The Best Sight in Coniston, The Lake District

Background Illustration for Sights

We've compiled the best of the best in Coniston - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Coniston Water

The lake came to prominence in the 1930s when Arthur Ransome made it the setting for Swallows and Amazons, one of a series of beloved novels about a group of children and their adventures. The lake is about 5 miles long, a tempting stretch that drew Donald Campbell here in 1959 to set a water-speed record of 260 mph. He was killed when trying to beat it in 1967. His body and the wreckage of Bluebird K7 were retrieved from the lake in 2001. Campbell is buried in St. Andrew's church in Coniston, and a stone memorial on the village green commemorates him.