Guide to Photographing Coniston Water - Location Map

I have recently returned from a short trip to the Lake District. I was staying near the villiage of High Nibthwaite on the East shores of Coniston Water, a great base for exploring this picturesque location.

I thought I'd put together a brief guide to some of the locations that I discovered in my time there and illustrate these areas with some of the photographs that I captured at the time.

Coniston runs roughly North - South and therefore gives a number of options for dawn and dusk photography taking advantage of views from both East and West sides of the Lake.

Coniston is not as accessible as some of the Lakes in the Lake District such as the beautiful Buttermere which is circumvented almost entirely by a footpath.

I have included a simple map to the Coniston area and indicated the three locations that I have included in my brief guide to Photographing Coniston Water in the Lake District. I hope that you find this information useful and I would enjoy seeing your photos from this area. 

Guide to Photographing Coniston Water - Location C

Morning Light

At the North end of Coniston Water the road that runs along the East side of the Lake loops around the top of the Lake and leads back South and on into Coniston Village. 

Just after you start heading South from the North of the Lake and before you reach Coniston Village, you will see two small buildings nestled amongst a glade of trees to your left.

There is a gate adjacent to the road here and in the early hours of the morning when the road is quiet it is possible to park next to this gate (although your vehicle will be partially in the road)

A better option is the Pay and Display car park at the North edge of the Lake.

The scene to the left can be taken from the waters edge behind the buildings and in the right light (early morning) could be stunning. You can see from my photograph that I was 'blessed' with a clear sky which is not ideal... but at least the waters of the lake were still.

Early Light on Coniston Water

This view North East over the water was taken from the same location. The Morning light coming through the trees makes for a nice effect.

Guide to Photographing Coniston Water - Location B

There is a photogenic wooden Jetty located approximately half way up the road on the East Side of Coniston Water. A woodland car park adjacent to this spot which makes it easy to stop for a while and enjoy the view.

The Photographs shown here were both taken at dawn but this location can work well at either dusk or dawn. The Jetty faces West, if the sunset is interesting this can make for a spectacular scene.

I chose to shoot from this spot at dawn as the forecast was for clear skies. I figured that the dawn light on the distant mountains might help to create an interesting scene. Location A is an alternative location for dawn but works better if the forecast is for a more interesting (cloudier) sky

Coniston Water at dawn