The Old Man of Coniston
802m (2633ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
The summit of The Old Man of Coniston is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point.
Not familiar with this top?
You can walk to the top of The Old Man of Coniston by using any of these 6 easy‑to‑follow route maps:
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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 unique, downloadable, PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
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, scaled, summited, hiked & 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 it on September 26th, 2025 [from/via/route] c306: The Old Man of Coniston & Wetherlam from Coniston [with] Fran
Sarah Gunn bagged it 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 on June 2nd, 2024 [from/via/route] From Coniston Old Man Coniston & Brimm Fell [with] Martyn and Kath [weather] Dry & Very Sunny
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on, or of, The Old Man of Coniston
The Old Man of Coniston (left) and Swirl How (right) from Wetherlam summit
Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston from the summit of Yew Bank
*Dow Crag, Goat's Hawse, Goast's Water and The Old Man of Coniston from Brown Pike
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
The Southern Fells from Black Combe to The Old Man of Coniston from Kirkby-in-Furness
The Ordnance Survey Triangulation Piller on the summit of The Old Man of Coniston
Grey Friar (left), Dow Crag, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from White Maiden
*The Southern Fells from Black Combe to The Old Man of Coniston from Kirkby-in-Furness
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
Dow Crag, Buck Pike, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston from White Maiden the high point on Walna Scar
Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston from Beacon (Blawith Fells)
Little Stand (foreground), Pike of Blisco (Pike o' Blisco) (left), Wetherlam and The Old Man of Coniston (right) from Slight Side
My wife Imogen, my two boys Jonathan and Matthew and me on Coniston Old Man
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
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)
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, Walna Scar, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston across Coniston Water from Crab Haws Woods
White Maiden summit cairn with Grey Friar (left), Dow Crag, Brown Pike and The Old Man of Coniston (right) in the background
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)
Wetherlam, Levers Water and Low Water from the top of The Old Man of Coniston
Old quarry workers dwellings at Crowberry Haws near the foot of The Old Man of Coniston
. . . see just 10 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
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