Join us for our Lake District Walking Weekender in the beautiful Coniston Fells, and enjoy a wonderful weekend of adventures, shared experiences and new friendships.

Coniston lies in the Southern Fells of the Lake District, with the wonderful peaks and soaring fells of the Old Man of Coniston, Wetherlam, Dow Crag and Swirl How rising up to the west whilst the quiet waters of Coniston Water reflect the thickly wooded slopes and craggy outcrops of the Furness Fells and Tarn Hows. The walking around Coniston is superb, with a range of routes from the gentle hills around Tarn Hows and Tilberthwaite to classic mountain hikes such as the Old Man of Coniston.

The Black Bull is a lovely country hotel located in the centre of Coniston, a 400 year old coaching inn with its own award-winning brewery! Coniston is a delightful Lakeland village with old slate cottages, narrow winding streets and interesting shops; here you will also find the last resting place of John Ruskin and Donald Campbell.

Mark Reid has written a number of walking guidebooks about the Lake District, including The Inn Way… to the English Lake District; he has walked all of the Southern Fells and so knows the surrounding fells and mountains extremely well.

Walking Weekend based from: Black Bull at Coniston

Weekend Walks

There will be a choice of two guided walks on Saturday and Sunday, with Mark Reid and his colleague (Mountain Leaders who have exceptional local knowledge). The precise routes will be determined just before the weekend, taking into consideration weather conditions etc. You will be able to sign up for your chosen walk at the Friday evening ‘icebreaker’, where you will also be able to discuss the walks with Mark.

Friday evening (8pm) – Meet at the Black Bull for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can meet your fellow walkers and choose your walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday (9:30am) – choice of adventurous mountain or more leisurely lake & fell walks, with routes across the hills, fells and mountains of the southern Lake District, including lower fells and tarns such as Tarn Hows, Holme Fell and Tilberthwaite to more rugged mountain hikes such as the Old Man of Coniston, Wetherlam, Swirl How and Dow Crag. Return back to the pub late afternoon to recount your day’s adventures.

Sunday (10am) – choice of adventurous mountain or leisurely lake & fell walks. Return back to the pub mid afternoon for a final drink before bidding fond farewells… until the next Walking Weekender!

Choice of walks: We usually offer a choice of adventurous or leisurely walks on both days. Saturday is a ‘full day’ from 9:30am until 5pm, whilst Sunday is a ‘half day’ from 10am until around 3pm. We will either split into two groups from the start, or we may walk as a larger group during the morning and then offer ‘longer’ or ‘shorter’ routes after lunch.

Evening entertainment

Friday evening (8pm) – Meet at the Black Bull for our ‘icebreaker’ pub evening, where you can relax, socialise and meet your fellow walkers, choose your level of walk for Saturday and Sunday.

Arriving early on Friday? Your guides will be eating at the pub at 7:30pm on Friday evening – you are most welcome to join us for a meal; just let us know so we can add you to our table.

Saturday evening (6:30pm) – Meal at Black Bull (optional), followed by a fantastic Pub Quiz Night with Mark Reid as your quizmaster! Prizes for the winning team.

Coniston facilities & accommodation

How to get to Coniston
Grasmere lies along the A593 between Ambleside and Broughton in Furness, in the southern the Lake District. The nearest train station is at Windermere, from where there is a regular bus service to Coniston via Ambleside.

Facilities
Coniston offers a range of facilities including a Youth Hostel, numerous hotels, pubs, B&Bs and campsites. There are also lots of shops, cafes, outdoor shops and a small supermarket. The nearest train station is at Windermere, from where there is a regular bus service to Coniston.

Accommodation
Coniston offers a range of accommodation, including:
Black Bull Hotel
Yewdale Inn
Sun Inn & Hotel
Crown Inn
YHA Holly How Youth Hostel

A quick ‘google’ will find many more places to stay…