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Coniston and Around | Coniston | Coniston Water | Ruskin Museum | Brantwood |  View over Coniston Water Coniston The town of Coniston is one of the quietest towns in the southern region of the Lake District, offering a welcome respite from busier resorts such as Windermere and Grasmere. The town is situated on the banks of Coniston Water, one of the Lake District's prettiest lakes - and luckily enough it is also one of the least crowded. Originally a copper-mining village, Coniston is now most famous for the towering peak known as The Old Man of Coniston that dominates the town. At 2,635ft the peak is a favourite climb for walkers and there are several paths that will take you to the top. The town's most famous past resident is the writer John Ruskin, who is often overshadowed by the Lake District's more famous literary son William Wordsworth. Today you can visit the Ruskin Museum on Yewdale Road to find out more about the man and his work, or take a trip to his former home Brantwood. top of page Coniston Water The Lake that gives the town of Coniston its name, Coniston Water is one of the Lake District's prettiest lakes - and luckily enough it is also one of the least crowded. It is famous for two things - the first being that is is the setting of Arthur Ransome's children's adventure classic Swallows and Amazons. And more tragically this is where Donald Campbell died in 1967, trying to beat his own world speed record. Campbell's body was never recovered after an accident that totally destroyed his boat - there is a plaque commemorating him on the village green. There are trips available on the river, if you can try to catch a ride on the Gondola - an exquisite steam boat dating from 1859. top of page Ruskin Museum The Ruskin Museum, located on Yewdale Road in Coniston, is the place to head to in order to find out more about the life and work of John Ruskin. A writer, critic and artist, Ruskin was also a great social reformer and he greatly influenced Victorian society with his writings on social injustice. The Ruskin Museum is open daily between 9am and 5pm during the summer months, but is closed in winter. Admission costs around £1.50 for adults. top of page Brantwood The former home of writer and critic John Ruskin, Brantwood is situated on the eastern edge of Coniston Water, opposite the village of Coniston. The house contains all manner of personal memorabilia relating to Ruskin, including original manuscripts and paintings, along with an excellent video documenting his life. Brantwood is open daily, but opening hours do vary according to the time of year so do check in advance. Admission costs around £4.00 for adults. top of page Copyright © 1995 to 2016 Smooth Hound Systems Smooth Hound Systems accepts no liability with regards to the accuracy of the information on this site. Users are advised to double check information such as dates, times, prices etc. | |||||
