Parking
Start at Coniston Tourist Information Centre on Ruskin Avenue. Use paid public parking or paid street parking in the village and walk to the start; the centre is not a dedicated trail car park.
Overview
About Introducing Coppermines Valley
Why go
- Accessible route to industrial heritage
- Clear sequence of village and valley stops
Heads up
- Long, sometimes steep climb
- Mine shafts and drops require strict path discipline
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake District map
Full mapElevation58–192 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Lake District alerts
- ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
- ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake District Tour Guide
Your drive to Introducing Coppermines Valley, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Coniston: Old Man and Coppermines0:00 / 1:23
“You're approaching Coniston village, a starting point for the Old Man of Coniston and walks into the Coppermines Valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Coniston Water: Gondola and the Shore
- Monk Coniston: A Gentle Lakeside Walk
- Walna Scar: Dow Crag and Goat’s Water
- Brantwood: Ruskin’s House and Gardens
- 298 audio storiesacross Lake District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Eurasian Otter, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 265 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Introducing Coppermines Valley
The routeAn out-and-back heritage walk from Coniston Tourist Information Centre on Ruskin Avenue to…
An out-and-back heritage walk from Coniston Tourist Information Centre on Ruskin Avenue to Bonsor Mills and the Heritage Centre at the edge of the fells. The mapped corridor is 1.77 km each way, and the complete visitor distance is 2.5 miles / 4 km there and back. Allow about 2 hours.
What you passThe payoff is a whole copper mining landscape read in one valley: industrial remains, spoil,…
The payoff is a whole copper mining landscape read in one valley: industrial remains, spoil, and water management set against the fells above Coniston.
- The Ruskin Museum, near the start in the village
- Miners Bridge and Irish Row, the old miners' housing
- Beds of smelting slag and the huge mound of waste stone
- Bonsor Mills and the Heritage Centre at the valley head
Difficulty and footingAn easy to moderate walk with one long climb that is steep in places.
An easy to moderate walk with one long climb that is steep in places. Official material presents it both ways, labelled Easy on the route listing and Ramblers Grade Moderate in the printed trail guide, so treat the grade as easy underfoot but moderate in effort. Surfaces are mostly good, though the sustained ascent is the main test. Walking boots, outdoor clothing and waterproofs are recommended, along with OS Explorer OL6.
AccessibilityRated Disabled Rambler's Grade Category 3 for most of its length, meaning it suits a powerful,…
Rated Disabled Rambler's Grade Category 3 for most of its length, meaning it suits a powerful, robust off-road power chair rather than being accessible to all. The long climb is beyond the battery capacity of many mobility scooters. The alternative return option from Stop 3 is not suitable for disabled ramblers.
Mine hazards and careThe valley holds hidden shafts and sudden drops.
The valley holds hidden shafts and sudden drops. Never enter workings or openings, keep to the paths, and leave the ground undisturbed: this is a Scheduled Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There is no public vehicle access along the trail.
Parking and dogsStart at Coniston Tourist Information Centre, Ruskin Avenue.
Start at Coniston Tourist Information Centre, Ruskin Avenue. The centre is not a trail car park, so use paid public parking or paid street parking in the village and walk to the start. Dogs are welcome on the public footpaths and should be kept under close control, or on a short lead near livestock, horses and other walkers.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake District
81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
