Coniston and Tarn Hows boast a wealth of interesting habitats and wildlife - woodlands and water abound.

There is something to enjoy all through the year, from beautiful bluebell woods in the spring, to fantastic fungi in the autumn...

Cotton grass flowering on the mire

Here are a few natural highlights to look out for on your visit or find out more about how the National Trust looks after this landscape:

The Coniston area has significant ancient woodland and fascinating ‘lower plants’ such as fern, moss, liverwort and lichen – a vital component of any woodland.

The woodland surrounding Tarn Hows and the wider Monk Coniston Estate offer particular interest due to historical plantations from the 1800’s, creating a mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland. The mix of larch and broadleaf offer beautiful autumn colour.

Coniston and Tarn Hows is home to a variety of species including; dipper, spotted and pied flycatcher, redstart, tree pipit, wood warbler, nuthatch, green and great spotted woodpecker, tawny owl, raven, linnet, song thrush, peregrine, barn owl, buzzard, heron, tree creeper, sky lark.

The Tarn provides a wintering site for goldeneye, tufted duck, goosander, little and crested grebe.

Red squirrel still exist in the woodland, though they are in danger of local extinction due to competition from grey squirrel. Otter inhabit our local waterways, though they are rarely seen. Other resident mammals include; red and roe deer, hare, stoat and weasel.

Tarn Hows is home to many notable water beetle, dragonfly and other invertebrate. Its aquatic plant life is characteristic of a low-nutrient water body. It includes; water lobelia, floating bur-reed, greater bladderwort, quillwort, seven species of pond weed and water lilies.

Our many watery habitats are home to newt, frog and toad, whilst on land, common lizard and adder can also be found.

Tarn Hows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) valued because of the tarn itself with its diverse aquatic plants, as well as the surrounding woodland, heathland and mires.

Coniston and Tarn Hows are home to some of Britain's most important wildlife. Several priority species in the UK and Cumbria's Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) can be found here:

Healthy populations of the unusual netted carpet moth and its scarce food plant touch-me-not balsam are present in our Coniston woodlands.

© Graham Jones

The fascinating medicinal leech lives in some of the tarns. Juniper, another BAP species, can been seen in all its varied forms growing on crags and rocky outcrops around the tarn.