Old Cumbria Gazetteer
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| placename:- | Old Man of Coniston, The | |
| other name:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| locality:- | Coniston Fells | |
| parish |
Coniston parish, once in
Lancashire
| |
| county:- | Cumbria | |
| hill | ||
| Altitude | 2628 feet | |
| coordinates:- |
SD27239782 | |
| 10Km square:- |
SD29
| |
| 1Km square | SD2797 | |
![]() Old Man of Coniston, The -- Coniston Fells -- Coniston -- Cumbria / -- 21.1.2011 | ||
| source:- |
Martineau 1855
| |
| Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-71. | ||
| Page 27:- | ||
| ... The Old Man, eleventh in height of the mountains of the district, (2,576 feet) towers above him; and the abodes of the people will shew him that he is in the neighbourhood of a copper mine. There is one, some way up the mountain; and he may see the winding road up to it. Higher up, where there is an evident hollow, he is told that he would find a deep black tarn; and higher up, another. But to climb the mountain is a day's work, with much doubt of success, (that is, of a clear summit,) and he must to-day be satisfied with what is below. ... | ||
| Page 58:- | ||
| ... He might go up the Old Man from Coniston; but there are the copper works, and there is the necessity of a guide: and it is a long way to go for the day's treat. ... | ||
| ... | ||
| Page 168:- | ||
| ... The summit is the edge of a line of rocks overhanging another tarn,- Low Water,- ... which is 2,000 feet above the sea level, while the summit of the Old Man is 2,632. On this rock, a "Man" formerly stood; but it was removed by the Ordnance Surveyors, who erected another, much inferior in convenience; for the first contained a chamber, welcome to shepherds and tourists overtaken by bad weather. The mountain consists chiefly of a very fine roofing slate, from which a large tract of country is supplied, and in which a very important trade was formerly carried on. Several of the quarries are now deserted. From the earliest recorded times, there have been works here for the extraction of copper; ... | ||
| Page 169:- | ||
| ... looking abroad from his perch, he sees, (beginning from Gait's Tarn) Devoke Water, in a line with Gait's Tarn, to the west. ... There is a fine stretch of sea visible, with the Isle of Man, conspicuous in good weather. We need not recapitulate the names of the chief mountains. Suffice it that Ingleborough is visible in one direction, and Lancaster Castle again in another; and in clear weather, Snowdon. The number of tarns within view is remarkable. We have mentioned Gait's Tarn and Low Water. Beyond the latter lies Seathwaite Tarn, whence the infant Duddon issues. Stickle Tarn is conspicuous, lying under Pavey Ark. In a hollow of the mountain, on its north-east side, lies Lowes Water. Only the nearer lakes are seen; but there is a glorious stretch of sea; and, when the estuaries are full, the coast is a beautiful spectacle. The shores of Coniston and Windermere, studded with woods and dwellings, are the nearer beauties. | ||
| person:- | surveyor : Ordnance Survey; OS | |
| viewpoint | ||
| date:- | 1855 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late; 1850s | |
| source:- |
Martineau 1855
| |
| Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-71. | ||
| Page 179:- | ||
| A TABLE OF THE HEIGHTS OF MOUNTAINS IN THE COUNTIES OF CUMBERLAND, WESTMORLAND, AND LANCASHIRE. | ||
| No. : Names of Mountains. : Counties. : Height in Feet above the Sea Level. | ||
| 15 : Coniston Old Man : Lancashire : 2632 | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1855 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late; 1850s | |
| source:- |
Martineau 1855
| |
| Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-71. | ||
| Plate, folded in opposite p.7:- | ||
| ||
| Print, engraving, outline view, Mountains on the West Side of Windermere, drawn by L Aspland, engraved by W Banks, Edinburgh, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855. | ||
| MOUNTAINS ON THE WEST SIDE OF WINDERMERE | ||
| L Aspland Delt. / W Banks Sc Edinburgh. | ||
| The view is captioned, numbers referring to mountains in the image:- | ||
| 1 Coniston Old Man 1a Carrs 2 Wetherlam 3 Wrynose Gap 4 Crinkle Crags 5 Pike of Bliscow 6 Scawfell Pike 7 Bowfell 8 Hanging Knotts 9 Glaramara 10 Great End 11 Pike of Stickle 12 Harrison Stickle 13 Paveyark 14 Lingmoor 15 High Raise 16 Silver How 17 Loughrigg Fell 18 Ullscarth | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| person:- | mountain guide | |
| person:- | artist : Aspland, T L | |
| person:- | engraver : Banks, W | |
| person:- | publisher : Garnett, John | |
| date:- | 1855 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late; 1850s | |
| old map:- |
Garnett 1850s-60s H
| |
