Honister Slate Quarry, Borrowdale | ||
Honister Slate Quarry | ||
Honister Slate Mine | ||
Honister Crag Quarry | ||
site name:- | Honister Crag | |
civil parish:- | Borrowdale (formerly Cumberland) | |
civil parish:- | Buttermere (formerly Cumberland) | |
county:- | Cumbria | |
locality type:- | slate quarry | |
locality type:- | quarry | |
locality type:- | mine | |
locality type:- | museum | |
locality type:- | workplace | |
coordinates:- | NY22481354 | |
1Km square:- | NY2213 | |
10Km square:- | NY21 | |
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BJZ23.jpg (taken 7.11.2005) BJZ22.jpg (taken 7.11.2005) |
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evidence:- | descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) item:- slate; roof slate |
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source data:- | Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the
mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be
visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the
district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick,
Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur
Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49,
latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes. goto source "... Honister Crag in majestic grandeur is presented to the view;" goto source Page 126:- "between which and Yew Crag, the road now sharply descends. Both these rocks are famed for producing roofing slate of the best quality; ..." |
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evidence:- | descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) |
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source data:- | Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by
Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W
Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William
Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman,
Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd,
Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839. goto source Page 88:- "... Honistar Crag, rises sheer out of the valley to the height of one thousand six hundred feet, on which are extensive blue-slate quarries. ..." |
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evidence:- | old text:- Martineau 1855 item:- Border Wars |
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source data:- | Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet
Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland,
and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76. goto source Page 133:- "... Honister Crag frowns above; and as the traveller, already at a considerable height, looks up at the quarrymen in the slate quarries near the summit, it almost takes his breath away to see them hanging like summer spiders quivering H from the eaves of a house." "These quarrymen are a hardy race, capable of feats of strength which are now rarely heard of elsewhere. No heavily-armed knight, who ever came here to meet the Scot (and there were such encounters on this spot in the ancient border wars) carried a greater weight, or" goto source Page 134:- "did more wonders in a day than these fine fellows. The best slate of Honister Crag is found near the top: and there, many hundred feet aloft, may be seen (by good eyes) the slate-built hovels of some of the quarrymen, while others ascend and descend many times between morning and night. Now the men come leaping down with their trucks at a speed which appears appalling to strangers. Formerly, the slate was brought down on hurdles, on men's backs: and the practice is still continued in some remote quarries, where the expense of conveyance by carts would be too great, or the roads do not admit of it. Nearly forty years ago there was a man named Joseph Clark at Honister, who made seventeen journeys, (including seventeen miles of climbing up and scrambling down,) in one day, bringing down 10,880 pounds of slate. In ascending he carried the hurdle, weighing eighty pounds; and in descending, he brought each time 640 pounds of slate. At another time he carried, in three successive journeys, 1,280 pounds each time. His greatest day's work was bringing 11,771 pounds; in how many journeys it is not remembered: but in fewer than seventeen. He lived at Stonethwaite, three miles from his place of work. His toils did not appear to injure him: and he declared that he suffered only from thirst. It was believed in his day that there was scarcely another man in the kingdom capable of sustaining such labour for a course of years." "In some places where the slate is closely compacted, and presents endways and perpendicular surface, the quarryman sets about his work as if he were going" goto source Page 135:- "after eagle's eggs. His comrades let him down by a rope from the precipice; and he tries for a footing on some ledge, where he may drive in wedges. The difficulty of this, where much of his strength must be employed in keeping his footing, may be conceived: and a great length of time must be occupied in loosening masses large enough to bear the fall without being dashed into useless pieces. But, generally speaking, the methods are improved, and the quarries made accessible by tracks admitting of the passage of strong carts. Still, the detaching of the slate, and the loading and conducting the carts, are laborious work enough to require and train a very athletic order of men. ..." |
