The Old Man of Coniston
802m (2633ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
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The summit of The Old Man of Coniston is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 5ml (8km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,935ft (590m) |
| Time: | 4 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Goat's Water - The Old Man of Coniston - Low Water - Walna Scar Road - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 7.5ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,762ft (842m) |
| Time: | 5.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Boo Tarn - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Water - Boulder Valley - Crowberry Haws - Miners Bridge - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.25ml (13km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,778ft (847m) |
| Time: | 5.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Goat's Water - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Prison Band - Levers Water - Walna Scar Road - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.5ml (15km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,523ft (1,074m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Walna Scar Road (nr Seathwaite (Duddon Valley) - Long Houses - Brown Pike - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Grey Friar - Seathwaite Tarn - Walna Scar Road.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.75ml (15.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,664ft (1,117m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Church Beck - Levers Water Beck - Crowberry Haws - Low Water - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Prison Band - Swirl Hawse - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Red Dell Head Moss - Wetherlam - Furness Fells - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.75ml (20.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,191ft (1,277m) |
| Time: | 8.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Boo Tarn - Torver Beck - Cove Bridge - Goat's Water - Goat's Hawse - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Grey Friar - Great Carrs - Swirl How - Prison Band - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Wetherlam - Swirl Hawse - Levers Water - Crowberry Haws - Walna Scar Road - Coniston
See The Old Man of Coniston and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
The Southern Fells of The Lake District National Park
Less data - quicker to download
The Whole of The Lake District National Park
More data - might take a little longer to download
See The Old Man of Coniston and the surrounding tops on our downloadable Peak Bagging Maps in PDF format:
NB: Whether you print off a copy or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers' Maps might prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks.
You can find The Old Man of Coniston & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps:
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (pink/magenta covers):
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged The Old Man of Coniston
Melfyn Parry walked up The Old Man of Coniston on November 16th, 2025 [from/via/route] Started at the Walna Scar car park (pay & display £6.50 for 4 hours or £9 for the day), walked up to Boo Tarn & then followed a grassy path around the quarry to reach the summit of The Old Man of Coniston, from here we headed over to Brim Fell, an easy walk. Then dropped down to Goat's Hawse before making the ascent to the top of Dow Crag. The top is reached by a short scramble & then return to the path to lead over to Buck Pike & then Brown Pike. Drop down from here back to the Walna Scar Road & return to the car park. [with] With DS [weather] A glorious day with long spells of sunshine, quite cold when the breeze got up, which wasn't often. - Lots of people out today, taking advantage of the weather. A clear day with good views over towards Scaffell in one direction & Morecambe Bay could be seen over Coniston Water.
Nick Tippins climbed The Old Man of Coniston on September 26th, 2025 [from/via/route] c306: The Old Man of Coniston & Wetherlam from Coniston [with] Fran
Sarah Gunn bagged The Old Man of Coniston on July 27th, 2025 [with] Martin Gunn
Clare Tait hiked The Old Man of Coniston on August 11th, 2024 [from/via/route] Our no:98 Wainwright on the most beautiful day.Up from the high carpark. [with] Charlie [weather] Sun 🌞
Martyn Atherton summited The Old Man of Coniston on June 2nd, 2024 [from/via/route] From Coniston Old Man Coniston & Brimm Fell [with] Martyn and Kath [weather] Dry & Very Sunny
Tim Winn conquered The Old Man of Coniston on September 30th, 2023 [with] Barry, Paul and Andy [weather] Wet Day
Christine Shepherd scaled The Old Man of Coniston on May 27th, 1994 [from/via/route] Coniston [with] My husband Peter [weather] Fine walking weather - I remember being struck by the amazing turquoise colour of Low Water on this walk. Have climbed The Old Man on two other occasions as part of the Coniston Round on 31.7.07 & 1.10.11. using walk c420. Did the Coniston Seven again on 4.8.23 in wonderful walking weather.
Martin Woods walked up The Old Man of Coniston on March 4th, 2023 [from/via/route] Old man of Coniston to Swirl How, Black Sails & Wetherlam c306 [with] N/A [weather] Overcast, 7 degerees in the valley cold on the tops - Be careful of navigation towards Swirl How easy to forget where you are up to
James Hughes climbed The Old Man of Coniston on February 27th, 2023 [from/via/route] Coniston, Old Man Coniston, Prison Band, Black Sails Wetherlam [with] Solo [weather] Cold, cloudy with sleet showers, icy on paths - Cold, cloudy, sleet & drizzle. Completed within 5 hours. Pint of Bluebird at Black Bull Inn.
Emma Simmonds bagged The Old Man of Coniston on August 13th, 2019 [from/via/route] Goat tarn to top the onto Swirl How's & down past the copper mines [with] Kevin, Sam, Dad, Keith, Margaret and Joe [weather] Dry, low cloud at the top, cool.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of The Old Man of Coniston
Dow Crag, Buck Pike, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston from White Maiden the high point on Walna Scar
The Southern Fells from Black Combe to The Old Man of Coniston from Kirkby-in-Furness
High Light Haw (Top o' Selside) summit cairn with the Coniston Fells: White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Wetherlam in the background
360 degree panorama featuring Great Gable, Green Gable, Little Scoat Fell & Pillar (distance), Brandreth, Dale Head (Newlands), High Spy, Glaramara, Esk Pike, Great End and Scafell Pike from Base Brown
Old quarry workers dwellings at Crowberry Haws near the foot of The Old Man of Coniston
Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston from the summit of Yew Bank
Coniston Water with Beacon (Blawith Fells), Caw (Dunnerdale Fells), White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from Great Hill (Consiton)
*Dow Crag, Goat's Hawse, Goast's Water and The Old Man of Coniston from Brown Pike
Little Stand (foreground), Pike of Blisco (Pike o' Blisco) (left), Wetherlam and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from Slight Side
The Ordnance Survey Triangulation Piller on the summit of The Old Man of Coniston
Coniston Water from the summit of Brock Barrow (Top o' Selside) with Beacon (Blawith Fells) prominent (centre) and the Coniston Fells: White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Wetherlam in the background (right)
White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston across Coniston Water from Crab Haws Woods
Grey Friar (left), Dow Crag, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from White Maiden
My wife Imogen, my two boys Jonathan and Matthew and me on Coniston Old Man
Top o' Selside summit cairn with the Coniston Fells: White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Wetherlam as a backdrop
White Maiden summit cairn with Grey Friar (left), Dow Crag, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston (right) in the background
Low Light Haw (Top o' Selside) summit cairn with the Coniston Fells: White Maiden, Walna Scar, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How and Wetherlam in the background
Wetherlam, Levers Water and Low Water from the top of The Old Man of Coniston
*The Southern Fells from Black Combe to The Old Man of Coniston from Kirkby-in-Furness
Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston from Beacon (Blawith Fells)
The Old Man of Coniston (left) and Swirl How (right) from Wetherlam summit
. . . see just 20 walk photographs & pictures of views from, on or of The Old Man of Coniston
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from The Old Man of Coniston
If you would like to add your walk photographs and pictures featuring views from, on or of The Old Man of Coniston to this page, please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to:
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