Walk Summary
A classic Lakeland over most of the Coniston Range. Interesting mining area with evidence of an industrial past and l present. Easy scramble to Swirl How along Prison Band. Traverse the magnificent Dow Crag with vertiginous views down to Goat's Tarn.
Date: 09/06/2022
Length: 10.96 miles
Height Gain: 1106 m
Terrain: Boggy paths, grass paths, stony paths and tracks, occasional easy scramble (up Prison Band), lightly used roads
Navigation: Although a lot of the tracks are obvious there's plenty of potential for going astray into dangerous areas. Map/compass and gps required.
Start: Coniston Village Car Park
Route: Coniston Village Car Park, Miner's Bridge, Wetherlam, Prison Band, Swirl How, Brim Fell, Coniston Old Man, Dow Crag, Buck Pike, Brown Pike, Walna Scar Road
Map: OL6 The English Lakes South Western Area
Weather: Grey. Misty tops. Rain in the afternoon.
Walkers: Nun, Calse and Mo
Gallery
The Google Gallery may have more photos (it will be displayed in a new Tab)
Where's Mi Breakfast? - Sun Inn Cat
Captain's Log
Wetherlam
The Coniston range looked pretty grim as we drove into the village. Dark, grey mist covered the tops and the landscape glistened from recent heavy rain. Even copious amounts of Union Jack bunting couldn't lighten the mood of the place. At least the many birds flying around the car park seemed happy enough. A song thrush sang a merry tune from the roof of a nearby building. At the 16th century Sun Inn a fat grey cat sat expectantly for his breakfast. He even had a white bib on. in preparation for the feast.
We could hear a lot of water rushing down Lever's Water Beck. Just before the Miner's Bridge a large sign indicated that we should keep out of the water. Not much chance of that I thought. A United Utilities employee lingered uneasily on the other side of the bridge but didn't say anything to us. When we headed off up the path to Wetherlam, and the United Utilities man could see we weren't going for a paddle, we saw him drive off towards the mines with a speed that must have tested the poor Fiesta's suspension.
It was a steady, but boggy ascent of Wetherlam. The mist drifted upwards with us and by the time we got to the summit cairn it only provided a thin veil to the views from the top. It was even threatening a little sun further south.
Coniston Water
Swirl How
Even though most of the mist had drifted from Wetherlam, thick mist hugged the tops of the main Coniston range. We headed across to Swirl Hawse and had a break before we tackled the rock ridge ascent of Prison Band. Two other people were also sat down near to us. They were taking break from carrying out path repairs and didn't seem in a rush to get started again. As I stood up to leave, I slipped on the wet grass and slid down on to the path. I tried to adjust my feet to stop falling over and then slipped on some rocks on the path, performing a full 360 degree pirouette. Miraculously I managed to still remain upright and was offered a round of applause from Calse and Mo. Although I was delighted with the audience response, I decided not to do an encore.
The ascent of the Prison Band ridge involved a couple of places that required a bit of easy scrambling, but there is no real exposure and it feels quite safe. It is a shame that we were now in the mist since the views on both sides of the ridge would be very good. The path delivered us directly to the large Swirl How summit cairn. It was thick mist though and we didn't have a view, so we set quickly set off southwards into the pea-souper.
Wetherlam
Levers Water
Brim Fell Summit Cairn
Brim Fell And Coniston Old Man
As we descended to Levers Hawse the views opened up as we came out of the mist. There were good views of Levers Water in the east and Seathwaite Tarn in the west. Other walkers started appearing, heading for Swirl How.
From Levers Hawse the ascent to Brim Fell is gradual and easy. The dithering mist had finally made a decision and gone to bother some mountains elsewhere. The summit cairn of Brim Fell is well made and only seems a stone's throw from Coniston Old Man. It is actually a lot further than a stone's throw but it is an easy walk with some great views down to Low Water. A couple of mountain bikers made their way towards Coniston Old Man's summit from the Goat's Hawse path. Even though their path was now flat, it can't have been easy getting their bikes up here.
The mountain bikers had moved on by the time we got to the summit. It was busy with other walkers though, with many ascending by the path through the quarries or by the Goat's Hawse path. It was too windy and exposed to have lunch and so I suggested we descended to Goat's Hawse first to get some shelter. As we set off, it started to rain and the mist had got bored with the other mountains and decided to come back to the Coniston range to pester us again.
Dow Crag
We'd caught a good panorama of Dow Crag on our walk over from Brim Fell to Coniston Old Man. It is certainly a fearsome crag with vertical drops and deep gullies. The top edge is a rocky world that offers vertigo inducing glimpses down into an abyss. When the mist cleared a little we could see Goat's Water at the bottom of the abyss. The rain started again as we crossed Dow Crag's broad summit. Its ridge continues across to Buck Pike and then Brown Pike. We met other people making their way up as we descended down. They didn't look very happy with the deteriorating rain. 'Does it get any better up there?', a man asked me. I couldn't offer him anything encouraging. Even my best attempt at a, 'Have fun!', sounded a bit damp.
Eventually we reached the rocky Walna Scar Road that runs eastwards back to Coniston.
Goat's Water From Dow Crag
Dow Crag Before The Mist Returned
Mother And Daughter
Return To Coniston
The Walna Scar Road really is rocky and I spent most of the time trying to find better walking at its softer edges. Walkers started appearing from the Goat's Water path. After their path merged with the Walna Scar Road we came across a dozen youngsters with an instructor. The youngsters looked Nepalese to me and the instructor was teaching them map reading. I wondered if they were trainee Ghurkas. If so, the equivalent of our low Coniston hills wouldn't even merit a name back home in the Himalaya.
Nature had really turned the tap on now and I'd reached that stage of the day where my underkegs were getting wet. Not a nice feeling. I had intended diverting off the Walna Scar Road o Bowmanstead, but it was now raining so much that I decided it would be quicker to stick to the roads.
I noticed that the Walna Scar car park is now charging a hefty £8.50 for a day's parking. It used to be free. A few of the larger potholes have been filled in but it is still a very rough site. It was a relief to leave the Walna Scar Road and reach the flat tarmac leading back to Coniston. Looking through the rain, the mist had definitely taken up permanent residence for the day on the Coniston tops.
At the Sun Inn our friend from this morning, the fat grey cat, was missing from his place at the table. Looking at my watch though I could see that it was a little early for tea and cream-jam scones (cream on top of the jam). The birds were still whistling while they worked, back at the car park. Despite the conditions it had been a good walk with occasional glimpses of what could have been on offer on a better day.