Editing Lake District (section)

=== Industry ===
With its wealth of rock types and their abundance in the landscape, mining and quarrying have long been significant activities in the Lake District economy. In [[Neolithic]] times, the Lake District was a major source of stone [[axe]]s, examples of which have been found all over Britain. The primary site, on the slopes of the Langdale Pikes, is sometimes described as a "stone axe factory" of the [[Langdale axe industry]]. Some of the earliest [[stone circle]]s in Britain are connected with this industry.

Mining, particularly of copper, lead (often associated with quantities of silver), [[baryte]], [[graphite]], and [[slate]], was historically a major Lakeland industry, mainly from the 16th to 19th centuries. Coppiced woodland was used extensively to provide [[charcoal]] for smelting. Some mining still takes place today; for example, slate mining continues at the [[Honister Slate Mine|Honister Mines]], at the top of [[Honister Pass]]. Abandoned mine workings can be found on fellsides throughout the district. The locally mined graphite led to the development of the [[pencil]] industry, especially around [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]].

[[File:Lake District near Torver.jpg|thumb|A typical Lake District scene]]

In the middle of the 19th century, half the world textile industry's [[bobbin]] supply came from the Lake District area. Over the past century, however, tourism has grown rapidly to become the area's primary source of income.