Honister Slate Mine

We visited last Setember. I think it is a good rainy day option (we visited on our only rainy day in England) . The tour was interesting, but pricey. I actually enjoyed the slate mine in Wales much more. (We toured it ten years ago) The Honnister mine focuses a bit on the history, and a bit on how they are reinventing themselves to be profitable in today's world. Overall, I would give it a 6+ . I would give the scenery in the Lakes area a 10+, so if the weather is good and you only have a day ... The drive over the pass was spectacular and well worth the time.

Yes! Go. The windswept pass that it sits in is spectacular and the tour is interesting. The drive to get out there is also beautiful!
If you have time, keep going over the pass, past the slate mine, to Buttermere, one of my favorite places in the world. Nice little casual tea room and couple of great hotels - The Bridge and The Fish - great places to eat. Buttermere is a tiny little place - signs posted all around that say "Tek care, lambs on 't road". Nothing but farmers and beautiful scenery (and quite a few tourists during the middle of the day in summer though...not sure when you're going) - perfect especially if you can be there in the off-season. Still worth it in summer though even if there are other tourists there.
Just at the bottom of Honister pass, on the Buttermere side, there is a small car park on the north side of the road - a small fee to the farmer to park. Park your car and take a walk along the lakeshore - it is just idyllic. Photo

Hi Connie,

Thanks very much for your advice about the Honister Slate Mine.

Seeing as my husband and I love hiking and driving around rural areas, we will most likely take the tour only if it is raining. I can't wait to see the area!!

I have read that the drive over the pass is a MUST DO!!

We will be there in late May so I am hoping that there will be plenty of hours of daylight to make the drive around Derwentwater Lake.

Regards,
Virginia

Hi Anita,

I really appreciate your advice about the pass, the tour, and Buttermere.

I am so very excited to see this area! I have wanted to go to the Lakes District since I read an article about in it National Geographic Traveler magazine YEARS ago.

I have read quite a bit about Buttermere also, and it sounds great as well. I appreciate your advice about a tea room and other great places to eat as well. The picture you attached the link to is spectacular!!!! This really adds to my excitement!

My husband and I also love being out and about in rural areas with beautiful scenery. We prefer places where the number of sheep, cows, and/or other 4 legged animals outnumber the number of 2 legged animals called humans. We are going to be there in late May of this year so I am hoping that the number of 4 legged creatures will still outnumber the number of 2 legged ones.

We will see how our schedule goes, and see if we have time for the mine. It does sound interesting, but we would rather spend our time in the out of doors if the weather allows.

Thanks again!
Virginia

Hi Anita and Connie,

We are staying in Keswick for 3 nights. Did either of you stay or travel through there?

Did either of you drive around Derwentwater Lake? Or go up to the Castlerigg Stone Circle? Or climb any of the peaks around Keswick?

Thanks,
Virginia

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. We have been to the Lakes many times and Keswick is always our base.
Last time we went we stayed at the Herdwick House in Keswick. Very clean, comfortable B&B right in town - easy walk to everything. The owners are lovely people who won't let you leave in the morning without being certain that your plans will give you the best bang for your buck. They are a wealth of information! While in Keswick be sure to visit the tourist office in the Moot Hall right on the main pedestrian shopping street - you can't miss it.
Walking on the paths around Derwentwater is an easy, beautiful walk. You can walk all the way around but that's quite far. It's fun to take the old wooden launches around the lake. They drop off/pick up and several locations around the lake including the dock for the Catbells, a nice walk - it's very popular and a little overrun but still lovely.
Castlerigg is one of the nicest stone circles in England (IMHO) and predates most of the others. The views are dramatic and there are often sheep grazing amongst the stones. I recommend going early in the morning or late in the evening. They have recently installed a car park and it has been "discovered". Early morning is when it is usually deserted. My favorite way to get there is to walk from the road that goes out to Castlerigg Hall and Walla Crag. You can park on the road and then walk through the various fields, over stone walls and styles, and approach the circle without driving up to it. Much nicer I think. I'm sure they can give you more specific instructions and a map at the Moot Hall.
There are so many gorgeous hikes near Keswick. I mentioned Walla Crag - you can start at the very end of the road near Castlerigg Hall/Farm. A nice walk up over the hills and bluffs overlooking Derwentwater. Sweeping views! The picture I posted yesterday shows a path going up the hill behind the end of the lake at Buttermere - that's one of the best hikes in the Lakes. It's called Haystacks. Langdale is also one of the more stunning places in the area.
I also like going up Skiddaw, Hellvellyn (challenging!), and some of the tamer walks such as walking around Grasmere Lake or Rydal Water.
Not to worry - you'll be surrounded by more sheep than people once you get out of Keswick! While hiking, the Herdwick sheep are everywhere. While driving around you have to be very careful of them on the roads. You'll often see farmers using sheepdogs to herd them and, if you are there at the right time of year, many of the farmers still shear them with hand-help clippers. The preservation of the farming way of life is part of what makes the Lakes so special.
If you are into hiking, the make sure to visit George Fischer in Keswick. It's a hiking/outdoor store that's been there over 100 years. They have a loft cafe in the rafters that is a great spot for tea.
Have you seen the movie "Miss Potter"? It's about Beatrix Potter, of the Peter Rabbit books. She was instrumental in preserving the farms of the Lake District. The whole second half of the movie was filmed in the area and it's quite beautiful.
Just one more suggestion! If you're on Facebook find the pages, "I Love the Lake District" and "The Lakes and Beyond". They are both filled with people who live in and love the Lake District and post lots of pics daily all around the area. You'll get a great sense of what's there!
Have fun planning!

