Things to Do Near the Ryebeck Honister Slate Mine

Get out of your comfort zone with exciting outdoor adventures and dig deep in the underground mine at Honister Slate Mine.

Located at the top of Honister Pass, in Borrowdale, thrill-seekers can enjoy the challenges of a real mountainside climb on Honister’s ‘Via Ferrata Classic’ a continuous cable climb following the original miners’ route on the flanks of Fleetwith Pike. Or for the more adventurous there’s the challenge of “Via Ferrata Xtreme”, with vertical climbs, cliff edge ladders, Burma bridges and a cargo net scramble to the summit of Fleetwith Pike topped off with fantastic views across the Lake District fells and the magnificent lakes of Buttermere, Crummock Water and Loweswater.

Honister been a working slate mine since the 1640s, though it is though that slate extraction has been carried out in the area since Roman times. If you want to find out more and you enjoy your history there’s an award-winning guided tour through the old tunnels of the slate mines to enjoy.

For those who like to get active underground, you can also experience the mines in a whole new way: Honister’s “Climb the Mine” lets you scale the sides of the old underground workings – the only experience of its kind in the UK!

All this in the middle of the glorious Lake District National Park, and a wonderful family day trip from Windemere.