31 Oct 2013
From Bentley to Rolls Royce, Aston Martin to Bugatti, around 150 vintage cars from a bygone era are expected to wind their way more than 2,100 feet up one of England's steepest roads past Honister Slate Mine for a truly unique sporting spectacle on Saturday 9 November 2013.
An array of classic sports cars from the 1920s and 1930s will gather at the foot of Honister Pass as part of the Lakeland Trials; the now annual pilgrimage of motoring enthusiasts to the area around Keswick, Whinlatter and Buttermere, as well as the mighty heights ofFleetwith Pike.
One of the most dramatic stages of the Vintage Sports Car Club event is undoubtedly Honister Slate Mine, where vintage roadsters must wind their way up the steep quarry road leading up the side of 2,126ft Fleetwith Pike – complete with rocky terrain and tortuous hair pin bends to test both man and machine. It’s a sight to behold as participants donned in goggles and scarves brave the elements in open-top cars and celebrate a golden-age of motoring against the backdrop of the awe-inspiring Lake District scenery.
Co-owner of Honister Slate Mine, Jan Wilkinson, says, “Last year, we had hundreds of spectators enjoying this exciting – and unique – spectacle, as classic car enthusiasts pitted their wits against one of England’s steepest roads. Honister is a great place to get up-close and personal with these vintage vehicles, soak up the atmosphere and help recapture the glory days of the roaring 20s and 30s.”
Spectators can park at Honister Slate Mine for the whole day at a specially reduced price of £3.00. As well as tucking into hot snacks and refreshments at the Sky Hi Café, visitors can also take home a special momento of the dramatic landscape from Honister’s gift shop, picking up anything from a house number plaque to an elegant slate water feature for their gardens. (Anyone spending £10.00 or more in the shop will have their parking fee deducted from the price of the purchase of Honister green slate).
Visit www.honister.com to find out more about Honister Slate Mine’s range of activities, including Via Ferrata, Via Ferrata Xtreme and fully-guided underground mine tours.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Honister Slate mine offers a unique day out for all ages:
· Via Ferrata Classic (or Iron Way) uses a series of metal cables, rungs, ladders and bridges along the old Victorian Miner's footpath up 2,126ft to the summit of Fleetwith Pike. While different from traditional rock climbing, it gives the very real sensation of being exposed on a rock face – all with the additional of a continuous cable to make the ascent up this magnificent mountain safe and achievable for everyone.
· Via Ferrata Xtreme is the ultimate adventure challenge. This high octane course also boasts Europe’s longest Burma Bridge at over 100m in length suspended at over 2,000ft above the valley floor, and Europe’s highest climbing cargo net at over 2,096ft off the ground.
· Honister Mine Tours – Fascinating guided mine tours of England’s oldest working slate mine. The mine wends its way through a 900 year old mine deep in the heart of a former volcano, Fleetwith, taking in narrow passages and incredible cathedral-like caverns. There are also specialist ecological and industrial heritage tours on Honister Crag during the summer.
For more information or images, please contact:
Heather Sewell, hsewell@cumbriatourism.org / 01539 825002 / 07795 487003
