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I called by the Mine shop today to clear up any unsold calendars

and decided to give the dogs their daily walk at the head of the valley instead of down on the flat.

No time for a summit today despite the lengthening days, so I headed up on an old mine tracks opposite the centre.

As I was visiting the shop I parked on the mine car park.

The National Trust one would also have been an option for this walk.

Shall we go by train ?

	- - - o o o - - - I did offer Dougal the opportunity of a ride but where the jump into the cab was no bigger than the one into the car, he was rather phased with all the levers and gauges and the small cab so isn't looking too happy. - - - o o o - - -

We headed across the main road and started up the track to Dale Head.

Looking back at the Honister Mine buildings from a little higher up the fellside.

Soon I reached an old mine track that climbed towards the Yew Crag Quarries.

Not having walked this track before, it looked just about the right length and sufficiently interesting for a walk today.

This was probably an old sled gate (sledge path) as there was no signs of any iron rails.

It would have given access to the old slate mines on this side of the valley.

The majority of the darker scree on this side and for that matter the other side of the valley is in fact 'mine waste'.

That means every bit of that stone you see has been handled by a mine worker at some point in time.

The mine was only interested in selling roofing slate in the old days.

Modern mining tries to make something of that waste, be it ornamental stone of slate chippings for the garden.



The track ends at the old funicular railway . . .	. . . alongside an old mine entrance to the right.

Some of the mines on this side of the valley have been abandoned since the nineteenth century and so access is definitely not recommended !



In the later stages of working an improved funicular was built . . .	. . . with a double steel cable, attached to the 'up' and 'down' trucks.

The fellside above here is full of caverns and mine addits that fed the cut slate out onto the old railway.

The old incline led the carriages down to the green track that flanks the grey stone waste seen below.

It was a short descent and would make a nice return route for me today.

I soon passed a wooden lintel bridge that I had crossed on my walk up.

What was very noticeable now was that with the steep descent, the wet grass and the loose slate, this was no place for trainers.

What was I wearing on this short trip out . . . you guessed it . . . yes trainers.

With care I made it down without dislodging stone, nor slipping and ending up on my backside !

Just below me now was the old track-side shed where the guys would have off-loaded the slate filled bogies from the funicular,

ready to be taken along the more or less horizontal track that led across to the mine buildings.



Looking back up the steep incline from below.	We headed back to the mine buildings along the old railway.

Sadly a landslide has descended onto the old track and damaged the shed and the area at the base of the incline.

[ Check out the link at the end to see this area thirteen years ago.]

Still evidence of ironwork amongst the grass as we walk back.

The Yew Crag Mines and quarries were eventually phase out of production in 1963, as the other side of the valley was easier to work.

Looking across to the mines and Victorian Railway, with a similar incline to this on the Honister side of the valley.

- - - o o o - - -

The route down had been very steep and rather slippery due to the dampness and loose slate.

It would have been better in the days of active mining as there was evidence of numerous steps and walkways.

Needless to say . . . no animals (or people) were injured in the completion of this tricky descent.

At the end I noticed this sign about the lack of footpaths in this area.

The sign discourages access due to the danger from the old mine workings

but the area is 'open access' so is available to those

who treat it with common sense and great deal of respect.

- - - o o o - - -

The more modern horizontal track (compared to the inclined outward walk) ended back at the stone abutment.

This would have been a railway bridge across into the mine yard in the old days.

It now hosts one of the lovely Honister sculptures.

Back at the road, where the old bridge would have crossed.

Time to return two 'slate-grey footed' retrieves to the car and head home for supper.

- - - o o o - - -