About
Coniston Water is about 5 miles long and half a mile wide. From the Western shore lies Coniston village, which hosts a range of cafe’s, tourist shops and pubs. Towering high above is the Old Man of Coniston, providing you with some incredible fell views.
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Parking nearby | Yes (Paid) |
| Pram accessible | Yes |
| Toilets | Public Toilets near the boating centre |
| Refreshments | Cafe opposite the boating centre |
Parking
We parked at Coniston Boating Centre on the northern end of Coniston Water (LA21 8AN), paying £5.40 for 4 hours. It’s then just a short walk to the shore, turning left past the boating centre, where there is plenty of space to launch the kayaks.
Our Visit – 03/04/2021
This was quite an exciting day out for us all. Firstly because lockdown had just been relaxed slightly, meaning that we were finally allowed to venture out further into the Lake District and secondly because it was the first time getting to test out our new Kayak; an Aquamarina Tomahawk AIR-K 440.
We carried the kayak (in its bag) right down to the shore and had a bit of lunch before inflating it. It inflates in just a few minutes, so its super quick. There were a few other kayaks and paddleboards out on the water which created a lovely atmosphere, without it being super busy and the weather was glorious too. There is something so mesmerising about the sun glistening down and reflecting off the water.
Richard was first out in the kayak with Jack, followed by me with Piper. They were very well behaved, staying nice and still. In fact, they seemed to be quite fascinated by the whole thing and it was actually nice and peaceful. Must take them out more often! For now, we have decided not to take Teddy out in the kayak, he is still pretty young and is currently going through the stage of wanting to get at everything he shouldn’t, so we think he would be very fidgety.
So for us when we are looking at somewhere to Kayak, it’s important that we have plenty of space alongside the shore to keep those of us not kayaking, entertained. Although lets be honest, as long as there are stones, the kids would happily throw them in the lake all day long! This spot at Coniston is great for that and the water is shallow enough for the kids to safely splash their feet about too. We also liked the fact that we can easily (apart from a few sandy spots) get the pram down to the shore aswell, so Teddy has somewhere safe to sit and a good place to have a little nap.
We haven’t been out on Kayak’s since before the kids arrived, so it really was awesome to get back out there on the water. We enjoyed it before, so we knew we would enjoy it again. It’s kind of tricky to put into words, but being out there on the water gives you another feeling of freedom, it’s peaceful and serene and you can just forget about everything else. It washes your worries away. I definitely found myself just taking pauses from paddling, to just stop, take in the view and enjoy it.
Nearby
The village of Coniston is just half a mile from the car park, and is worth a little explore. There is also a pram friendly walk which takes you down to Torver Jetty if you are feeling up for it.
touringwiththekids.com 