Northumbrian Climbing Guide |
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| White House Rocks | What the symbols & colours mean |
| Grid Ref: NU160178 Aspect: W Problems: 43 | |
| Altitude: 163 mtrs Walk in: 5 mins Bouldering quality: * |
| Click here for StreetMap | ||
From Alnwick take the Eglingham road until a right turn for White House Farm and White House Folly is reached. It is possible to drive up the minor road towards White House Folly and park near the sign and gate for the bridleway. Parking is very limited here (two cars). In the unlikely event of other visitors there is a larger parking space further back down the road. | ||
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General:
White House Rocks are on the west-facing hillside below the trig point between White House Farm and White House Folly, approximately five miles north west of Alnwick. The rocks are in a former forestry plantation, which has now been cleared. The former plantation area is fenced off from adjacent fields but there is a public bridleway that crosses the lower part of the hill. The height of the outcrops ranges from two to five meters. Landings are soft and sandy apart from the occasional boulder. The only serious hazards encountered are the Vlad the Impaler brashings that hide in the bracken; most of these have been removed in the vicinity of the bouldering but care is needed when moving between the buttresses. The views from the hill all round are top class.
Rock:
Fell Sandstone Carboniferous, Dinantian The rock is for the most part excellent, but there aree softer areas which need particular care. The problems would benefit from some cleaning, but the rock will not take heavy cleaning without damage. Access issues:
No formal approach has been made for access but no exception has been taken so far. The buttresses in the field to the left of the former plantation (Roadside Buttress and Fence Buttress) may be subject to greater sensitivity – No problems have been climbed on these rocks as yet.
Routes/Bouldering:
No recorded routes. Problems: There is a good mix of easy and harder stuff, combined with its easy access it's well worth an afternoon or evenng.
History:
Despite visits from a few people since the wood was felled, nothing was recorded until John McRoberts noticed the crag and persuaded Will Walker to join him for a closer look. Chris Graham paid a visit on a sunny October day in 2007 and added half a dozen harder problems. The original guide was the work of Will Walker and additional information/photo diagrams have come from Alan Duncan and Chris Graham. |
