Old Man of Coniston (via Dow Crag and Brim Fell)

Difficulty: Moderate

Wainwright Guide: Book Four – The Southern Fells

Fells: Brim Fell, Old Man of Coniston, Dow Crag

The Old Man of Coniston is one of the most well known fells in the Lake District, with a similar level of fame to Scafell Pike, Hellvelyn and Great Gable. It is also one of the most enjoyable walks, with multiple routes up and down that pass glistening tarns and historical mine shafts, not to mention panoramic views over the whole of Coniston Water and out to the coast. It is also an opportunity to bag multiple Wainwrights in one go for not too much extra effort if you have the energy and the time.

Jonny and I chose this as our first hike after moving up to the Lake District from Sussex. We wanted the first adventure to be a good one, and as neither of us had done it yet we thought it would be a good days walking. Not ones to shy away from a challenge we decided to extend the route slightly and go via Dow Crag and Brim Fell.

Heading up in early March it was a little chilly so we made sure to pack for all eventualities. The wind was pretty fresh at the summit and we were glad of the extra layers for sue, as was Emi!

Where to Start?

You can either start your hike directly from Coniston itself or you can park in the Walna Scar Car Park a little way up the fell. Jonny and I chose the latter option as it meant we didn’t have to do as much road walking whilst heading towards Dow Crag.

From the car park (which does require a small fee) you can get to the Old Man directly by turning up the quarry road to the right. As we wanted to start with Dow Crag we headed to the left along the Walna Scar Road which was more of a well laid track.

Ascent

The route up to Dow Crag is fairly simple. Follow the Walna Scar Road around the base of Old Man of Coniston. You will pass two alternative routes up towards Old Man of Coniston, the first being a well defined right hand turning just prior to Boo Tarn on your left.

It is from just beyond this point in ‘The Cove’ that the slopes of Dow Crag finally come into view and you can see the first goal post of the hike.

You will cross a small bridge over Torver Beck, which is fed by Goat’s Water, before the path finally starts on a more serious incline.

As you start on the incline both Coniston Water and the sea come into view looking gorgeous, especially in the sunshine.

The next milestone is a well marked crossroads where you will want to take the path to the right.

Dow Crag

Underfoot the path becomes slightly less well defined and not quite as stable. You will soon come to a significantly sized cairn from where you will now be able to see both Goat’s Water and a smaller tarn, aptly named Blind Tarn. This is not the summit but a marker along the way called Brown Pike

A little further along is another cairn marking Buck Pike before you finally arrive at the summit. It was at this point we found a small patch of snow which Jonny obviously had to play in! A good indicator of just how cold it was.

The summit itself was exhilerating! Although there is no cairn the highest point is dramatic in both appearance and the views it provides.

In one direction you get incredible views of the Old Man of Coniston. In the other the coastline gleams in the distance.

All the while the wind makes you second guess how precarious your balance really else whilst standing on top of the crag! This was honestly one of my favourite summits so far and I would highly recommend this hike purely for this fell.

Brim Fell

Next up on this hike we ventured towards Brim Fell. From Dow Crag the path is easily visible. You initially head down into a dip called Goat’s Hause, which is where the path past Goat’s Water to the Old Man of Coniston we passed earlier reconnects.

As the path started to incline again Emi decided it was time for some food so we had to take a quick pit stop, but at least the view whilst we had our lunch was amazing.

We carried on up the well walked path to the plateau between Brim Fell and the Old Man. The turning to the left to Brim Fell is fairly sharp but the walk from here to the large summit cairn is flat and easily traversed.

The summit itself has a very large cairn which Emi was more than happy to put her little hands out to. The view back out to Old Man of Coniston is fantastic with views below of Low Water and Levers Water.

Continuing ahead instead of turning back towards the Old Man will lead you towards Swirl How. We instead headed back towards the crown jewel of our walk.

Old Man of Coniston

The summit of the Old Man of Coniston holds both a trig point and a large cairn. Even on a cold March day in the middle of the week it was fairly busy so I could only imagine how busy it would be on a warm summer Saturday.

The views over Coniston Water itself were absolutely incredible but the wind was bitter! Emi was starting to get a little grumpy at this point unless we were continuously moving so our stop at the summit was brief, however I would still say it has some of the best views of Coniston and the coast that you can find.

Descent

The views and scenery throughout our descent were absolutely phenomenal. The path down to Low Water was a little bit brutal on the legs but WOW! What a view.

We stopped at Low Water for a short break. The stillness and tranquility were absolutely breathtaking. The sound of running water and running water only. Incredible.

The next portion of the descent headed through the old mine sheds. Rusted iron works, tracks and cables adorn the path and make for fair obstacles. They do however add character to this already spectacular hike.

The path from here is pretty straight forward. It soon joins the quarry road seen at the beginning of this hike which leads directly back to the Walna Scar Car Park. Although at first glance it seems a large distance away it doesn’t take long to get back to the starting point.

Conclusion

The only downside to parking here is that you have to drive back into Coniston for the post-walk pint. We always enjoy going to The Crown, however you have a lot of choice with nice local pubs!

Have you done Old Man of Coniston yet? Which route did you take? Let me know in the comments!