About Us
Welcome to Honister Slate Mine! We are a family-owned business located in the heart of the Lake District National Park, UK.
Our mine has been operating for over 400 years, and we are proud to be the only working slate mine in England.
Honister Green Slate is a truly unique material, renowned for its stunning green colour and exceptional quality. It is one of the rarest and most sought-after types of slate in the world. The green colour of the slate is due to the presence of minerals such as chlorite and celadonite, giving it a distinctive hue that ranges from olive green to dark green.
The composition of our slate makes it highly resistant to weathering and erosion, as well as providing excellent thermal insulation properties. Its durability, combined with its aesthetic appeal, make it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications, from roofing to flooring and even for creating unique pieces of art.
Our Base
From The Mine
Situated at the top of Honister Pass in the Lake District, we take care of the entire process from start to finish in the extraction and processing of Westmorland Green Slate. This ensures that it is of the highest standard and is environmentally sustainable. All of our slate is extracted from Honister Crag by our miners, a site which has been extracting slate since Roman times.
Into The Workshop
At the heart of our business lies the workshop, where skilled craftsmen meticulously split and shape the slate, transforming raw material into high quality products. Our slate has many uses such as roofing, headstones, bespoke architectural projects and even sculptures. As the last working slate mine in England, we are truly passionate about maintaining and upholding the highest quality and practices when crafting arguably the best slate in the world.
Our Honister Slate Team
At Honister we are proud to be a family-owned and local business in the heart of the Lake District. Comprising of highly skilled and dedicated craftsman backed up by a great team of professionals, we uphold the legacy of the last working slate mine in England.
Our team have a deep-rooted pride and commitment to excellence in every part of the process from mining the stone to our beautiful end products. We always take time to listen to our customers and fulfil their needs.
Activities
We offer a range of experiences for visitors, from guided tours of the mine to outdoor and underground activities such as climbing, via ferrata and canyoning. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are passionate about sharing the history and heritage of the mine with visitors and ensuring that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable experience.
In addition to our mine tours and activities, we also have a café on site serving delicious, locally sourced food and drinks. Our gift shop offers a range of unique souvenirs and slate products that make the perfect gift or memento of your visit.
At Honister Slate Mine, we are committed to sustainability and protecting the natural environment in which we operate. We have implemented a range of initiatives to reduce our environmental impact and promote sustainable tourism.
