England Guide
Cumbria and the Lakes
Honister Slate Mine
Opening time: Mine tours daily at 10.30am, 12.30pm & 3.30pm; Via Ferrata 2 departures daily
Price: Mine tours £9.75; Via Ferrata £25
Telephone: Mine 017687/77230
Website: www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk
Address: Honister Pass (bus #77A)
Slate quarrying was well established at Honister by the mid-eighteenth century and though full commercial quarrying ceased in 1986 the mine is now in operation again as a working and heritage enterprise. To get an idea of what traditional slate mining entailed, you can don a hard hat and lamp to join one of the hugely informative guided tours of Honister Slate Mine, which lead you through narrow tunnels into illuminated, dripping caverns.
There's also a dramatic Alpine-style Via Ferrata – or "Iron Way" – that allows visitors to be guided to the top of Fleetwith Pike (2126ft), above the mines, by means of a fixed cableway and harness. This requires a strong head for heights, as you'll be following the miners' old route up the exposed face of the mountain.