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In this paper the experimental and numerical investigations that were carried out tounderstand the splitting behavior of naturally bedded layered slate specimens are reported.Material properties of slate were obtained from careful and detailed laboratory experimentscarried out for this purpose. The splitting of different sizes of slate blocks was carried outusing a wedge-shaped indentor attached to a hydraulic actuator. Splitting load and strainresponses were obtained through a data acquisition system using LabView software. Mode I(plane strain opening mode) dynamic crack propagation was simulated numerically by thesequential releasing of the restraining node on the symmetric plane of the specimens.Predefined impact load scenario was applied to the specimens with an initial crack, and themode I stress intensity factors were computed for different crack lengths. Stress intensityfactors for crack growth between 0.4 to 0.6 times the depth of the specimen were comparedwith the material fracture toughness obtained from earlier experiments.