Fleetwith Pike - Monday 19 February 2024
Route
Honister - Drum House - Dubs Quarry - Dubs Hut - Fleetwith Pike - Black Star (Honister Crag) - Hopper Quarry - Honister
Parking
Honister Slate Mine (£5 all day, pay in the shop) - Grid Reference NY 22458 13538. Nearest postcode is CA12 5XN which will take you to Seatoller however the Slate Mine is 1.4 miles further on up the B5289 (Honister Pass). There is also a National Trust Car Park right next door to the Slate Mine.
Mileage
5 miles
Terrain
Good paths throughout
Weather
Overcast with low visibility on occasion
Time Taken
3hrs 40mins
Total Ascent
1210ft (369m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge
Honister - Drum House - Dubs Quarry - Dubs Hut - Fleetwith Pike - Black Star (Honister Crag) - Hopper Quarry - Honister
Parking
Honister Slate Mine (£5 all day, pay in the shop) - Grid Reference NY 22458 13538. Nearest postcode is CA12 5XN which will take you to Seatoller however the Slate Mine is 1.4 miles further on up the B5289 (Honister Pass). There is also a National Trust Car Park right next door to the Slate Mine.
Mileage
5 miles
Terrain
Good paths throughout
Weather
Overcast with low visibility on occasion
Time Taken
3hrs 40mins
Total Ascent
1210ft (369m)
Wainwrights
1
Map
OL4 - The English Lakes (North Western Area)
Walkers
Dave, Angie & Fudge
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GPX File
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Route Map
The National Trust Car Park at Honister Slate Mine directly below the Youth Hostel which is over to the right
Fudge bemoans the fact that as we were very early arriving at Honister there was nobody here to scrounge food from
Some of the fantastic slate artwork at Honister. The building on the right is a slate model of The Bridge House at Ambleside.
Mining of Westmorland Green Slate has been taking place at Honister since at least 1728 and most likely well before that. After closing in 1966 the mine briefly reopened between 1981 & 1989 however on closing once more it remained derelict until 1997. Local businessman Mark Weir bought the mine and set about redeveloping the mining side of the business as well as introducing a tourism element. Sadly Mark died in 2011 however the business continues to thrive under the management of Mark's family. A link to the Honister Mine website is here - I can very strongly recommend the mine tour.
Mining of Westmorland Green Slate has been taking place at Honister since at least 1728 and most likely well before that. After closing in 1966 the mine briefly reopened between 1981 & 1989 however on closing once more it remained derelict until 1997. Local businessman Mark Weir bought the mine and set about redeveloping the mining side of the business as well as introducing a tourism element. Sadly Mark died in 2011 however the business continues to thrive under the management of Mark's family. A link to the Honister Mine website is here - I can very strongly recommend the mine tour.
Before starting the walk we popped over the road to look down the Honister Pass
The view down the Honister Pass with Black Star (Honister Crag) to the left & Robinson to the right
A Honister Pass panorama
A Baguley narrow gauge steam locomotive. It's actually not "steam" as such - this 2ft gauge 'steam-outline' diesel loco No 3236 was built in 1947 by Baguley for the amusements at Sheerness, but since 1998 has been on static display at Honister.
More slate artefacts adorn the area - we would be heading up the mine access track over to the right
Heading up the mine access track - the path to the left is the Coast to Coast path coming down from the Drum House and would be our route of ascent today. The path to the right would be our return route.
Joining the Coast to Coast route signposted to Great Gable & Haystacks
Looking back to Honister as we ascend to the Drum House
Fudge puts the brakes on as the path makes a sharp left turn - in the wet this path can be pretty tricky as the sloping slabs become greasy & therefore slippery hence why we ascended it today.
The path continues to rise on a good gradient as it approaches a rock gateway near the Drum House
Dale Head from near the Drum House
Looking over to people on the Coast to Coast path - the fell in the background is Grey Knotts
The final rise to the Drum House
Looking back to Borrowdale from the Drum House
The Hopper Quarry and our route of descent down Black Star from the Drum House
Fudge on what remains of the Drum House. This structure housed a wooden drum and cable with the braking system operated manually. The system controlled the ascent and descent of the trucks that were deployed to transport the slate down to the processing sheds below.
No Fudge we are not off to Grey Knotts today - next stop is Dubs Hut for Bacon & Egg Sarnies
Approaching Dubs Hut - both paths can be taken as they lead to the same place
Dubs Hut now in sight with Haystacks in cloud over to the left
Dubs Hut Bothy
It is always nice to stop here and chat to whoever is inside. The bothy is a former Mining Hut and was restored in 2017 by the Mountain Bothies Association with the help of Honister Slate Mine who own the building. It is one of two bothies in this area - the other more well known one is at Warnscale about 1/4 of a mile to the west.
It is always nice to stop here and chat to whoever is inside. The bothy is a former Mining Hut and was restored in 2017 by the Mountain Bothies Association with the help of Honister Slate Mine who own the building. It is one of two bothies in this area - the other more well known one is at Warnscale about 1/4 of a mile to the west.
The entrance to Dubs Hut
We brought our breakfast with us today and I settled down (with an audience) to knock up some Bacon & Egg Sarnies
Prior to leaving we gave the hut a sweep and took away a small amount of rubbish that some kind soul had seen fit to leave here
The path over to Haystacks from Dubs Hut - not for us today
Our path to Fleetwith Pike swings around the back of Dubs Hut
With Dubs Hut to our right it was time to start the gradual ascent towards the summit of Fleetwith Pike
Looking back down to Dubs Hut with Grey Knotts beyond
Haystacks now just about clear of cloud
Approaching Fleetwith Pike - there are many paths here therefore in low cloud it is best to take a bearing from Dubs Hut to Fleetwith Pike and simply follow it.
Continuing our ascent of Fleetwith Pike as the gradient steepens
Angie & Fudge on the summit of Fleetwith Pike. This is normally one of the best views in the Lake District but not today unfortunately.
With Fudge on Fleetwith Pike
Looking down Fleetwith Edge towards Buttermere - this is a cracking way to climb the fell but extremely steep
From Fleetwith Pike we headed along the crest of the ridge towards Black Star
Looking down one of the many gullies to the Honister Pass
Dale Head now in cloud
Fleetwith Pike from the approach to Black Star
The summit of Black Star (Honister Crag)
Fleetwith Pike from Black Star
In and around Black Star are the remains of old mine buildings
More mine building ruins - it is worth having a mooch around here as there is lots to see
The arrow points the way little chap - it's behind you
Descending, the route passes near to a small radio transmitter aerial
Passing through the Hopper Quarry
The route passes to the right of a mountain of green slate spoil which before too long will engulf this rusting hut. Wainwright said of Honister in Book Seven that "there is no beauty in despoliation and devastation but there can be dramatic effect and interest and so it is here" (Fleetwith Pike 5)
Near the Hopper Quarry the route joins the main access road which leads back to Honister
Looking to the Drum House from the main access road
A windswept & interesting Fudge as we descend to Honister
The access road switches back on itself several times which takes the steepness out of the descent
The slate tablet and table that commemorates the re-opening of the mine on 14 August 2001 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Looking down to Honister from the Celia Taylor-Weir plaque dedicated to her by her family. Celia was Mark Weir's mother and she sadly died in 2020. The slate plinth is inscribed with Rudyard Kipling's poem "IF"
Back at Honister - I wonder what we can find in the Cafe?
A very good piece of cake and a Hot Chocolate that's what!