Coniston, The Lake District
Coniston is one of the most popular tourist hot spots in the Lake District and it is not hard to understand why, at the foot of Coniston Old Man and the shore of Coniston Waters the setting is stunning. Coniston grew as both a Lake District farming village, and to serve local copper and Lakeland slate mines. It grew in popularity as a tourist location during the Victorian era, thanks partially to the construction of a branch of the Furness Railway, which opened to passenger traffic in 1859 and terminated at Coniston railway station. The poet and social critic John Ruskin also popularised the village, buying the mansion Brantwood on the Eastern side of Coniston Water in 1871. Before his death, he rejected the chance to be buried in Westminster Abbey, instead being laid to rest in the churchyard of St Andrews, Coniston. The whole village was powered by hydroelectricity during the 20s but this became so heavily taxed that the people there were forced to return to the national grid. Ironically, since 7th March, 2007 a hydro-electric scheme has been in use to power up to 300 homes; being sited near the original. Ruskin Museum, established in 1901, is both a memorial to Ruskin and a local museum covering the history and heritage of Coniston Water and the Lake District. Tourist Links
|
