Coniston and The Langdale Valley - Morning Half Day Tour
Coniston and The Langdale Valley - Morning Half Day Tour
• Tarn Hows surrounded by mountains with birdsong in the trees, regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District. • Coniston Water with spectacular views of the lake and Coniston Old Man. • Brantwood, the famous house once owned by John Ruskin with spectacular views over Coniston Water to the Old Man.
• Coniston village, a bustling Lake District gem nestling between the tranquil lake and the looming fells. • Great Langdale the spectacular U-shaped valley surrounded by breathtaking scenery. • Little Langdale the secluded valley with Neolithic, Viking, Medieval and smuggling connections.
Book This ExperienceA glimpse of the journey
Your Itinerary
A curated journey through the experience
Tarn Hows
Your morning starts with a scenic drive through typical Lakeland countryside to "one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District", Tarn Hows. You would never guess that the scene before you is a man-made, stunning beauty spot. In Victorian times, a beck was dammed, creating the tarn you see today, while the Hows are the surrounding small, wooded hills. In 1929, Beatrix Potter bought this area as part of the vast Monk Coniston Estate and later left it all to the National Trust so that the farms and breathtaking countryside were preserved. You will have an opportunity to stop here and admire the view looking over to the Coniston hills and Langdale Pikes, which form the backdrop to this spectacular corner of the Lake District.
15 minutesConiston Water
As we descend back down from the Tarn, the surrounding countryside opens up before us, dropping away from the road down the rolling hills towards the Yewdale Valley. Plunging into a wooded, mossy dell, we emerge back onto the main road at Monk Coniston sitting on the northern tip of Coniston Water. Pausing here, at the very edge of the lake for you to soak up the atmosphere and tranquillity, we then meander along the shore, climbing up to beautiful Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin, the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, as well as an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist.
Brantwood Brantwood East of Lake
We linger at Brantwood long enough for you to take in the panoramic vista of the lake, overshadowed by Coniston Old Man opposite. Brantwood is the perfect spot for photos across the lake. Down below the house, a path snakes through a garden to the lakeshore jetty where you can walk out onto the lake for more amazing photo opportunities.
20 minutesLittle Langdale Valley
We now leave this lowland area and head up into the fells and some staggering, sweeping scenery. Little Langdale is a hamlet of a few scattered stone houses and a pub in the Little Langdale valley. These few cottages and farms are separated by the Lingmoor Fells from Great Langdale and so we must take a narrow, twisting road up high onto the fells which looks down on some of the most breathtaking views in the Lake District.
15 minutesBlea Tarn
We pass by Blea Tarn, still on the narrow road which climbs steeply and turns backwards and forwards unfolding the scenery before us.
5 minutesLittle Langdale Valley
The road now turns as we pass Great Langdale which is known to archaeologists as the source of a particular type of Neolithic polished stone axe head, created on the slopes of the Pike of Stickle and traded all over prehistoric Great Britain and Europe. Great Langdale is a huge U-shaped valley formed by glaciers which opens up to us as we descend back down from the fells. The valley also contains two villages, Chapel Stile and Elterwater, and as the road passes close by, we get a glimpse of the nearby lake through the trees. The mouth of the valley itself is located at Skelwith Bridge and as we pass through the village, we follow the meandering river Brathay back into Ambleside where we began our adventure.
30 minutesWindermere
This is one of our pickup points
Bowness-on-Windermere
This is one of our pickup points
Ambleside
This is one of our pickup points
Grasmere
A lovely village
The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop
Taste those biscuits
5 minutesIncluded
- All entrance fees for locations on the itinerary are included
- Relaxed and friendly small-group tour of no more than 7 guests
- Professional Guides share their expertise of all the fascinating facts and stories in English
- Departure and return to convenient, centrally located meeting points
- Comfortable minivans with air-conditioning, WiFi and charging points for most mobile devices
- Regular photo / comfort stops
Not Included
- Food & drink
Good to Know
- Not wheelchair accessible
- The English Lake District weather can change quickly, even in the summer months. Please bring a waterproof coat with a hood in case of rain or windy weather
- As there is a little walking involved on the tour, some uphill and on uneven or wet terrain, please wear suitable, comfortable shoes
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Children under the age of 5 can travel on this tour but we do not recommend it
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- All passengers, including children of any age, must have a seat purchased for them
- We will collect you from the departure point linked to your chosen option. Please do not change to a different departure point without informing us in advance as we don't automatically go to every departure point. If we don't know you have changed your departure point we may not pick you up for the tour!
- Most travelers can participate
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tickets & Cancellation
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.