Coniston Water, situated in the Furness peninsula, is the fifth largest lake in the Lake District. It is five miles long by half a mile wide and is 184 deep at its deepest part. It drains to the sea through the River Crake and is 143ft above sea level.

Coniston is a ribbon lake which sits in a deep U-shaped glaciated valley. There are three small islands here, all owned by the National Trust.

The highest fell in the Coniston cluster of fells, Old Man of Consiton, can be found to the north-west of the lake.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, Coniston was an important source of fish for the monks of Furness Abbey. In more recent times, it was used to move slate and ore from the mines in Coppermines Valley situated just above Coniston village.

In 1939, Sir Malcom Cambell set a world water speed record of 141.74 miles per hour. Sir Malcom’s son, Donald Campbell, subsequently set four world records from 1956 and 1959. In 1967, he attempted to set another before losing control of his hydroplane and fatally injuring himself. The remains of the boat and majority of Cambell’s body were recovered in 2001. He is now buried in Consiton churchyard.

The lake is paddled as the second leg of the Three Lakes Challenge and is a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing.

During the summer there is a steam yacht which tours the lake.

Arthur Ransom’s novel Swallows and Amazons was based on Coniston Water.