Honister Slate Mine

Honister Slate Mine England’s Last Working Slate Mine - Crafting Premium Green Slate from the Heart of the Lake District fells | Made in Britain 🇬🇧 | Shop Online or Visit the Mine

30/08/2026

It’s been yet another busy week in the Honister workshop. Plenty of slate has passed through our hands, with cutting, riving and finishing happening throughout the week as we turn slate from the mine into finished pieces ready to leave Honister. Now it’s time to reset the workshop and get ready to do it all over again next week.

23/08/2026

Shaped by hand using skills that have been passed down through generations. Our hand-split and hand-riven slate keeps traditional craftsmanship alive, crafting slate with a story that goes far beyond the finished piece.

Gold leaf engraved standing stone for Hidden River Barn
18/08/2026

Gold leaf engraved standing stone for Hidden River Barn

16/08/2026

While technology keeps moving forward and ai is taking over, we’re proud to keep traditional skills alive. At England’s last working slate mine, generations of knowledge and craftsmanship still play a huge part in what we do every single day.

09/08/2026

Did you know that Honister isn’t just home to England’s longest zip line and Europe’s longest high wire bridge? It’s also home to England’s last working slate mine where we still extract Westmorland Green slate that’s shaped in our workshop and is used all around the world in all different kinds of buildings and projects!

A rare boulder recovered from a recent blast. However, this is just the beginning. The real work now starts as the slate...
06/08/2026

A rare boulder recovered from a recent blast. However, this is just the beginning. The real work now starts as the slate is carefully broken down into manageable sizes, allowing it to be safely transported out of the mountain. Once extracted, each piece is thoroughly examined and assessed against a range of quality criteria to determine its suitability before it can move into production.

27/07/2026

Most people know us at Honister as the home of adventure in the Lake District… but not everyone knows we’re also home to England’s last working slate mine.

Long before the adrenaline-fuelled experiences, this was, and still is, a working slate mine with a story that’s been shaped over generations. So next time you visit, take a moment to look around before or after your adventure and discover the history that makes Honister so special.

20/07/2026

Riving, which is the traditional skill of hand splitting slate, is officially recognised as an endangered skill as part of the Heritage Crafts Red List. A main factor to this is the mass introduction of modern machinery which has decreased the wider use of the craft.

However, we proudly keep this red list skill alive at Honister as riving remains an active part of what we do in our workshop.

19/07/2026

Right in the heart of Honister, you’ll find our workshop, where every piece of slate is cut, shaped and finished by hand. A real traditional craft that’s being kept alive in the fells of the Lake District

#

Address

Honister Pass
Keswick
CA125XN

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday 8:30am - 5pm
Sunday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441768777230

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Honister Slate Mine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Honister Slate Mine:

Shortcuts

Share

Category