I think Anita has given you some great options. We stayed out in the Newlands valley on a farm. We did visit the stone circle. It is an easy convenient stop. I think what impressed the four of us most was the scenery. I had wanted to visit the Lakes area ever since I saw it in a movie. It was worth the wait. As I mentioned, we had one day where it rained off and on. We visited Hilltop farm, the stone circle, and Honnister mine that day. The drive over the pass is wonderful. We stopped for a bite to eat at a little farm before the mine. (We used the Rick Steve's book and it has a great driving tour of the loop The farm was listed in the book) The next day was beautiful so we spent all day outdoors. Three of us hiked up Catbells while my sister (who did not want to hike) took the boat trip. After exploring the town Keswick, we drove back to Buttermere and did a lake hike. We also stopped and hiked to some falls between Buttermere and Keswick (very short hike. ) My brother in law bought a small book that was a guide to hikes in the area. It was not expensive, but we also felt that we could have found lots of hikes without it. I really recommend the drive over the pass and stopping to see some of the stops the guidebook mentions. Keswick is a nice town, but we were on a 5 week trip and had spent lots of time in cities. We spent most of our time enjoying the countryside. Based on what you said you enjoyed doing, you will love this area. We ate one night in Keswick and one night in Buttermere. Highly recommend trying to work it out so that you can eat in Buttermere one night. There are a couple of restaurants. We chose The Fish Inn..not fancy but very good. It was a lot quieter and less busy than all the restaurants in Keswick.

Hi Anita,

WOW!!! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your marvelous advice about hikes, hopping on and off of wooden launches around Lake Derwentwater, the Castlerigg stones and a good way to get to them, the Moot Hall, and everything else. I can't wait to look into all of the hikes this weekend when I am not working!!!

I am SO GLAD to hear that the farming way of life has been preserved. I spent many summers on my grandfather's farm when I was a kid, so I really enjoy being amongst farms. Can't wait to see all the sheep, and other 4 legged creatures.

Thanks also for your suggestion of the 2 FaceBook pages. I have requested to join both groups, and look forward to looking through the post and pictures after I get off work.

And finally, you will find this rather comical I imagine. Up until you mentioned the movie "Miss Potter", I really didn't know who Beatrix Potter was (maybe comes from not having kids). I have heard the name 'Beatrix Potter' many times...it is so interesting to know who this person is. And to know that she was influential in keeping the farms and nature preserved. We are going to see if our library has the movie "Miss Potter". I sure hope it does...I would enjoy learning more about her life, but would most particularly like seeing all of the scenery in the Lakes District where part of the movie was filmed.

Thank you SO MUCH!!!!

Virginia

You are more than welcome! I only hope that you end up loving the area as much as we do. Make sure to post about your trip when you get home. I'd love to know what you ended up doing and your impressions!

Hi Anita,

Just wanted to let you know...our library does have 'Miss Potter', and we borrowed it yesterday. Can't wait to watch it!!

I have been completely THRILLED by all the pictures posted on the FaceBook pages , "I Love the Lake District" and "The Lakes and Beyond". Some truely EXCELLENT pictures.

Thanks so much for the advice!!!