| Map of the English Lakes, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s. | ||
| ||
| Old Man | ||
| hill hachuring | ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| date:- | 1850=1869 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late; 1850s; 1860s | |
| old map:- |
Ford 1839 map
| |
| Map of the Lake District, published in A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by William Ford, published by Charles Thurnham, London, 1839. | ||
| ||
| Old Man | ||
| Hill hachuring. | ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| county:- | Lancashire | |
| date:- | 1839 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1830s | |
| descriptive text:- |
Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843)
| |
| Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by William Ford, published by Charles Thurnham, London, et al, 1839; published 1839-52. | ||
| ... THE Lake district ... consists of large masses or clusters of mountains, generally terminating in one aspiring and pre-eminent point, with the intermediate valleys occupied either by lakes and their subsidiary tarns, or by winding rivers. | ||
| The chief nuclei of these clusters are, Skiddaw and Blencathra, Helvellyn, Fairfield, Coniston Old Man, Blackcomb, Scafell, Gable, Red Pike, Grasmoor, Grisdale Pike, and the Langdale Pikes. Many noble and commanding mountains rise around these, rivalling them in height and grandeur, but still | ||
| Page iv:- | ||
| serving as large buttresses only. In the presentation of endlessly-diversified forms, these Mountains yield to none, however individually inferior they may be, owing to their being seldom seen in a detached point of view; although, on the other hand, they have thus the advantage of forming combinations at once grand and sublime, towering above each other, or rising in ridges, like the mighty billows of the ocean. | ||
| Page 10:- | ||
| [from the eastern side of Coniston Water] ... Peel island stretches boldly to the western shore, beyond which, are green fields, scattered woods and rocks, fishermen's cottages and farm-steads, and the awful Man-mountain rising over them, and shutting in the scene. ... | ||
| Page 10:- | ||
| ... | ||
| ASCENT OF THE OLD MAN. | ||
| This almost peerless mountain rises majestically on the west side of the lake, having, at its base, the sweet village of Coniston, its groves and green fields. On one side the ascent is gradual from the base to the summit; on the other, a secondary mountain rises steep and rugged, its point heaped | ||
| Page 11:- | ||
| into ridges and worn into furrows, forming a scene of wildness and grandeur. Between this and the Man-mountain, is a deep valley, from which the Old Man rises abruptly, and in some places perpendicularly. One half is covered with rocks and stones, the other with vegetation. The ascent is pleasant, safe, and comfortable. On the summit are three beacons of stone - the Old Man, his Wife, and Son. From it, there is a complete view of the fine bays and estuaries of the Lancashire, and part of the Cumberland coasts - the isles of Walney and Man - and in a very favourable state of the atmosphere, the Snowdonian range in Wales. The road may be traced from the top to Low Water, a tarn lying just beneath. Proceeding in a northerly direction under the summit of the Old Man, Levens Water is discovered, a tarn about a mile in circumference, open only towards the south, being enclosed in every other direction, and making a beautiful picture with part of Coniston Water, the hills about Nibthwaite, and beyond, a strip of sea reaching westward from the river Leven. The descent to Coniston, by the side of the stream flowing out of the tarn, is easy and picturesque. | ||
| Page 11:- | ||
| ... On the summit [Old Man of Coniston] are three beacons of stone - the Old Man, his Wife, and Son. ... | ||
| Page 178:- | ||
| ELEVATION OF THE MOUNTAINS, | ||
| ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| other name:- | Old Man, The | |
| date:- | 1839 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1830s | |
| old print:- |
Otley 1823 (8th edn 1849)
| |
| Guidebook, Concise Description of the English Lakes, later A Description of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirky Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823 onwards. | ||
| ||
| Engraving, outline view of mountains, Windermere looking towards the West from the Road between Troutbeck and Bowness, drawn by T Binns, engraved by O Jewitt, opposite p.4 of A Descriptive Guide of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, 8th edition, 1849. | ||
| ||
| Engraving, outline view of mountains, Coniston Water from near Bank Ground, drawn by T Binns, engraved by O Jewitt, opposite p.8 of A Descriptive Guide of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, 8th edition, 1849. | ||
| ||
