About the C2B
The Coniston to Barrow (C2B) Walk takes place on the same day of the year as the Keswick to Barrow (K2B) Walk. The C2B is approximately 21 miles long, starting at Coniston Sports & Social Centre, and following the same route as the K2B all the way down to the finish at Hawcoat Park Sports Club in Barrow.
Minimum Age for Participants
There is no minimum age limit for taking part in the walk, but we generally advise that the route is unsuitable for unaccompanied children under 12 years old, due to the close proximity of motor vehicles on the public highways.
Joining a C2B Team
The K2B and C2B are fundamentally team walks, and participants should try to join a team. All members of a team can walk either the K2B or the C2B, ie one team cannot have members doing both walks. The C2B is extremely popular, and places are allocated to teams on a first-come first-served basis, so make sure that you submit your team quickly when team registration opens in January, your place is not guaranteed until you pay the event registration fee. Team sizes are locked when the walk reaches capacity, and no additional teams or team members will be accepted after that point, except to replace dropouts. If you need help with moving people between teams, or if you need to increase the size of a locked team, please email registration@coniston2barrow.co.uk for assistance.
Final Registration and Getting to the Start
Happy Bus tickets will be emailed before the walk to everyone in an accepted team who has registered for a bus seat. C2B team co-ordinators should confirm their team registration details at Hawcoat Park Sports Club in Barrow on the Friday afternoon immediately before the walk, where they will be given timing tags, and route maps for team members. An alternative C2B registration process is available at Coniston on walk day if the team coordinator is unable to register in Barrow on Friday.
At the C2B Start
The Coniston Sports & Social Centre is located on a narrow lane in a quiet residential area. Please be respectful of this when arriving, and whilst waiting for the walk to start.
There is NO PARKING for walkers or supporters at the Coniston start, either in Shepherds Bridge Lane or at the social centre. Shepherds Bridge Lane will be completely closed to traffic, except for authorised vehicles. This is essential to ensure the safety of K2B and C2B participants.
The C2B walk starts in the car park next to the sports and social centre building. There is a large number of people to be accommodated, so it is essential that you pay close attention to instructions from marshals, and listen carefully to information provided via the event Public Address (PA) system.
The Coniston Sports Club Committee will be selling teas, coffees, bacon buns, etc, to raise funds for the club. Please support them. They can take cash or contactless payments. Do NOT set up your own cooking and brewing facilities in the sports club grounds.
Your start time will be the time when you actually cross the start line. The C2B is not a race, and there is no advantage in starting first. There should be plenty of time for everyone to finish. For your safety and for your enjoyment of the walk, we will start walkers slowly, in a careful and controlled manner. Please be patient while you're waiting, make some new friends, and enjoy the occasion!
C2B walkers are entitled to free drinks, food, and medical treatment at various points along the route and at the finish. Hot food and sandwiches are provided for C2B walkers at Lowick Church. All finishers receive a completion certificate and a commemorative medal.
Environmental Impact
The K2B and C2B rely on volunteer marshals and on goodwill from local communities to keep all the walkers safe. There is of course a risk that having thousands of participants and probably hundreds of vehicles passing through Coniston village in a short space of time could cause congestion, potentially causing safety issues and leading to resentment. Please respect the local community and the environment when you assemble for the walk. Try to avoid making unneccessary noise, park your vehicle (if you have one) sensibly, don't drop litter, pay attention to event signage, and follow instructions from marshals.
About Coniston
Coniston is one of the most attractive valleys in the Lake District. In the past, copper, limestone and slate were hewn from the underlying rocks, iron ore was smelted on the lake shores, and charcoal produced in the woodlands. Coniston Water was used to transport these materials away until the railway was built in 1859. The area was exploited by powerful families such as the Le Flemings and Marshalls.
Coniston also attracted a number of literary geniuses, including John Ruskin, WG Collingwood, Arthur Ransome, and Richard Adams. Beatrix Potter acquired much of the land, including Monk Coniston, Tarn Hows, and Yew Tree Farm, and bequeathed it to the National Trust.
More recently Coniston was associated with the water speed record exploits of Malcolm Campbell and Donald Campbell. There are several unique visitor attractions in the area, including Brantwood (the home of John Ruskin), and the steam yacht "Gondola".
