The quarries have been mostly idle for decades and nature has pretty much reclaimed them; blanketing them in deciduous woodland. The actual quarries are of most interest to rock climbers and divers, however there is a legacy of tracks and bridleway associated with them that connect with the main valleys of Yewdale and Little Langdale, so there are walks aplenty.
It is likely that slate has been worked and used in Cumbria since man first appeared here in prehistoric times. It certainly has a long history. There is evidence of its use from the time of the Romans at their fort at Hardknott above Eskdale.
Slate was originally won by hand, with gunpowder introduced from 1800 and compressed air drills from 1910. Diamond tipped saws replaced the cutting of blocks by hammer and chisel from the 1930’s. Various methods of moving the rock around were developed including inclines – both external as at Yew Crag, and internal as at Honister – and aerial ropeways, as at Hodge Close and Coniston Old Man.
In their working arrangements the quarries were primitive in the extreme, with no provision for the comfort of the quarrymen and very little for their safety. Until later times it was a labour-intensive industry. The large pieces thrown down by a blast were themselves bored and blasted until reduced to manageable proportions after which further hard work, with the aid of sledgehammers and wedges, was required to produce pieces which could be carried away to the riving shed. Here the river split the stone into thin sheets, and the dresser shaped them into slates with a special heavy knife. It was a dangerous occupation, even for someone at the end of the process. The industry today is only a fraction of its size at the turn of the century but still active with a number of smaller operations on both sides of the Tilberthwaite Valley.
Slate was originally won by hand, with gunpowder introduced from 1800 and compressed air drills from 1910. Diamond tipped saws replaced the cutting of blocks by hammer and chisel from the 1930’s. Various methods of moving the rock around were developed including inclines – both external as at Yew Crag, and internal as at Honister – and aerial ropeways, as at Hodge Close and Coniston Old Man.
In their working arrangements the quarries were primitive in the extreme, with no provision for the comfort of the quarrymen and very little for their safety. Until later times it was a labour-intensive industry. The large pieces thrown down by a blast were themselves bored and blasted until reduced to manageable proportions after which further hard work, with the aid of sledgehammers and wedges, was required to produce pieces which could be carried away to the riving shed. Here the river split the stone into thin sheets, and the dresser shaped them into slates with a special heavy knife. It was a dangerous occupation, even for someone at the end of the process. The industry today is only a fraction of its size at the turn of the century but still active with a number of smaller operations on both sides of the Tilberthwaite Valley.
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| Yew Tree Tarn |
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| Yew Tree Tarn |
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| Hodge Close |
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| Hodge Close |
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| Hodge Close |
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| Hodge Close |
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| Hodge Close |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
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| Holme Fell |
