Coniston, Coppermines Valley and Levers Water, Cumbria

Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th August 2024

We had managed to book a place on a temporary holiday site, organised by the Lakeland District Association of the Camping and Caravanning Club, at John Ruskin School, Coniston.

The designated site was on the school playing fields, but as there had been considerable rainfall the access was muddy and had been churned-up by vehicles, so we were advised to park-up on the school car park.

It had been some time since we were in Coniston so we were looking forward to our stay, but on Thursday, the evening of our arrival, it continued to rain heavily so we enjoyed a quiet night in.

Friday 9th August:

With brighter weather, we explored the village both on foot and by bicycle. In the morning, we visited the Ruskin Museum which has lots of interesting exhibits about the history of the area, its geology, people and industry. There is also a miniature stone-built village.

The museum houses “Bluebird K8”, the boat in which Donald Campbell lost his life whilst attempting the world water speed record in 1967. The following Wikipedia link gives more information about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Campbell

Donald Campbell is buried in a graveyard on Hawkshead Old Road (not in the churchyard). Although we visited that graveyard, it was to visit the graves of two of my relatives who lived in Coniston and remember the happy times when I visited them in years gone by.

Coniston is a bit of a tourist honeypot and can become very busy at this time of year. Although there are some grocers, the majority of shops are there to cater for visitors.

We visited the village hall, which was holding an “antiquities” sale. From the signs displayed, it appears to be an almost permanent arrangement.

Inside, there were many different stallholders with a wide range of goods, but we didn’t find an “essential purchase” on the day. Interestingly, there was a french “Brocante” sign, which advertises the equivalent commercial activity in France and translates as “Flea Market”.

We have recently purchased two e-bikes which should be an ideal compliment to our motorhome adventures. This was the first time out for them and we decided to visit Coniston Copper Mines, but it was just too steep and rough an ascent. In addition it was becoming very windy as we climbed, so we turned back and explored around the northern end of the lake, finding a very pleasant place to spend time enjoying the scenery.

Saturday 10th August:

Having failed in our attempt to climb up to Coniston Copper Mines on the e-bikes, we decided to try again on e-feet!

Our plan was to explore the Copper Mines Valley the then climb on further to Levers Water, about half-way up the Old Man of Coniston.

This was a really nice, if strenuous route with beautiful terrain and superb views. On the way, we passed many waterfalls.

Copper Mines Valley was quite a surprise. There are many remains of the industrial processes still in evidence and some of the remaining buildings have been turned into a wedding venue.

Copper has been mined in this place for 400 years. The earliest miners were brought by Elizabeth I from Germany as they were considered to be experts. They used gunpowder to blast ore from the hillside and dug many shafts into the fells, following seams.

Further up, we passed Simon’s Nick. Legend has it that Simon was told where to find copper by fairies. He was sworn to secrecy but later in the inn, got drunk and boasted about it. The next day he died.

Arriving at Levers Water, we took time to enjoy our packed lunch and take in the serenity of this quiet tranquil spot. It is hard to imagine the contrast between this and the hustle of the village far below.

Levers Water is a small reservoir. In 1717 a dam was built to enlarge the existing tarn and supply water to the copper mines and village below. There is also a Hydro-electric power plant on the stream below.

Sunday 11th August:

As it was the final day of the temporary holiday site, we had to move on. We planned a brief visit to Grange-over-Sands on the way, but the roads were getting increasingly busy and mindful of previous Sunday evening return journeys southbound on the M6, decided to head home. There were some brief hold-ups along the way, but we noticed that the northbound carriageway was stuffed for miles to the south of the M55 Blackpool turnoff, way beyond our exit. Four lanes of misery.

Visiting with a Motorhome:

The combination of narrow country roads, tight bends and loads of traffic makes visiting the area with a motorhome challenging. Many people do this however, and both the motorhomer and caravanner are well catered for. Just one plea, if you decide to visit, do not block the road in both directions with a huge twin-axle A-class motorhome, whilst doing your shopping as we saw on Saturday.