Everything about Coniston Water totally explained
Coniston Water (sometimes simply called
Coniston locally) in
Cumbria,
England is the third largest lake in the English
Lake District. It is five miles (8 km) long, half a mile (800 m) wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet (56 m), and covers an area of 1.89 square miles (4.9 km²). The lake has an elevation of 143 feet (44 m) above sea level. It drains to the sea via the
River Crake.
Geography
Coniston Water is an example of a ribbon lake formed by
glaciation. The lake sits in a deep U-shaped
glaciated valley scoured by a
glacier in the surrounding volcanic and limestone rocks during the last
ice age.
To the north-west of the lake rises the
Old Man of Coniston, the highest fell in the Coniston fells group.
Coniston holds one of the oldest rocks in the world
History
Remains of agricultural settlements from the
Bronze Age have been found near the shores of Coniston Water. The
Romans mined copper from the fells above the lake, and a potash kiln and two iron bloomeries show that industrial activity continued in medieval times. In the 13th and 14th centuries, Coniston Water was an important source of fish for the monks of
Furness Abbey who owned the lake and much of the surrounding land. Copper mining continued in the area until the 19th century.
The lake was also known by the alternative name of Thorstein's Water, being named after the Norse invader who took up residence int valley and claimed the lakebed. This name was used up until the late 18th century.
The
Victorian artist and philosopher
John Ruskin owned
Brantwood house on the eastern shore of the lake, and lived in it from 1872 until his death in 1900. Ruskin is buried in the churchyard in the village of Coniston, at the north end of the lake.
Arthur Ransome set his children's novel
Swallows and Amazons and some of its sequels on a fictional lake, but drew much of his inspiration from Coniston Water. Some of Coniston Water's islands and other local landmarks can be identified in the novel. In particular,
Peel Island is the
Wild Cat Island of the book including the secret harbour.
Waterspeed record
In the 20th century Coniston Water was the scene of many attempts to break the world
water speed record. On
August 19 1939 Sir
Malcolm Campbell set the record at 141.74 miles per hour (228.108 km/h) on Coniston Water in
Bluebird K4. Between 1956 and 1959 Sir Malcolm's son
Donald Campbell set four successive records on the lake in
Bluebird K7, a
hydroplane.
In 1966 Donald Campbell decided that he needed to exceed 300 miles per hour (483 km/h) in order to retain the record. On
January 4 1967 he achieved a top speed of over 320 miles per hour (515 km/h) in Bluebird K7 on the return leg of a record-breaking attempt. He then lost control of Bluebird, which somersaulted and crashed, sinking rapidly. Campbell was killed instantly on impact. The attempt couldn't be counted as a record-breaking run because the second leg wasn't completed. The remains of Bluebird and Campbell's body were recovered from the water in 2001.
Lady in the Lake
In recent times, Coniston Water has become known for a controversial murder case. Mrs Carol Park was dubbed the '
Lady in the Lake' after the
Raymond Chandler novel of the
same name.
Boating
The
steam yacht Gondola tours the lake in the summer months.
Gallery
Image:R001-006.jpg|View from Peel Island facing north with Helvellyn in the distant background.
Image:Coniston From Campsite.jpg|Looking South from the campsite with Fir & Peel islands visible.
Image:Steam_Gondola_on_Coniston.jpg|Steam yacht "The Lady of the Lake" at Coniston pier.
Image:Old man of Coniston.jpg|Old Man of Coniston from Coniston Water North.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Coniston Water'.
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