Honister Slate Mine – England’s last working slate mine has been shortlisted in The Heritage Crafts Awards – in the prestigious Made in Britain category.
The Heritage Crafts Awards celebrate and highlight the traditional living crafts made in the UK that contribute to our national heritage and where there is a significant degree of hand skill at the point of manufacture.
Honister Slate Mine produces a large range of products crafted from Honister Green Slate that is extracted from the iconic Lake District mountain Fleetwith Pike and the 400-year-old slate mines within Honister Crag, high above the workshops. The techniques used by the workforce today are the same traditional skills that have been used for centuries and each element from cutting, riving, polishing, design and delivery is given the utmost care and attention
Joe Weir, Co-owner of Honister Slate Mine, said,
“Today Honister Slate Mine is the last working slate mine in the whole of England. We are proud to still be operating techniques that have been used for centuries and the quality of the products manufactured is testament to the traditional skills of the work force. We are honoured that Honister Slate Mine is still mining and with that we keep the skills alive, when historically in the mid 15,000’s there were 1400 mines in this county and now we are the very last of its kind nationwide. To be shortlisted in the Made in Britain category is a fantastic achievement for our team here at Honister, and we look forward to finding out the results in March”
Honister Green Slate is renowned for its olive-green hue, quality, longevity and density and is the natural material that is used to make a diverse range of handcrafted slate products on site. The extensive range of bespoke products available include; Homeware, dining sets, slate house signs, cake stands and wine racks to fire hearths, flooring and worktops. Products are available to order online or from the onsite shop at Honister.
Over the last 20 years the business has sought to waste none of the material mined. The dust created in the manufacturing process it now used in mouldings for ornaments.
The winner will be announced and the award and certificate presented at the Heritage Craft Association’s annual Conference on Saturday 24th March 2018 in London.
