Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the car park at the top of the tarmac on the Walna Scar road above Coniston. A track leads to the old quarries and the tarn of Low Water, and a steep path climbs to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston. The ridge runs north over Brim Fell and Levers Hause to Swirl How. The steep, rocky Prison Band drops to Swirl Hause, and the route climbs again to Wetherlam. The descent comes down past Levers Water and through the old mine workings back to the start.
It is 13.5 km with 936 m of ascent; allow about 6¾ hours. The grade is Hard: a long day with steep, rocky ground.
Prison Band is steep and loose, and the paths around Levers Water are boggy. The tops are rough and need a map and compass in mist. Copper and slate were worked in these fells from the late 1500s, and old mine workings lie near the paths. In winter the ridge can hold snow and ice.
The Walna Scar road car park is small. Coniston village, 1.5 km below, has larger car parks and the 505 bus from Windermere.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The big round of the Coniston fells: the Old Man, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Wetherlam
- Down the steep, rocky Prison Band from Swirl How
- Copper and slate were worked in these fells from the late 1500s
Summits on the way
- The Old Man of Coniston [Coniston Old Man] 802 m
- Brim Fell 796 m
- Little How Crags 739 m · passed close by
- Great How (Swirl Band) 775 m · passed close by
- Swirl How 802 m
- Wetherlam 763 m
Getting there
Start: Walna Scar Road car park · Pay and display. 54.36357, -3.09608
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Windermere: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
