The SU(2) gauge theory with one Dirac flavour in the adjoint representation is investigated on the lattice for a value of the bare coupling in the region connected to the continuum limit. Results for the gluonic and mesonic spectrum, string tension from Wilson and Polyakov loops, and the anomalous dimension of the fermionic condensate from the Dirac mode number are presented. From these, we see evidence that the theory does not show conventional confining behaviour, instead seeming to lie within or very near the onset of the conformal window. The anomalous dimension of the fermionic condensate is found to lie in the range 0.9 ≲ γ∗ ≲ 0.95. Topological observables of the theory, and of the related 2-flavour theory, are also discussed both in terms of their phenomenology and of their use as a lattice diagnostic.