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evidence:- | old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) placename:- Honister Quarries item:- slate; tramroad; inclined plane |
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source data:- | Book, Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite, Keswick,
published by W H Moss and Sons, Whitehaven, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1877; published
1877-1913. goto source page 135:- "..." "It has not been definitely ascertained when the Honister Quarries were first worked, but an old document was found some time ago in Cockermouth Castle, which contains the information that in 1753 Charles Norman became tenant or lessee, as successor to Thomas Grindall, proving that they were in full operation 160 years ago. After Thomas Grindall's occupancy, the quarries were leased by Messrs. Clark and Robert Jopson, and afterwards successively by Anthony Wright, Samuel Wright and Anthony Coward. Tho (sic) last-named lessee ceased working about 1870, and there was an interval of about eight years before the present proprietors commenced operations. Prior to the advent of this Company, the whole of the slate obtained was brought down the face of the rock and screes on small sledges, or barrows, as they were called by the workmen, and for this work great strength and dexterity were required, and it was always attended with some danger. The return journey had to be made by a circuitous route, the quarryman carrying the barrow on his shoulders. On commencing operations the present proprietors at once set to work to obviate this laborious and dangerous work, and constructed improved roads, and self-acting tramways for that purpose; and quite recently they have completed an internal connection between all the upper levels and one driven into the heart of the crag only a few feet above the top of Honister Pass, and now all the produce of the Quarry is brought out at that place. A self-acting tramway was also constructed to the top of Yew Crag." |
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evidence:- | old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District Mining Field, Westmorland, Cumberland,
Lancashire, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by John Postlethwaite, published by W H
Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913. PST2NY21.jpg "Honister" quarry symbol item:- JandMN : 162.2 Image © see bottom of page |
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evidence:- | old print:- Postlethwaite 1877 placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Print, halftone photograph, Honister Quarry and Pass, Buttermere and Borrowdale, Cumberland,
published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn
1913. click to enlarge PST333.jpg Tipped in opposite p.132 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. printed, bottom "HONISTER QUARRY AND PASS." item:- JandMN : 162.35 Image © see bottom of page |
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evidence:- | old print:- Postlethwaite 1877 placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Print, halftone photograph, Honister and Yew Crag Quarries, Borrowdale, Cumberland,
published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn
1913. click to enlarge PST334.jpg Tipped in opposite p.132 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. printed, bottom "HONISTER AND YEW CRAG QUARRIES." item:- JandMN : 162.36 Image © see bottom of page |
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evidence:- | old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) placename:- Honister Quarries item:- slate; tramroad; inclined plane |
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source data:- | Book, Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite, Keswick,
published by W H Moss and Sons, Whitehaven, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1877; published
1877-1913. goto source page 135:- "..." "It has not been definitely ascertained when the Honister Quarries were first worked, but an old document was found some time ago in Cockermouth Castle, which contains the information that in 1753 Charles Norman became tenant or lessee, as successor to Thomas Grindall, proving that they were in full operation 160 years ago. After Thomas Grindall's occupancy, the quarries were leased by Messrs. Clark and Robert Jopson, and afterwards successively by Anthony Wright, Samuel Wright and Anthony Coward. Tho (sic) last-named lessee ceased working about 1870, and there was an interval of about eight years before the present proprietors commenced operations. Prior to the advent of this Company, the whole of the slate obtained was brought down the face of the rock and screes on small sledges, or barrows, as they were called by the workmen, and for this work great strength and dexterity were required, and it was always attended with some danger. The return journey had to be made by a circuitous route, the quarryman carrying the barrow on his shoulders. On commencing operations the present proprietors at once set to work to obviate this laborious and dangerous work, and constructed improved roads, and self-acting tramways for that purpose; and quite recently they have completed an internal connection between all the upper levels and one driven into the heart of the crag only a few feet above the top of Honister Pass, and now all the produce of the Quarry is brought out at that place. A self-acting tramway was also constructed to the top of Yew Crag." |
