Wetherlam via Lad Stones Ridge and Black Sails

A circular fell walk starting and finishing at the Coniston information centre, beside the national park car park. 7.6 miles / 12.2 km for the full loop, not one-way, with about 786 m of ascent. Most ordinary hikers should plan on 5 to 6 hours moving time, plus stops. Faster schedules exist on paper, but they are not a sensible basis for planning.

You leave the village on road and gravel track up the Coppermines approach beside Church Beck, past Miners Bridge and the hydro intake, then take a rough path through bracken and over a stone footbridge to Hole Rake. From there the walk swings onto the Lad Stones ridge and climbs steadily over Lower Howes to Wetherlam. West from the summit toward Swirl Hawse you detour over Red Dell Head, then tackle the rocky eastern face of Black Sails before the complicated south ridge over Kennel Crag and Erin Crag drops you to Levers Water dam. The return crosses the dam, passes the old workings at Paddy End, and descends Boulder Valley and Low Water Beck to the Coppermines terrace, the hydro intake and Church Beck. The reward is a varied and generally quieter Coniston round that strings together a Wainwright top, a genuinely rocky ridge, Levers Water, long views over Coniston Water and the neighbouring fells, and a lot of mining history.

Rated 7 out of 10. No technical climbing, but it is a hard day: sustained ascent, rough and sometimes indistinct high paths, rocky steps, boggy ground, and steep ridge slopes. Underfoot you get village road, gravel track, rough mountain path, grass, bare rock, peat and loose steps. The climb itself is steady rather than brutal; the difficulty is in the ground and the navigation.

The upper ground is more open and exposed, and route finding matters in mist. The line near Red Dell Head and around Black Sails can be faint. On the descent from Black Sails, stay on the crest and do not drift off either side early, because the slopes below are steep and unforgiving and there is some clambering through rocky steps. If water is spilling over the Levers Water dam, the crossing can be wet, and the rough track down the valley is the safer choice.

The Coniston valley is rugged fell country, and this route runs straight through its industrial past: old stopes, spoil, water management features and mine entrances around Paddy End and the Coppermines terrace. Stay on the route and well away from any opening. Higher up, the appeal is rock and ridge, with Levers Water sitting in its bowl below Black Sails.

No permit is needed for this day walk. Dogs are welcome but must be under close control, on a lead wherever livestock is present, and on a lead of no more than 2 m from 1 March to 31 July on open access land to protect ground-nesting birds. There is no dependable water source to plan around, so carry everything you need.

This is not a route for poor visibility if you are unsure of your map work, and the Black Sails descent is the crux rather than the summit. If you want a longer day on better-trodden paths, the Old Man of Coniston circuit from the same village is the obvious alternative; if you want the rockier, quieter option, stay with this one.