UKC

I just read this on Twitter, it probably is quite quiet at the moment, but they were not referencing times of Covid.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like Coniston, but it really isn’t quiet compared to most parts of the Lakes. I guess it just illustrates that for a lot of people “the Lakes” is Bowness, Ambleside and Keswick.

No great point to make, or any snobbery. I have happy memories associated with all the places mentioned. It just struck me as quite a statement.

I have seen the worst and best of Coniston, at times it can be quieter than a lot of the main tourist haunts other times it's bedlam.

People do seem to flock to the central towns, Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick etc. we had a ride round Hawkshead post lockdown 1.0 and whilst Ambleside was heaving (traffic and people) there was hardly a car in the car parks in Hawkshead which i found strange give that's its a lovely little village for a wander, perhaps not enough outdoor shops or cafes to keep everybody interested though....

Certainly our hut there isn't getting much use at the moment.

"Conistone reports sudden unexplained influx of walkers and climbers due to reddit-style reports from those seeking socially long distanced walking opportunities"

Would that be because of the recent Winter Walks thing on BBC 4?

Coniston village isn’t as busy as the usual suspects, hills similar. But the lake is very accessible by car compared to the others. Lots of people spending the day by the side of the lake messing about and having fun. Been some litter and fire problems and I’ve heard they closed off the east side. The lake is still quiet enough, especially compared to windermere. 

I lived in Coniston for over twenty years.

The school is a popular base for large outdoor events, such as the old Saunders weekend, Coniston 14 road race etc.

The pubs , shops and local paths are usually rammed at such times .

Most complaints by the locals are reserved for the Montane 50/100, supporters of which seem to have a large proportion of thoughtless tw*ts amongst their ranks .

Interestingly , tw*ts seem to have been auto corrected by either my phone or UKC.

Appears to be UKC.

I lived and worked in Coniston in 2016 and thought it was a great place to be. It can be seriously busy during the day but by late afternoon it usually died down rapidly. Got food, drinks & parking easily enough, even ‘local’ discounts which I’ve never been offered in North Wales.

Compared to Ambleside just up the road it’s really not bad, there were a few times when I drove around the town 3 or 4 times trying to get parked and just gave up. 

Quiet in the lakes would be Duddon & Ennerdale, my favourite valleys uncoincidentally. 

Having visited, worked, long (3months)  and countless shorter stays for over 30 years and many, many pints  my favourite place in the Lakes. 

I've been visiting Coniston for probably 40 years, I really do like the place. Wouldn't stay at Coniston Hall, which is where we camped for many years, but still love the town ,lake and mountains. Had family friends with a static caravan on a site nearer Torver, would be interested to see what that is like these days. Been visiting Duddon for more than 25 years, but more and more in the last decade.

Hmmmm I don’t doubt it’s chaos, I have run it and when we finished in the early hours I though people were being very respectful and quiet, it’s one weekend in the year that I would expect brings in thousands of quid to locals businesses and also donates to a lot of cash to local charities, you would hope resident would see the positive in that.

Hmmmmm.

Clapping and shouting into the small hours ( that would get any  single drunk locked up, never mind several hundred), don't get me going about that opera singer, signs put up early and left for weeks disregarding the events that happen other weekends.

It's for charity though so it must be ok.