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evidence:- | old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District Mining Field, Westmorland, Cumberland,
Lancashire, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by John Postlethwaite, published by W H
Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913. PST2NY21.jpg "Honister" quarry symbol item:- JandMN : 162.2 Image © see bottom of page |
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evidence:- | old print:- Postlethwaite 1877 placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Print, halftone photograph, Honister Quarry and Pass, Buttermere and Borrowdale, Cumberland,
published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn
1913. click to enlarge PST333.jpg Tipped in opposite p.132 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. printed, bottom "HONISTER QUARRY AND PASS." item:- JandMN : 162.35 Image © see bottom of page |
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evidence:- | old print:- Postlethwaite 1877 placename:- Honister Quarry |
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source data:- | Print, halftone photograph, Honister and Yew Crag Quarries, Borrowdale, Cumberland,
published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn
1913. click to enlarge PST334.jpg Tipped in opposite p.132 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. printed, bottom "HONISTER AND YEW CRAG QUARRIES." item:- JandMN : 162.36 Image © see bottom of page |
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JandMN : 399 BXO40.jpg Rock, souvenir roof slate, metamorphosed from tuff? from Honister Slate Quarry, Borrowdale, Cumberland, NY22481354, 7 November 2005. On a visitor tour you might get the chance to split a slate from a block, and come away with a souvenir like this. Ordovician; Borrowdale Volcanic Group. (taken 7.11.2005) |
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JandMN : 398 BXO39.jpg Rock, hand specimen of slate metamorphosed from tuff? from Honister Slate Quarry, Borrowdale, Cumberland, NY22481354, 7 November 2005. Ordovician; Borrowdale Volcanic Group. (taken 7.11.2005) |
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BJZ19.jpg (taken 7.11.2005) BJZ20.jpg (taken 7.11.2005) BJZ21.jpg (taken 7.11.2005) Click to enlarge BUM77.jpg (taken 3.5.2011) BXS92.jpg Charging lamp batteries. (taken 7.12.2012) BXS93.jpg Lamp batteries. (taken 7.12.2012) BXS94.jpg Inclined plane. (taken 7.12.2012) BXS95.jpg Jacks. (taken 7.12.2012) BXS96.jpg Miners' hut (reconstructed). (taken 7.12.2012) BXS97.jpg Miners' hut (reconstructed). (taken 7.12.2012) BXS98.jpg Tunnels. (taken 7.12.2012) BXS99.jpg Pneumatic drill (taken 7.12.2012) BXT01.jpg Tramroad point. (taken 7.12.2012) BXT02.jpg Rock. (taken 7.12.2012) BXT03.jpg Slates. (taken 7.12.2012) BXT04.jpg Slates. (taken 7.12.2012) |
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MN photo:- |
The quarry does a regular trade in house numbers and name signs. The engraving is
done on a machine:- |
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BXS85.jpg Engraving machine; the operator is choosing number guides from the cases of fonts. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS86.jpg Setting the number guides. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS87.jpg Setting the number guides, locking in place. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS88.jpg The operator tracks a follower in the guide, along each line and up each serif, the engraving head cuts the slate. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS89.jpg The follower in the guide. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS90.jpg The engraving head. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine BXS91.jpg The machine. (taken 7.12.2012) courtesy Honister Slate Mine |
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hearsay:- |
Begun 1643. |
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notes:- |
Harriet Martineau, 1854:- |
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"Nearly forty years ago there was a man named Joseph Clark at Honister, who made seventeen
journeys (including seventeen miles of climbing up, and scrambling down) in one day,
bringing down 10,880 lbs. of slate. In ascending he carried the hurdle, weighting
80 lbs., and in descending he brought each time 640 lbs. of slate. At another time
he carried, in three successive journeys, 1,280 lbs. each time. His greatest day's
work was bringing 11,771 lbs, in how many journeys it is not remembered, but in fewer
than seventeen." |
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Baron 1925 |
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Glover, David: 2014: Quarries of Lakeland: Bookcase (Carlisle, Cumbria) |
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place:- | Braithwaite and Buttermere Railway | |
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