Broughton-in-Furness to Coniston railway ran for over 100 years between the middle of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century. It was originally designed for the transport of slate and copper ore from the mines near Coniston to the coast and later developed into a line for tourists to the Lake District. The Romans were mining copper ore in the Coniston area 2000 years ago. Evidence shows that copper was being extracted from the area as long ago as the Bronze age. Green slate was also quarried in the area for 500 years or so and tourism has existed for 200 hundred years. Copper mines and the slate quarries at Coniston flourished in the 19 th century and they employed about 400 men. Coniston mines were the largest mines in England's northern regions. John Barraclough Fell proposed a railway line from Coniston to link with the Furness railway at Broughton in 1849 from the copper mines. The idea was shelved because of a dispute over the Gauge of the proposed railway. Interest was revived in 1856 and the line was built as a standard Gauge, finally opening in 1859. The line was 8.5 miles from Coniston to Broughton-in-Furness where it joined the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway to Foxfield.The section we are covering is now a designated bridleway 1.26 miles long from Broughton-in-Furness. We considered it worth while covering it, even though it is short, because it has not been swallowed up by NCN or Sustrans and it is loaded with history! Yay! There is the possibility of creating a circular route back to your transport/base. We cannot be sure if it is possible to ride further towards Coniston. Grid ref: SD 2138 8761 Broughton-in-Furness Possible parking in village Grid ref: SD 2281 8894 Lane near Mireside farm Parking difficult

Broughton in furness - Coniston Railway taken 15 years ago__ near The Hill � Copyright Alexander P Kapp and licenced for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Broughton in Furness - Coniston Railway near Lower Hawthwaite__ � Copyright Karl and Ali and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence