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Honister Opens 1,200-Metre Zip Wire, England’s Longest

Operators say the paid attraction could revive western Lake District tourism through a high-speed visitor experience that also restores ropeway slate transport.

Overview

  • The 1,200-metre zip wire opened this week at Honister Slate Mine and is being promoted as the longest in England, running from Honister Crag down to the visitor centre.
  • Riders are lifted about 2,000ft to the summit before a roughly 60-second descent that can reach speeds up to 65 mph, offering panoramic views of the Lake District.
  • Tickets start at around £110 per person and organisers say only a limited number of riders will be able to book for the initial season.
  • The attraction is the result of more than 15 years of planning by the Weir family, who reopened Honister in 1997 and marked the launch during the business’s 30-year milestone.
  • Honister frames the zip wire as dual-purpose: a new visitor draw expected to boost the local visitor economy and a functional revival of historic ropeway slate transport that links to existing attractions such as the Infinity Bridge and Via Ferrata.