| Engraving, outline view of mountains, A Group of Mountains seen from Helvellyn, looking towards the South West, drawn by T Binns, engraved by O Jewitt, opposite p.50 of A Descriptive Guide of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, 8th edition, 1849. | ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| date:- | 1849 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1840s | |
| source:- |
Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
| |
| Guidebook, Concise Description of the English Lakes, later A Description of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirky Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823 onwards. | ||
|
goto source. | |
| Page 79:- | ||
| STATION IV.- CONISTON OLD MAN. | ||
| Latitude 54° 22′ 20″ N. Longitude 3° 6′ 34″ W. Height 2577 feet. | ||
| date:- | 1823 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1820s | |
| old print:- |
Otley 1823 (4th edn 1830)
| |
| Guidebook, Concise Description of the English Lakes, later A Description of the English Lakes, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirky Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823 onwards. | ||
| Page 57:- | ||
| ||
| Some of the Western Mountains: / as seen from Helvellyn. | ||
| Wetherlam / Old Man - Coniston Fell / Carrs, or Scars / Gray Friar / Black Combe / Crinkle Crags / Bowfell / Scawfell Pike / Great-end Crag / Glaramara / Great Gable / Kirkfell / Pillar Fell / Honister and High Crag / High Stile / Dalehead and Red Pike / Robinson / Blake Fell / Witeless Pike / Grasmoor / Ill Crags / Grisedale Pike | ||
| Page 97:- | ||
| ||
| The Mountains of Coniston, Langdale, &c. / as they appear from the road between Troutbeck Bridge and Bowness. | ||
| Old Man - Coniston Fell / The Carrs / Wetherlam / Wrynose Gap / Pike of Bliscow / Crinkle Crags / Scawfell Pike / Bowfell / Great End / Great Gable / Pike of Stickle / Harrison Stickle / Paveyark | ||
| placename:- | Old Man - Coniston Fell | |
| date:- | 1830 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 1830s | |
| source:- |
Otley 1818
| |
| New Map of the District of the Lakes, in Westmorland, Cumberland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, published by J Otley, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1818; pblished 1818 to 1850s. | ||
| goto source. | |
| ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| hill | ||
| descriptive text:- |
West 1778 (11th edn 1821)
| |
| Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821. | ||
|
goto source. | |
| Page 190:- | ||
| A TABLE OF THE Height of Mountains and Lakes SEEN IN THIS TOUR, ... TAKEN FROM THE LEVEL OF THE SEA. ... by Mr. John Dalton. | ||
| Coniston Old-man ... 860 [yards] | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| Altitude | 2580 feet | |
| date:- | 1778 | |
| period:- | 18th century, late; 1770s | |
| old print:- |
Sylvan 1847
| |
| ||
| Print, engraving, Coniston Old Man, Lancashire, published by John Johnstone, Paternoster Row, London, et al, 1847. | ||
| On p.95 of Sylvan's Pictorial Guide to the English Lakes. | ||
| printed at bottom:- | ||
| CONISTON OLD MAN. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1847 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early | |
| old print:- |
LMS 1920s
| |
| Guide book, LMS Route Book no.3, The Track of the Royal Scot, part 1 London Euston to Carlisle, by Edmund Vale, published by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, LMS, 1920s. | ||
| ||
| Hills of Lakeland in Outline, published in the LMS Route Book No.3, The Track of the Royal Scot, by the London Midland and Scottish Railway, LMS, 1920s. | ||
| date:- | 1920=1929 | |
| period:- | 1920s | |
| old print:- |
Jenkinson 1875
| |
| Guide book, A Practical Guide to the English Lake District, by Henry Irwin Jenkinson, published by Edward Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London, 4th edition 1875. | ||
| ||
| Print, lithograph, outline view, Panoramic Sketches from Helvellyn, Westmorland, by Edwin A Pettitt, London, published by Edward Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London, 1875. | ||
| ... Coniston Old Man ... | ||
| ||
| Print, lithograph, outline view, Panoramic Sketches from Skiddaw, Cumberland, by Edwin A Pettitt, London, published by Edward Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London, 1875. | ||
| ... Coniston Old Man ... | ||
| ||
| Print, lithograph, outline view, Panoramic Sketches from Scawfell Pike, Cumberland, by Edwin A Pettitt, London, published by Edward Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London, 1875. | ||
| ... Coniston Old Man ... | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1875 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late | |
| old print:- |
Waugh 1860
| |
| ||
