The Old Man of Coniston walk is one of the best walks in the Lake District and one of the best circular walks!
Although there are several ways to climb the Old Man of Coniston, doing the circular walk is the main and most recommended way because although it is steep in places and it does seem longer than the other options, the footpaths are not consistently steep which gives you a break,
Whereas the shorter paths are short but very steep!
Old Man of Coniston Circular Walk
In this walking guide to the Old Man of Coniston circular route, I’m going to give you step-by-step directions on how to do it, the time needed and tips.
I recommend taking the longer western route first to the Old Man of Coniston summit via Goats Water and then taking the shorter-looking route down because this route is much steeper and easier to walk down than up.
It is nearly 13km in length and took us 4.5 hours to do.
Here’s a map with the location points mentioned:
If you want to look into the other walking routes available. I’ve detailed 4 Old Man of Coniston Routes here!
Old Man of Coniston Circular Route Directions
Take the main-looking footpath going away from the road you drove up to get to the car park.
This footpath remains fairly flat and nice as you can see below.
DO NOT follow the ‘footpath to the Old Man’ sign written on a piece of slate as this takes you directly through the middle along a steep path and is not part of the circular walking route. We took it by accident before realising it was wrong and I was fully out of breath just part the way up!
The footpath suddenly gets narrower and goes between the below 2 rocky areas before opening out again.
This is where you need to look out for the footpath going right, it is just above the rocks in the above photo and it is alongside one of the streams that creates a small waterfall.
This footpath is pretty nice, it is not that steep and continues straight all the way to Goats Water.
SIDE NOTE -You DO NOT have to cross a stone bridge. If you miss the footpath on the right as mentioned above, you will arrive at a stone bridge, this means you’re on the route of the extra-long walk via Dow Crag which isn’t part of this circular walk, so you need to retrace your steps for 10 minutes and look out for the footpath to take.
At Goat’s Water, the path gets a bit tricky to follow and to walk over as it’s mainly just rocks. It is best to keep fairly close to the water without going too high as this is where the official footpath is.
At the end of Goat’s Lake, you can see the path zig-zagging up to the top (although not Old Man of Coniston summit just yet), the path is mainly made from stones and formed into steps so it is really easy to follow and although it is steep, it’s not scary steep.
Once at the top, it’s time to walk along the ridge to the top of the Old Man of Coniston! Because we were high and on the ridge, I thought we were close to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston but we weren’t and the incline continued.
As you can see from my photos, although it was clear when we started the Old Man of Coniston walk, we were up in the clouds now and my rain jacket was needed!
The Old Man of Coniston weather can change dramatically so always pack and be prepared for a variety of weather.
You’ll know you’re at the summit because you’ll see the National Trust Summit Stone plus a big pile of stones.
Now to head back down and continue the Old Man of Coniston Circular Walk…
We continued on the path away from the direction we came in.
The way back down is mostly steep and quite windy so take care and walk carefully. You can see in the photo below the zig-zagging path alongside the small lake.
Again, this is why I recommend taking the longer route up as described in this guide as it’s easier to walk down this short but steep path than up it.
As you get further down you’ll see remains from the old mines and quarries which are good to see and they also mark the hardest part of the hike down done.
From here, it is still a long way back to the Old Man of Coniston car park but once you get to the last corner you’ll see it is straight and mostly flat to the end which is well-needed at this stage.
You’ll then arrive back in Walna Scar car park!
Old Man of Coniston Walk Tips
- If you want to look into the other walking routes available. I’ve detailed 4 Old Man of Coniston Routes here!
- Be sure to pack clothing for a range of weathers as the weather in the Lake District can change quickly.
- This is one of the popular Lake District hikes so be prepared for it to be busy, especially on weekends in summer and bank holidays.
- We did see kids and dogs doing the circular walk we did, they will need to have good fitness though as it is a tough hike.
I hope this post has helped you plan the Old Man of Coniston Walk Circular Walk!
- For more of my Lake District posts see:
- How to Visit Rydal Cave and do Rydal Caves Walk, Lake District
- 10 EASY Walks in the Lake District! Beginner, Short, Flat and Circular Walks!
- Lake District Day Trip Itinerary! Spend 1 Day in the Lake District!
- How To Do Orrest Head Walk from Lake Windermere Easily!
- Best Things To Do in Lake Windermere To Avoid the Crowds!