Northumbrian Climbing Guide

From the A1 north of Felton. take the road through Shillbottle and follow signs for Warkworth to reach the main line railway crossing at old Warkworth Station after about 5 miles. Park in the lay-by by the telephone box. Walk down the road over the bridge over the dene. Go through the gate and along the edge of a field past a farm house, then cross the field to the fence corner. Cross the fence. You are now at the top of the crag. Approximately 20m right brings you onto the top of the easy way down, 20m left brings you to the top of Vanguard (a 4 metre Diff). There is no right of way,

Editors note: this guide is the work of Malcolm Lowerson.
Hidden in a deep wooded dene with a stream running down into the Coquet river; this sandstone crag, sheltered by trees with a westerly aspect. provides a delightful and tranquil situation for climbing. A tranquillity only broken by the babbling of the brook. the chattering of the birds and the thunderous roar of the passing express trains on the main line railway only 200m. away, but completely out of sight. From the left. the crag is composed of a large square-cut buttress with a recessed face, overhung at its top and bottom ( Upstream Buttress ). Its stepped and broken right side (Jerrico Walls ) forms a corner with a high narrow buttress with flat platform top (Tower of Babel ), split in two by a deep vertical crack. On its right flank the ground slopes up beneath a short wall with tree topped ledge which makes a corner ( easy way down ) with the first of a line of tree topped walls and ribs ( Tree Walls At their right end. a big corner with an overhanging off-width crack is formed by the left wall of a large projecting buttress. Its main face ( Ripple Wall ) around to the right, is under-cut at its base and lined with horizontal weaknesses with a large recess in the right of the face. The ground slopes up steeply beneath it to a short corner not so easy way down ) and falls away below the increasing height of the final tree topped walls Downstream Walls The nature of the rock is diverse; with small pocketed holds. horizontal weaknesses. vertical cracks and slab-like walls. The walls and buttresses are generally vertical. with a few small overlaps and overhangs. The sandstone varies in quality from one buttress to another, but is generally harder in the upper strains and softer in the lower. It should be noted however. that the routes on the Upstream Buttress are not recommended unless you (a) have attended a master class in climbing on loose rock with Malcolm Lowerson, (b) have climbed at Hownsgill on at least three occasions. or (c) have the weight and life expectancy, of an anorexic fruit fly.

Longhoughton Grit Carboniferous Namurian (Upper Limestone Group)
Poor