| Print, engraving, Coniston Lake and Old Man, Coniston, Lancashire, drawn by T H Wilson, published by Alexander Ireland and Co, 22 Market Street, Manchester, 1860. | ||
| On p.44 of Over Sands to the Lakes, by Edwin Waugh. | ||
| printed at bottom left:- | ||
| THW | ||
| printed at bottom:- | ||
| CONISTON LAKE AND OLD MAN. | ||
| date:- | 1860 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late | |
| old print:- |
Black 1856 (23rd edn 1900)
| |
| Guide book, Black's Guide to the English Lakes, published by Adam and Charles Black, North Bridge, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, or Soho Square, London, 1856 to 1900s onwards. | ||
| ||
| Print, lithograph, Outline Views, Grasmere and Coniston - Mountains as seen from Redbank, Grasmere, and Mountains as seen a little beyond Tent Lodge on the Road from Coniston to Ulverstone, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, Lothian, about 1900. | ||
| ... 3 Old Man ... | ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| date:- | 1900 | |
| period:- | 1900s | |
| old print:- |
Martineau 1855
| |
| Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-71. | ||
| ||
| Print, engraving, outline view, Mountains on the West Side of Windermere, drawn by L Aspland, engraved by W Banks, Edinburgh, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855. | ||
| Folded in opposite p.7 in A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau. | ||
| The view is captioned, numbers refering to mountains in the image - 1 Coniston Old Man 1a Carrs 2 Wetherlam 3 Wrynose Gap 4 Crinkle Crags 5 Pike of Bliscow 6 Scawfell Pike 7 Bowfell 8 Hanging Knotts 9 Glaramara 10 Great End 11 Pike of Stickle 12 Harrison Stickle 13 Paveyark 14 Lingmoor 15 High Raise 16 Silver How 17 Loughrigg Fell 18 Ullscarth | ||
| printed at top:- | ||
| MOUNTAINS ON THE WEST SIDE OF WINDERMERE | ||
| printed at bottom left, right:- | ||
| L Aspland Delt. / W Banks Sc Edinburgh. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1855 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late | |
| old print:- |
Pyne 1853
| |
| Set of prints, The English Lake District, or Lake Scenery of England, scenes painted by James Barker Pyne, lithographed by W Gauci, published by Thomas Agnew and Sons, Manchester, 1853; published 1853-70. | ||
| ||
| Coniston Water and Coniston Old Man | ||
| Drawn by James Barker Pyne, 1848-1853, lithographed by T Picken, 1859. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1848=1853 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early; 19th century, late; 1840s; 1850s | |
| old print:- |
Tattersall 1836
| |
| ||
| Print, engraving, Upper Reach, Coniston, Cumberland, drawn by George Tattersall, engraved by W F Topham, published by Sherwood and Co, Paternoster Row, London, about 1836. | ||
| The print is captioned with mountain names and acts as an outline view. | ||
| Tipped in opposite p.35 of The Lakes of England, by George Tattersall. | ||
| printed at bottom:- | ||
| UPPER REACH, CONISTON. | ||
| printed at bottom left to right:- | ||
| Coniston Old Man. / Undercrag. / Seathwaite Fells. / Coniston. / Oxenfell. / Wetherlam. / Waterhead. / Fairfield. / Hawkshead Moor. / Kirkstone. / How Head. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1836 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early | |
| old print:- | ||
| ||
| Print, uncoloured engraving, Coniston Old Man, Cumberland, engraved by Orrin Smith and H Harral, published late 19th century? | ||
| On page 224 of The Land We Live In. In the foreground a family is gathering peats. | ||
| printed at lower left:- | ||
| ORRIN SMITH & H HARRAL SC | ||
| printed at bottom:- | ||
| 1.- CONISTON OLD MAN. | ||
| placename:- | Coniston Old Man | |
| date:- | 1860=1879 | |
| period:- | 19th century, late | |
| old print:- |
Black 1841 (3rd edn 1846)
| |
| Guide book, Black's Picturesque Guide to the English Lakes, published by Adam and Charles Blck, North Bridge, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, 1841 to 1888. | ||
| ||
| Print, engraving, outline view, Mountains as seen from Red Bank, Grasmere, and Mountains as seen a little beyond Tent-Lodge on the Road from Coniston to Ulverston, by J Flintoft, Keswick, Cumberland, engraved by R Mason, Edinburgh, Lothian, about 1846. | ||
| ... 3 Old Man ... | ||
| placename:- | Old Man | |
| date:- | 1844 | |
| period:- | 19th century, early | |
| illustration:- |
LNWR 1910
| |
| Guide book, The English Lakes, published by the London and North Western Railway, LNWR, about 1910. | ||
| ||
| date:- | 1910 | |
| period:- | 1910s | |
| photographs | ||
| Old Man of Coniston, The -- Coniston Fells -- Coniston -- Cumbria / -- Cairn and shelter on a platform on the summit. -- 8.9.2010 | |
| hearsay |
Referred to as Kanchenjunga by Arthur Ransome.
| |
| Old Cumbria Gazetteer - JandMN: 2008 | ||
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