Introduction
Goat's Water sits in the valley between Dow Crag and the Old Man of Coniston, overshadowed to the west by the massive crags on the eastern side of Dow Crag. This is a magnificent location, dominated by the crags to the west, and with very different views out of the open end of the valley.
Goat's Water is a tear-drop shaped tarn, with the narrow end to the south where Torver Beck flows out. The shores are generally rocky, with large boulders tumbling into the water (especially on the western shore).
The tarn sits in a narrow valley of it at the northern end of the wider valley between Dow Crag and the Old Man. Just below the tarn the ground drops down into The Cove, a wider flatter area, so the final part of the approach to the tarn from the south involves something of a climb.
Statistics
Grid Reference of centre: SD 266 976
Altitude: 1,660ft
Map
How to Reach
There is only one path that runs past Goat's Water. This branches off the Walna Scar road at the southern end of the Old Man, follows the base of the fell into The Cove then runs alongside the tarn, before climbing up to Goat's Hawse.
Walks
We visit Goat's Water during our ascent of the Old Man and Dow Crag from Coniston.
Inflows
A short nameless beck flows into Goat's Water from Goat's Hawse.
Outflow
Torver Beck flows out of Goat's Water. The beck runs south-east then south past Torver and into Coniston Water near Oxen House Bay.
Other Features
Dow Crag is a popular climbing area, so many little paths run up from the western shore of the tarn to the start of the climbing routes.