Lake District Photo Gallery - Honister Pass Drive

The Honister Pass is a beautiful drive from Keswick and well worth a half day excursion. It actually is not a very long drive - if you go straight to the mine at the top of the pass without stops, it is only about 10 miles, then another 15 miles down towards Buttermere and to finish near Cockermouth. From Keswick, take the B5289 out of town. It runs along the eastern side of Derwent Water and I would recommend taking a short detour up to Ashness Bridge and Surprise View, both of which have paid parking lots managed by the National Trust. The National Trust's website claims Ashness Bridge is the most photographed view in the Lake District. It's a nice walk on the narrow paved road between the two with farms and lots of greenery. If you want to save some money, keep your car parked at Ashness Bridge and walk uphill to Surprise View (or vice versa), where you get a beautiful view of Derwent Water so you don't have to pay for parking twice. Head back down towards the lake and continue along the B5289, which will soon start rising uphill steeply. At the top of the drive is the Honister Slate Mine where slate has been quarried since the 18th century. Still operating, there are 90-minute tours of the operation. Back in the old days, workers walked from Keswick Monday morning and worked in the mountains for the rest of the week or even longer. Today, this is England's last working slate mine. You are now at the top of the pass and from here on, the road descends and zig zags down the valley to Buttermere.. This is a must-do drive even though the road is narrow and you need to navigate carefully if there is oncoming traffic. There is an occasional parking lot where you can stop and admire the mountain scenery. Do stop at the hamlet of Buttermere, where is a small church and a few hotels. Walk out to the lakefront past farms and a lot of sheep. I arrived a bit too late for the ice-cream shop recommended by the locals though. Built in 1840 at the edge of the village, St James' Church is unique as there is no graveyard due to the rocky landscape. The deceased were taken to neighbouring towns to be buried. It is possible to walk around the lake, a 7.5km hike, but I didn't have much time left in the afternoon and the weather was unpredictable even though the sun has started to peek out. From here, the road takes you past Crummock Water before reaching the big A66 highway for Cockermouth or Keswick. It is theoretically possible to visit the Honister Pass by public transport. Stagecoach runs the route 77 series along this road with stops at the slate mine and Buttermere, but frequencies are not great so you need to consult the schedules very carefully if you plan to make a few stops like I did but with a car. It would be very difficult to enjoy all the sights shown here in less than half a day if you take the bus.