In reply to Kate Edhouse:
Hi,
I did the Honister Via Ferrata last autumn and it's good fun. There are two versions of the via ferrata - the original and the "extreme" (which opened last year). There seem to be several different ways that the extreme route can go, but the route I took involved ladders, traversing and climbing on stemples, a long (and very tiring) wire bridge and a finish up a rope cargo net. The big difference between it and a via ferrata in the Dolomites is that there is almost nowhere on the route where (when you are climbing) you are not holding on to a bit of metal work, with very little actual rock climbing.
The guide I had wasn't a mountain guide, but was a helpful, nice guy who made sure everyone was having a good time and had an eye out in case anyone got into trouble. I'd be interested to know what happens if someone gets into real trouble on the via ferrata, but that's probably a discussion for a different thread.
A slightly annoying rule of Honister Slate Mines is that you are not allowed to take photos on the via ferrata. Instead, the guide takes photos of people climbing and you can then buy a DVD for £15. I'm guessing the reason for this is that they don't want tourists focusing so much on taking photos of their mates that they fall off.
I'd second the view that the mine tour is good. You can do a package with the via ferrata.
I hope that helps.
Best wishes,