Become a member
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.
Tarn Hows and Coniston
Majestic views and peaceful walks in beautiful countryside
near Coniston, Cumbria
Opening times for 21 May 2025
Asset Opening time Tarn Hows Dawn - Dusk JOEY'S Cafe 09:30 - 16:30 MTWTFSS282930123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311OpenPartially openClosed- Car park
No overnight stays or camping. Entry to Tarn Hows is free. If you're not a National Trust (or National Trust for Scotland) member then you'll need to pay for parking. Up to 2 hours £6.50 Up to 4 hours £8.00 All day (4+ hours) £9.50 Payment machines take cash but you can park and pay by PayByPhone or online www.paybyphone.co.uk on a card.
- Dogs allowed
- Picnic area
- Toilet
Tramper mobility scooters are available to hire.
- Accessible route and/or map
- Accessible toilet
- Designated parking
- Level access to food outlet
- Level access/terrain
- Powered mobility vehicle available
Tramper mobility scooters available to use around the tarn. Donations welcome.
- By road
2 miles north-east of Coniston and north-west of Hawkshead. Signposted from B5285
Parking: Limited car parking spaces and car park likely to be busy at peak holiday times. Parking free for Members; charge for non-members. The road to Tarn Hows is not suitable for large coaches. No overnight stays or camping.
- On foot
From Coniston and Hawkshead
- By bus
Service from Hawkshead to Coniston drops off a mile away. The road to Tarn Hows is not suitable for large coaches. No coach parking.
- Cycling
On road (please note no cycling around tarns)
Planning your visit
Article
Borrow a Tramper at Tarn Hows
Borrow a Tramper mobility vehicle, a free to use all-terrain scooter which makes Tarn Hows more accessible to those who are less physically able.
Article
Visiting Tarn Hows with your dog
Find out which areas of Tarn Hows you can explore with your dog. Tarn Hows is a two pawprint rated place.
Highlights
Tarn Hows Walk
Tarn Hows offers an accessible, circular, one-and-three-quarter-mile walk through beautiful countryside, with majestic mountain views.
Tramper mobility scooters
There are three Tramper mobility scooters available to use at Tarn Hows.
Tom Gill Waterfall
Experience a fantastic woodland walk to visit some spectacular waterfalls. Tom Gill is a fast-flowing stream outlet from Tarn Hows that rushes through the wooded Glen Mary ravine. The waterfall at Tom Gill drops approximately 30 feet (9 meters).
Explore nearby Coniston
Rich in cultural heritage, there is plenty to do in the village of Coniston. You will find once thriving copper mines, The Ruskin Museum, now home to the iconic Bluebird K7, shops, cafes and places to eat.
Cruise on Coniston Water
*Now closed for winter, reopening on 2 April 2025* Enjoy the charm of luxury travel once experienced by wealthy Victorians, riding in style on the National Trust's Steam Yacht Gondola that sails on Coniston Water. Experience the opulent saloons or relax on her open-air decks as she glides across the water.
Top trails
Trail
Tarn Hows circular walk
Take in stunning views of the Lake District fells as you follow this easy, accessible route around a tree-lined tarn, with a Tramper mobility scooter available to borrow.
Trail
Tom Gill to Tarn Hows walk
An exhilarating way to arrive at Tarn Hows, via a challenging but beautiful woodland climb alongside Tom Gill and its surging waterfalls.
Trail
Monk Coniston and Tarn Hows walk
Walk from the head of Coniston Water to Tarn Hows via this picturesque route passing through woodland, farmland and the Walled Garden at Monk Coniston Hall. Look out for wildlife along the way including red squirrels, otters and hares.
Places to stay
Rose Castle Cottage
A two-bedroom cottage just above Tarn Hows with heaps of character in the heart of the Lakes.
Tanner Brow
Sitting on the western shore of Lake Windermere, this first floor apartment is a cosy retreat.
High Strawberry Gardens
A simple lakeside retreat for an uplugged holiday, with a jetty to launch your canoe or kayak in Windermere.
Low Strawberry Gardens
A simple lakeside retreat for an uplugged holiday, with a jetty to launch your canoe or kayak in Windermere.
Restharrow
Rest in this comfortable cottage after days adventuring in the Lake District. It's in a quiet spot, just a field away from the shore of Lake Windermere.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Tarn Hows and Coniston
Stunning Tarn Hows offers an accessible circular (1¾ miles) walk through beautiful countryside with majestic mountain views. A great place to walk or to begin your wider Lake District countryside adventure. There are also rare Belted Galloway cattle and sturdy Herdwick sheep grazing by the tarn.
Tarn Hows is located in the low level hills between the villages of Coniston and Hawkshead and is ideal for a walk or cycle trip from either. It's a favourite with both regular and first-time visitors to the area and is popular with artists and photographers who love the setting and the views.
History
Article
The history of Tarn Hows
Discover more about Tarn Hows, James Garth Marshall’s vision to create a designed landscape from three natural tarns and why his vision was never completed.
Our work
Article
Our work at Tarn Hows and Coniston
To look after special places such as Tarn Hows and Coniston, read about the regular conservation work that takes place every day so that it is protected for everyone, for ever.
Article
Lake District locations star in Swallows and Amazons
Discover some of the 2016 film’s most adventurous settings, from secret moorings to hilltop farms, and find out how to see the places that originally inspired Arthur Ransome.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Tarn Hows and Coniston.