Distance 5 miles (8km)
Classification Moderate
Duration 2 hours 30 minutes
Begins Monk Coniston car park
OS grid reference SD316978
Walk in a nutshell
A figure-of-eight course from the shores of Coniston Water north-east through woodland for a circuit of Tarn Hows. The walk returns to Coniston along farm tracks. (For a shorter walk, simply skip the circuit around Tarn Hows.)
Why it's special
This walk was devised by 19th-century industrialist JG Marshall to impress guests visiting his country estate. It takes you through the sort of eye-easing scenery you see when you close your eyes and imagine the Lake District, and throws in the walled garden and tree collection of Monk Coniston Hall for good measure. There's plenty of interesting wildlife along the way too.
Keep your eyes peeled for
The heart-melting faces of the local Herdwick sheep. They begin life with brown bodies and white heads but turn various alluring shades of grey as they age. Trivia fans will enjoy the fact that Beatrix Potter was the first woman to be elected president-designate of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association. Red squirrels are still just about holding on here, as are otters along the lakeside. On the heathland look for common lizards and sunbathing adders. In the woods there are huge redwood trees and other exotic conifers. You might also find some wood sorrel, a wildflower that grows in old, undisturbed woodland. And ploughing across Coniston Water there's the National Trust's Steam Yacht Gondola (nationaltrust.org.uk/gondola), built in 1859 in a marriage of Venetian style and 19th-century technology.
Recover afterwards
At Coniston's vibrant Harry's (harrys-coniston.co.uk), a wine bar and restaurant that also does takeaways if you fancy lakeside dining.
If it's tipping down
Brantwood (brantwood.org.uk), the home of Victorian author, artist, critic and social reformer John Ruskin, is just along the shore of Coniston and is accessible from Coniston village using the Steam Yacht Gondola or the Coniston Launch (conistonlaunch.co.uk).
How to get there
From Windermere railway station take the Coniston Rambler 505 bus. Or travel in the style to which you wish you were accustomed by boarding the Steam Yacht Gondola. It sails from April to November, and you can pick it up from the pier in Coniston village to Monk Coniston jetty.
Step by step
1 Leaving Monk Coniston car park, take the path into the field opposite. Walk to the black gates at the entrance to Monk Coniston Hall grounds.
2 Enter the grounds and bear right through the woods into the walled garden.
3 Leaving Monk Coniston grounds, take care crossing the road to enter the woodland. You'll soon cross a narrow bridge. As you walk through the woods, many forestry tracks and paths join. Ignore these and stick to the main path, following signs to Tarn Hows car park.
4 Arriving at Tarn Hows you can walk around the tarn on a circular loop where there's a good path with seats.
5 Return to the main Tarn Hows car park and follow the one-way exit road towards Coniston. Take the first footpath on your right to Tarn Hows Cottage. Before you reach the cottage, take the first footpath on the left. This winds down the hill through fields to Boon Crag Farm. Enjoy the views out over Coniston Water as you go.
6 When you reach the farm track at the bottom of the hill, turn left and continue past the farm and sawmill. At the road, turn right to join an off-road footpath which leads you back to Coniston Water. When you get to the lake, cross the road and walk left back to the car park.
