all of the above. It sits in the south of the glorious Lake District overlooking the vast 8-mile Coniston Water.
The travel site, We Dream of Travel declared it to be ‘By far one of the prettiest English villages to visit in the Lake District if not England as a whole is Coniston’.
Perhaps it’s best to stick to ground pursuits such as mountain biking and even abseiling. The area has inspired many writers including Arthur Ransome who penned ‘Swallows and Amazons’ here about the many adventures of four children lucky enough to holiday on the lake.
Artist and poet, John Ruskin spent years living in the village and is buried in the village church, St Andrews.
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He is remembered at the Ruskin museum which also offers a comprehensive history of the village including its geology and how traditional Herdwick sheep farming has shaped the area.
Most people come here for outdoor activities. The most well-known attraction – and walk – is Coniston Old Man, one of the highest mountains in the Lake District.
It overlooks the town in a sort of protective way and you can see it from just about everywhere. Hardier walkers might like to hike the 2,200ft up to the summit.
The walk is part of the Furness Fells range of hills. Another top spot is Grizedale Forest, which is an extensive wooded area.
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You’ll discover fabulous modern sculptures dotted among the trees including some by acclaimed artist Andy Goldsworthy.
You can’t come to the Lake District and not take a trip on the water and there are many launching points. Book a trip on the lovely steam Gondola to enjoy views from a different perspective.
The lake is best known for the many attempts on the water speed record that took place during the middle of the 20th century – first by Sir Malcolm Campbell who set the record at 141 miles per hour. The second record was held by his son Donald Campbell, who died on the lake in 1967 in a crash during his attempt to exceed 300 miles per hour on the lake using a hydroplane called Bluebird.
Food and drink are plentiful here. Coniston has its own brewery which is hugely popular. Its narrow streets are home to an array of options; from The Black Bull Inn, a 400-year-old pub, sitting next to the river; Herdwicks Cafe which is naturally, dog-friendly, and The Lakes Hot Spot has fabulous pizza.
All of these have the stunning fells as a backdrop so if the weather’s good, you’d be mad not to sit outside while you enjoy lunch.
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