It was time for another day out and after our brief visit to Coniston Water a couple of days earlier we feltit deserved a full day’s attention. Despite an early start and arriving just after 9am, the Brown Howe car park and adjacent lay-bys were already full. Luckily we’d scanned the roads on Google Maps and the next lay-by had some spaces.
After a busy 30 minutes inflating SUPs and kayaks and transferring our vast amounts of stuff to the beach we were ready for breakfast.
A stunning morning and Coniston has quickly become my favourite of the major lakes.
As well as facilitating an earlier start, nothing beats an alfresco breakfast. The chef looks especially happy!
We spent a wonderful few hours, swimming and messing about on inflatable craft.
Me and TBF took an extended paddle across the lake to Peel Island (made famous in the “Swallows and Amazons” book)
The views across the water to the Coniston Fells were superb.
We did a lazy circuit of Peel Island.
Views towards what I think were the Hellvellyn range and the Fairfield horseshoe.
This little Bay was full of kids jumping off rocks and generally having fun.
TJF really has got the hang of the SUP and did a couple of full circuits of Peel Island.
After more food me and TJS took a paddle back to the bay with the DBs and TBB for jumping fun. TJS is much more at home looking cool and relaxed!
The water below these rocks was deep enough – just – for some decent jumps.
DB Senior.
TBB
A little video clip of a couple of jumps.
I did some jumps myself. View from the top of the rocks. Mark actually swam all the way across which was pretty impressive. He wasn’t 100% sure he could make it all the way back so after ferrying TJF back I came back to pick him up.
Time for a change of activity. Me, TJS and TBF went for a walk up the nearby Beacon Fell.
It was a pretty hot and sultry climb through the bracken.
But the views were magnificent.
Its a great vantage point for the Coniston Fells.
As well as Coniston Water itself.
South towards Morecambe Bay and the South Lakes Peninsulas.
Beacon Tarn. I had toyed with idea of walking down there for a swim but it was hot and we had a perfectly good lake to swim in already.
We wandered back over the top and started to make our way down.
As we did we started getting messages that DB Junior had taken a shuttlecock in the eye and had gone to casualty as he couldn’t see out of it. We were all very worried as he seemed very upset, very disconcerting as the DBs are normally pretty robust and take their many bumps and scrapes in their stride. He looked shaken when we saw him later that evening and went to bed with a headache and badly impaired vision. Later on he came back down looking much better and brighter and after a couple of days and more consultations with the specialists, all was on the mend. Much relief all round.
Not quite the ending to the day we were all hoping for but everything ok in the end. We had a last little swim and a cuppa while the sun began to hide behind the fells, packed up and headed home.
Still a fabulous day out and the memories of fun and frolics will live long in the memory.
surfnslide 