Northumbrian Climbing Guide

 
 
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Gimmerknowe Rocks What the symbols
& colours mean
Grid Ref: NU046022   Aspect: S   Problems: 13 
Altitude: 200 mtrs   Walk in: 15 mins   Bouldering quality: * 
Click here for StreetMap Right of access under CRoW  
The rocks lie at the top of the hillside above the western end of Rothbury. Follow the high level road up and along the hillside from opposite the County Hotel at the west end of the main street in Rothbury. Continue due west and park in layby's near the post box. This is the same as for the Quarry. The right of way to the crag starts a little strangely and isn't signposted. About 100m back past the quarry some steps stick out of the wall next to a house entrance gate. these lead to a very narrow path between the houses. Go along this and then up and left through the wood, between another wood and some rocks (yet more bouldering!) and on to Gimmerknowe farmhouse. An obvious track then leads up through a gate and onto the hillside. Paths lead through the head deep bracken to the rocks. An alternative and easier approach is to go through the quarry and continue into the field below the crag, then go round the back of the house to join the track up towards the crag. Although not a right of way, there have been no reported problems using this path.
 
General:
The crag is a south facing collection of boulders and small buttresses at the western end of the escarpment overlooking Rothbury. It is known to have been visited on a number of occasions, but nothing seems to have been recorded. The place is well worth a short evenings bouldering, or it can be combined with the Quarry and Ship Rock in a circular walk from Rothbury.
Rock:  
Fell Sandstone Carboniferous, Dinantian
Excellent
Routes/Bouldering:  

No recorded routes.

Problems:
There are some good quality problems across the grades on good rock, but there's not quite enough of it.
Other interesting stuff:
The extensive earthworks you cross as you approach the crag are the remains of the Old Rothbury Iron Age hillfort.
History:
Bouldering at he rocks was systematically developed during 2001 by the usual suspects(Bob Smith, the Earls et al) and John Dalrymple, with Andy Earl topping things of with his Font 8a+ problem Desperado.