Lake District 1.2km Zip Wire Plan

2nd Sep 2010

The owner of Honister Slate Mines has recently submitted a controversial application for a 1.2km zip wire ride, from Fleetwith Pike, at the head of the Buttermere valley, to the mines at Honister. The zip wire off Fleetwith Pike dubbed “the Lancaster Aerial Flight” would replicate a similar construction that existed at the remote quarry over 80 years ago. The inspiration came after slate mine owner Mark Weir was looking into the history of the mine’s long-forgotten industrial operations. From books and old photos, he discovered that in 1926, a cable car type-operation called the “Lancaster Aerial,” was built on a steep cliff-face of the mountain . Mr Weir hopes that the new “Aerial Flight” would help attract custom to the remote rural valley outside the main tourism season: “The Lancaster Aerial Flight would help Honister address the ebb and flow of tourism by retaining more people for longer periods and providing something new and exciting for visitors to try.” The application goes before the Lake District National Park Authority’s planning committee on 6th October.
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