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For many centuries slate has been the main industry in The Borrowdale Valley with the mines employing entire families who would come, on foot, from many miles around to quarry the rock from within the mountains surrounding what is now the Honister pass. However in the late 1980s this tradition ceased and subsequently put an end to production of, what is arguably, the best slate in the world.
Fast forward a decade and a local businessman struck a deal to buy the mine after a short meeting with previous owners in a hotel in Manchester. His dream to breathe life back into the local industry, albeit a daunting task, was about to become a reality. Slowly and with a lot of hard work from the family Honister.com was born.
Today, not only is this a working, breathing slate mine employing local people and keeping traditional craftsmanship alive but it also offers a wide range of adrenalin fuelled activities, again employing local people, allowing tourists to visit and enjoy parts of the mountains not previously accessible.
We visited on a beautiful sunny day and did, the infinity bridge, the mine tour and the ViaFerrata Extreme which gave us a good insight into what this place offers. Right from the outset we could see that everyone who works here really does love what they do; they are the heart and soul of this place and they truly care about giving visitors a memorable experience. The knowledge they have of the geology, history and the traditions as well as the surrounding mountains and lakes is second to none and it is obvious that they enjoy sharing with those who show an interest. Some might say its their job, but for us it was more than that, they all seemed proud to be part of something which has breathed life back into the valley and secured a tradition which
dates back centuries.
If you are looking for a great day out in the lakes and want to try something different this is a must for your bucket list. We can’t recommend it enough. The activities will depend on age and ability so please check before booking but having said that just to learn about the history and enjoy the surrounding countryside is well worth doing and we can highly recommend the carrot cake in the café which is excellent.
Some may say that projects like this spoil the landscape but in our opinion this landscape is not spoiled at all. It is being used for what it has been used for for many centuries and Honsiter.com are keeping this alive, employing local people, providing income to a valley which would otherwise be dormant. It is inevitable that development is going to happen but if this is done in a way which is sympathetic to the landscape it just goes to show that man made can work along side natural in a symbiotic way.
Many thanks to Nash, Elt, Prent, Alana and Peter for making our visit so amazing. We look forward to trying the other activities in the very near future.