King O'The Styans
Forged in the heart of the Cumbrian fells, King o’ the Styans rises from the ancient slate of Honister Mine - a place where strength and stone have long been bound together. The first gathering took place in 2023, honouring the mighty men who once toiled in these mountains, carving their lives into the very rock beneath their feet.
Each stone lifted in battle is born of the land itself - shaped, named, and hewn by the mine. They are more than weights; they are relics, each one holding the stories of those who came before.
By 2025, the call was answered by the women of strength - the first Queen o’ the Styans stepping forward to claim her place among the legends.
Here, under slate and sky, old power stirs again. The strong return to the fells - to lift, to strive, to earn their crown among the stones.
The Stones
The Buttermere Stone
Carved from the depths of Honister’s ancient slate, the Buttermere Stone stands at 163 kilos - a single, solid monument to endurance. Its edges bear the mark of the mountain, its weight the memory of the men who once hauled stone by hand from the fells.
To lift it is strength.
To carry it is defiance.
Every step with the Buttermere Stone is a battle against gravity, slate, and self - a trial of sheer will until the body gives way or the spirit conquers.
The Fleetwith Stones
Born from the slate and sweat of Fleetwith Pike, these twin burdens are forged from pure Honister stone, unbalanced and unforgiving. A combined weight of 225 kilos - one at 119kg, the other 106kg - each fitted with iron rings salvaged from the old mine workings.
They are not meant to be lifted easily, but carried as far as strength and spirit allow. Every step with the Fleetwith Stones is a test of balance, endurance, and the will to keep moving when the mountain itself seems to pull you back.
The Loweswater Stone
New to the arena in 2025, the Loweswater Stone marks the rise of the Queen o’ the Styans - a 103-kilo test of strength, grit, and grace under weight. Hewn from Honister slate and born of the same rock as the kings before it, it carries the same challenge: lift, hold, and walk for distance until will gives way.
This stone is more than a trial - it’s a symbol. The moment the women of the fells stepped forward to carve their own chapter in the story of the Styans.
All photos courtesy of Prism Photography
