Honister Pass
Encyclopedia
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. It is located on the B5289 road, linking Seatoller
Seatoller
Seatoller is a settlement in Borrowdale in the English Lake District. It lies on the B5289 road at the east foot of the Honister Pass, and to the south of Derwent Water...
, in the valley of Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
, to Gatesgarth
Gatesgarth
Gatesgarth is a settlement in Lake District of England. It is situated to the east of the lake of Buttermere, on the B5289 road on its western approach to the Honister Pass....
at the southern end of Buttermere
Buttermere
Buttermere is a lake in the English Lake District in North West England. The adjacent village of Buttermere takes its name from the lake. Historically within the former county of Cumberland, the lake is now within the county of Cumbria. It is owned by the National Trust, forming part of their...
. The pass reaches an altitude of 1167 feet (355.7 m), making it one of the highest in the region, and also one of the steepest, with gradients of up to 1-in-4 (25%).
The Honister Pass is one of three passes that link the tourist area around Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
, including Derwent Water
Derwent Water
Derwentwater is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria....
and Borrowdale, with the valley of the River Cocker, including the lakes of Buttermere, Crummock Water
Crummock Water
Crummock Water is a lake in the Lake District in Cumbria, North West England situated between Buttermere to the south and Loweswater to the north. Crummock Water is two and a half miles long, three quarters of a mile wide and 140ft deep. The River Cocker is considered to start at the north of the...
and Loweswater
Loweswater
Loweswater is one of the smaller lakes in the English Lake District. The village of Loweswater is situated at the foot of the lake.The lake is not far from Cockermouth and is also easily reached from elsewhere in West Cumbria. The group of fells to the south of Loweswater is known as the Loweswater...
. From north to south these passes are the Whinlatter Pass
Whinlatter Pass
The Whinlatter Pass is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5292 road linking Braithwaite, to the west of Keswick, with High Lorton to the south of Cockermouth....
, the Newlands Pass
Newlands Pass
The Newlands Pass, also known as Newlands Hause, is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on an unclassified road linking the Newlands Valley, to the west of Keswick and Derwent Water, with the village of Buttermere...
, and the Honister Pass.
The Honister Slate Mine
Honister Slate Mine
The Honister Slate Mine is a group of slate mines and quarries located at the top of the Honister Pass in the Lake District in England. The earliest reference to quarrying at this location is from 1728.-History:...
and Honister Hause Youth Hostel are located at the summit of the pass.
Footpaths
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
lead from the summit of the pass to Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike
Fleetwith Pike is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria which reaches a height of 648 metres . The fell is a well-known feature of the area as it casts an imposing presence over Buttermere and the Honister Pass on the B5289 motor road between Borrowdale and...
to the west, Grey Knotts
Grey Knotts
Grey Knotts is a fell in the English Lake District, it is situated one kilometre south of the B5289 road as it crosses the Honister Pass, it is well seen from mid Borrowdale as it rises above Seatoller...
to the south, and Dale Head
Dale Head
Dale Head is a fell in the northwestern sector of the Lake District, in northern England. It is 753 metres or 2,470 feet above sea level and stands immediately north of Honister Pass, the road between Borrowdale and Buttermere.-Topography:...
to the north.