Coniston Favorites

Favorite thing: When you first enter Conniston one of the first things you should do is visit the tourist information office....this will be your best source of information. Inside there are hundreds of leaflets advertising events and places to visit in and around the area. The staff are very helpfull and not on a hard sell. When we visited this office the staff could see that we was looking for information on a nearby camp site........they asked if they could help...and they did.............they even made a telephone call for us to check availability.....10 out of 10 for the staff at this office.
You will also find that there isn`t a lot of parking space in Conniston and the main car park is actually at the tourist information office.....you have to pay to park but it is very convieneant.

Fondest memory: Of course Coniston is famous for Donald Campbell and his famous "Bluebird".
Donald Campbell CBE was the obsessive holder of world land and water speed records and died in Coniston lake on January 4 1967 while trying to break his own record. Possibly striking a log the turbo jet powered hyfroplane "Bluebird" disintegrated at around 300 miles an hour.
He had broken the world water speed record seven times in 10 years when the accident happened. Having hit 202.32mph on Ullswater in July 1955, he bettered it on December 31, 1964, at Dumbleyung Lake, Australia when he reached 276.33mph.
His penchant for record breaking brought him back to Coniston for a final time.
His last reported words heard over the intercom were: “She’s going, she’s going.” His body was not found at the tome of the tradegy.

In December 2000 divers testing underwater cameras found the wreckage. In March 2001 Bluebird was recovered from the lake bed . The tail was undamaged but the front cockpit area was completely crushed.
The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum Charitable Trust now want to provide a permanent home for the remains of Bluebird and are seeking permission for a 10m by 10m extension to the Museum to house it. The application is supported by a letter from the Curator of the museum stating that Bluebird is part of Coniston’s heritage and the people of Coniston "believe most strongly" that the craft belongs in the town as a "permanent memorial to a great British hero".

In August 2001 the Barrow in Furness coroner decided that based on DNA evidence the remains found near the wreck of Bluebird were those of the late Donald Campbell. His daughter, Gina Campbell, 51, from Leeds, can at last officially hold an official service following the loss of her father, who died when she was just 17.

This commemorative plaque can be found on the village green near the church.

Favorite thing: In the churchyard of St Andrews Church in the village, is the resting place of John Ruskin artist,art critic, poet and social reformer.
His memorial is in the form of an Ango-Saxon cross designed by W.G.Collinwood, his long time secretary and literay assistant.

Favorite thing: Coniston has a well known Brewery...had to take this for Richie ;-) Its located behind the Black Bull Inn. Its fabled Bluebird Bitter, won Champion Beer of Britain 1998 at the great British Beer Festival.

The Brewer is built on the site of an old pig stye, now produces 20 barrels per week and supplies many outlets in the Lake District.

Favorite thing: An unspoilt Lakeland town, situated at the northern end of Coniston Water, overlooked by the Old Man Of Coniston 2,627ft.