Lake District walks - Honister Quarry

The famous green slate quarry as viewed from the path up Grey Knotts. The quarry buildings are to the left, the grey buildings by the road are a Youth Hostel, and the cars in front of them belong to walkers. It is well worth taking a guided tour of the quarry - which used to employ about 200 people at its peak in the 19th century; now there are about 30, but the slate is exported all over the world.

This is an annual sight: on Remembrance Sunday, there is a meeting on the top of Great Gable to commemorate those who died in past wars, especially those in the Fell and Rock Climbing Club, who owned many of the central fell-tops before they gave them to the National Trust in the 1920s.  Many hundreds of walkers make the journey, hence the abnormally large number of bodies in this shot, which is taken from the quarry at the beginning of the climb up onto the Tramway.  The path up Grey Knotts is off to the left.


Back to the main "Braithwaite walks" page.

For somewhere to stay nearby, try

Highbridge Cottage.

© P. G. R. Rigg 09/10/2003