Park and Stride

Dow Crag from Coniston including Goat’s Water and Walna Scar.

Into Stride

Drive up from Coniston via Station Road passing the Sun Hotel. The steep lane eases then bends left, there is a more gradual rise to the fell gate; one mile distant from the village (with ample informal car parking). Immediately the tarred road gives way to a rough track heading south-east along the natural line of transition between the Borrowdale volcanic rocks of the Old Man and the lower lying Silurian shales of Banishead Moor.

Bronze Age Stone Circle

Winter gives some chance of locating the Bronze Age Stone Circle set below Boo Tarn. The tarn, nothing more than rushes, coming just after the barred access track climbing right to Bursting Stone Quarry. Pass through two rock cuttings: quarrymen from the slate quarry above Blind Tarn enlarging the ancient cross-ridge way. Arriving at a large cairn, leave the track turning right, where the path up from Torver via Banishead Quarry crosses the Walna Scar Road. The path, well used, being pitched at various points, rises up the open bowl of The Cove. No you’re not in Cornwall, coves are a vestige British pre-9th Century name, and even occur in Scotland (I watched Cove Rangers lose to Gretna only a month ago in the Scottish Cup).

A rock band intervenes, though easily overcome, the path strides on towards the outflow of Goat’s Water. Keep to the eastern shore: a place of awe and decision. If the cliff above is in full view, and the path not too icy, then continue heading on a pitched trod to the broad saddle of Goat’s Hause, if not, now’s a good point to retreat. The main cliff of Dow Crag, pronounced ‘doe’, is composed of five projecting buttresses and six gullies, Easy Gully, to the left of Great Gully, being in the realm of rock climbers.

Goat’s Hause provides the first view north-west, beyond Grey Friar to the Scafells. Turn left, curving steadily up to the rock bastion crowning Dow Crag: among the top tier of Lakeland summits, it has no need for a cairn. Having witnessed Dow Crag from below, now stand at its apex, a sensation quite without rival.  If the rocks are the least bit icy, tread warily. Coniston Old Man looks nothing from this side, the Duddon and the distant Scafells amply compensate, but the main intent will be on the cliff’s edge and rightly so!
The ridge path runs on south beside the broken wall, built to dissuade sheep from venturing onto the cliff, now they stray down from ledge to perilous ledge often accompanied by their offspring - quite alarming to watch. The views over the cliff continue to invite attention.

A small cairn marks the next rise of Buck Pike, the name a second link with this lost territory of goats. Blind Tarn catches the eye below, the glacial dam at its lip such that water percolates rather than pours. Small populations of char and trout linger in the tarn established by quarrymen for sustenance. The ridge path dips to Brown Pike then sweeps down to the summit of the Walna Scar Road.

The 2,000 foot contour is maintained south via three quite minor tops, each worth including in your walk if you have the time, reaching White Pike - with its far ranging view beyond Caw down to Duddon Sands. At this time of year it is necessary to backtrack to the pass.  In summer walkers can wander pathless off White Maiden to regain the ancient road lower down.  Botanists finding the Ash Gill locality attractive, as the band of Coniston Limestone here provides habitats for lime-tolerant plants, rare in mountain Lakeland.

Should Seathwaite, down in the Duddon, be considered, keep to the old road, for on the western slopes of Walna Scar there is the most enormous slate quarry, the unprotected edge perilous in mist (see photo).

Descending the rough road from the pass watch for the tiny drystone alcove shelter, it has replicas on the Nan Bield Pass between Mardale and Kentmere. It’s a bit tight, but in bad weather must have been a welcome refuge. A matter of yards below, with time to spare, one might traverse left on the quarry trod to inspect the old slate quarry and venture down into the perfect corrie hollow to the shores of Blind Tarn, retreating by the lower broad greenway. The Walna Scar Road weaves down over Cove Bridge, spanning Torver Beck, to reach the fell gate - in failing light the whole way down never in doubt.

After walk refreshment

Coniston is well served with places to eat and drink, even in these winter months, this is, after all, a well-rounded community not just a summer tourist haven. The Black Bull has the attraction of its own micro-brewery, the Coniston Brewery producing the ever-popular Bluebird Bitter, affirming the village’s affectionate link with Donald Campbell. The Ruskin Museum is a must visit too.

Mark’s picture gallery and guides

There are twenty-five colour images from this walk posted on the BBC Cumbria website. However, they are all summer scenes, winter turns the fells into mountains.

Mark is the author of the Collins fellwalking guide series LAKELAND FELLRANGER with four titles currently available: Central Fells, Mid-Western Fells, Near Eastern Fells and Southern Fells - Dow Crag features prominently in the Southern Fells.