Tuesday 3 April 2012

Coniston, Coppermines and Campbell

Coniston is a small town which lies between the lake with the same name and the 2,634 feet mountain known as the ‘Old Man of Coniston’. It’s a Victorian town which developed in the 19th century because of the copper mines nearby, and is now a mecca for walkers, climbers and sailing enthusiasts.

The copper mines date back to the 1500s. German miners carried out the early mining activities, using hand tools. In the 1750’s the Macclesfield Copper Company developed the earlier German workings, and by the mid-19th century the mines reached their peak period. However, the increasing depth of the mine workings meant the cost of maintenance and pumping became uneconomical. Imports of cheap copper from abroad hastened the end of the industry at Coniston. Some remains of the surface features can still be seen in the area.

In 1955 Donald Campbell broke the water speed record at Ullswater in the northern Lakes but was killed on Coniston Water in his attempt to regain the record in 1967. After reaching 320 mph, his boat, Bluebird, was filmed in its last moments when it lifted, somersaulted and plunged back into the lake, nose-first, cartwheeled several times and sank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvItDfQIJ50&feature=related



I can still remember the shock when we saw this film on our news programmes. Bluebird wasn’t recovered until 2001, and the remains of Campbell’s body were buried in the churchyard of Coniston Church.



In contrast, I have a lot of happy memories of Coniston – sitting by the lake and enjoying enormous ice-creams (many times!). There was one unforgettable time when we hired a motorboat which broke down part way down the lake. We thought we were going to drift endlessly (a bit like the ‘Flying Dutchman’?) but eventually my friend’s husband managed to get the engine started again! We also had several trips on the Coniston Gondola, a steam yacht which was first launched in 1859, retired from service in 1936, but then restored in the 70’s.

35 comments:

  1. What a wonderful and amazing place!

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  2. So fascinated about all I am learning about England and surrounding areas. Coniston sounds like a lovely place to visit.

    That is too bad about Campbell. I bet watching that on TV must have been horrifying--especially if you watched it live.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Cheers, Jenn
    http://www.wine-n-chat.com

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  3. i love reading your history blog!!

    (and funny...i grew up on Conniston Ave in Connecticut..lol more C"s!! :0)

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  4. One of my favourite places in the Lake District, Claudia.

    Don't think we saw it live, Jenn - we didn't get instant news in the 1960's, so it was probably a few days after the announcement of the targedy that we actually got to see the film.

    Thanks, Brenda - your avenue had an extra 'n' but wonder if it was named after our Coniston?

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  5. love the photos! nice write, paula.

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  6. Mmmm. What a lovely place to visit. I could spend a few weeks there--anyplace good to pitch a tent? See you later in the A to Z challenge!

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  7. Hi, Paula,

    What an interesting place! Sounds like it would make a great setting for a Victorian novel!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Enjoy the challenge!

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  8. Thanks, danne!

    Lots of camping sites around Coniston, Evelyn - and in the rest of the Lake District too.

    Suzanne - funny you should say that! In my recent release 'Fragrance of Violets', one of the characters has written a best-selling novel called 'The Copper Miner's Daughter' (set in Coniston in Victorian times). Someone suggested I should do the same!

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  9. Love getting to see places like this and bits of history I've never seen or heard before. The lake looks beautiful - if you're not trying to go 300 mph on it. The gondola looks much more my style.

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  10. Yes, the gondola's definitely more my style, too, Beverley!

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  11. I adore the pictures and videos along with your lovely words. You are doing such a great job with this challenge!

    Amy

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  12. I can only echo what Amy said. Well done, Paula
    xx

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  13. I'm really enjoying your virtual tours!

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  14. Sounds like a fascinating place. I may have to try and visit if I ever get back to the UK.

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  15. Thanks for the introduction to this wonderful place. Your mention of sitting by the lake and enjoying ice-cream made me think of the times I spent with my mother in upper Michigan, sitting by a small lake with our sketchbooks. Sometimes we had ice-cream, too.

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  16. Paula,
    I loved visiting the Lake District many years ago. Would
    love to go back. We visited Ambleside, of course, but not Coniston. I adored Rydal Mount. Wouldn't mind living there.

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  17. Thanks, Beth and Kate.

    Maryann - it became one of our 'traditons' to have ice-cream at Coniston!

    Marilyn - you missed a treat in Coniston, it's a beautiful lake. I'll be looked at Rydal when I get to letter R!

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  18. Thanks for telling us about Coniston. It's a place I never heard of before.

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

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  19. It is so cool how you are taking us on a personal tour of all the lovely places near where you live. I love it!!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  20. Morgan, I'll probably be telling about many more places you've never of as I continue on my A-Z tour!

    Kathy - they're all places near and dear to my heart, and mostly all within about 20 miles of each each in my favourite part of England.

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  21. Interesting! I enjoyed all the stories of the area.

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  22. Thanks, Ann - and there are a lot more to come! I've really enjoyed researching some of the topics for this challenge!

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  23. wow..that was a lovely and very interesting blog.. thanks for sharing. :)

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  24. Thanks, Jenni - hope you'll come back for more of my A-Z tour.

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  25. What a lovely place. And such a fascinating history.

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  26. Thanks, Luana. So many places in the Lake District have a fascinating history, as well as beautiful scenery.

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  27. It is so beautiful there. I want to visit - again - as I was in the Lake District 20 years ago.

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  28. Oh! How beautiful!
    All I knew about the Lake District before your blog tour was that it existed, as it is mentioned in connection with many legendary authors - and how could it not be? What an inspirational place!

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  29. Europeans have such a fabulous wealth of history...We on this side of the pond have a mere 200+ years to sift through and very few bother to do it or to retell it.

    I'm signed up for your total tour! ♥

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  30. I truly enjoy your journeys Paula. I have to admit that even though I am doing my best to go to at least 10 new A-Z sites a day (30-50 would be better) I have to come back by here and see where we are going next!

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  31. This was very interesting! Nice pictures and videos!

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  32. Linda - you're right, it is beautiful there.

    Lily - there'll be quite a lot of the Lake District's most famous poet, Wordsworth, in my later posts.

    Jo - there is so much history here that many people just take it for granted!

    November - thanks, hope you enjoy the tour!

    Thanks, beachlover!

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  33. I remember having ice cream in Coniston too! But I didn't know all that fascinating info about the mines. And what a way for Campbell's career to end.

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  34. Maybe everyone has ice creams at Coniston, Rosemary!

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