Regards,
Virginia

Hi Connie,

I really appreciate your mentioning that the Rick Steves driving tour around the loop is great. I have read it a couple of times, and it sounds very good; it's always good to hear from someone who has actually used it. We are really looking forward to taking this drive!!

I'm curious...how long is the Catbells hike that you took?

I'm also very interested in seeing some waterfalls. I didn't realize that we could find some between Buttermere and Keswick.

I really appreciate your recommendation of 'The Fish Inn'. It fits our criteria for restaurants......not fancy; just good food.

What month of the year did you go? I'm hoping that the crowds won't be too terrible in May. I'm sure that even if it is crowded that we can escape some of the hordes by taking some hikes.

Thanks again,
Virginia

Hi Anita,

Forgot to mention that I definitely plan on making some posts about our trip.

I get the sense that our visit to the area will only want us to go again and again.

Regards,
Virginia

Hi Virginia. Sorry about the delay. I spend a lot of time with my grandkids and don't get on the computer when they are here. We were there in late September. While there were still lots of people, it was not crowded. (For example, the Honister Slate Mine turns away people in the summer, our tour was not even full even though it was a rainy day.) I would imagine that May would be the same.

I got out my journal and reviewed our Catbells hike. According to my journal, it took 45 minutes to go up. The sign at the bottom said it was a mile to the top, and that is about what it felt like. It is steep, but not that long. My journal also said that we left on the hike at 10:30 (I think I meant the parking lot at the bottom) and were back to Keswick by 12:30. The Rick Steves book said something about there not being a lot of parking at the trailhead, but there was a large field that was being used as a parking lot. (I think we left a pound or two in a change box as they requested) You can also take the boat, although you need to check where it is stopping before you do that. I know my sister said they were not able to make all the stops because of the depth of the water at that time. The hike we did over by Buttermere was very nice as well, but we only saw a few hikers over there (Catbells is a popular hike.) We saw lots of sheep on that hike! The waterfall that we stopped at was at Newlands Pass (partway between Buttermere and Keswick). Our farm was about 1/2 way between as well as we stayed out in the Newlands Valley.

Have a great trip! My sister and brother-in-law were not that interested in going, but I was insistent. (They had picked a lot of places we had already visited, so I wanted to go somewhere new) They just felt it might be too much like home. (the Pacific Northwest is beautiful and we all hike here at home) However, they were both very impressed with the beauty of the place and were glad we went..

Hi Anita,

Just a quickie.....I wanted to let you know that my husband and I watched the movie 'Miss Potter' yesterday, and REALLY enjoyed it!!

Even if we weren't interested in the Lakes District, we would have really liked the movie....thought the acting by Ms Zellweger was quite good. Actually, we thought all the acting was very good. The animation was SO GREAT!!! I didn't expect that at all! We enjoy period movies, so that added to our enjoyment.

All of the scenery of the Lakes District was fantastic!!

It showed what a pivotal role Miss Potter had in preserving the scenery, small farms, and rural way of life in the Lakes District. Miss Potter was a remarkable woman....quite the women's liberationist! To have that independent spirit and determination, especially at that time....Wow!

Must get back to work, but just wanted to thank you for telling us about this movie. We are sending a set of Beatrix Potter books to one of our nieces for Christmas this year, so we are going to send her parents this DVD as a nice companion to the books. Also, my Sister is a retired elementary schoolteacher who LOVES the illustrations of Beatrix Potter. We just ordered a copy of the movie for her also.

Thanks again for telling us about this movie,
Virginia

I'm so glad you liked it Virginia! It's such an inspiring movie that has me dissolved into tears in parts and completely joyful in others...I guess that's what a good movie is supposed to do!
I think your gift ideas are fantastic -
Did you know that you can visit Hilltop, Beatrix Potter's farm in the Lakes? Well worth a visit and just beautiful. All the little Peter Rabbit and the other books you purchase in the gift shop are stamped with "purchased at Hilltop" on the endpapers. Such fun!
Have a wonderful time in the Lakes and I hope you post a trip report when you come home.
Cheers!
Anita

The mine is on the Coast to Coast route on the Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite leg. We were advised on reaching to ridge above Loft Beck to set a compass bearing if weather/his ability was poor. Walkers in fog tend to walk downhill and end up in Buttermere instead of hitting the Honister mine pass. We didn't do a mine tour but did visit the gift shop.

Hi Edgar,

I guess you were referring to stopping at the mine whilst hiking around the area?

Thanks for your advice,
Virginia