Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique
This week
SaturdayÌý1st December
Matt Baker goes to the Lake District to visit England's last working slate mine
At the top of the remote Honister pass in – one of the most picturesque valleys - is England’s only working slate mine. The reopening of the mine eleven years ago was contentious. Mining hasn’t always been encouraged by the authorities in National Parks, and it has been a long process for owner Mark Weir to get to where he is today.
Matt Baker visits to see what slate has meant to Borrowdale over the years, meeting Mark Weir, mine owner and helicopter pilot; Mark’s Mum, Celia, who has had a connection to the mine since she moved to the area aged 5; former miner John Taylor, who recalls the skills needed for the job; local historian Alastair Cameron, who writes books about the history of Lakeland mining; and dry stone wallerÌý whose handiwork blends seamlessly into the landscape.
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