Peak District boulderers should be aware of ongoing access issues at Rowtor Rocks with complaints from local residents about boulderers using the site. The situation has escalated recently with a local MP and the CEO of the National Park Authority getting involved.

Henry Folkard, the BMC's Peak Area volunteer access co-ordinator and ear to the ground for all things access in the Peak takes up the story:

"On 16 January the Chief Executive Officer of the Peak District National Park, the landowner and the local National Park Ranger met with a Birchover resident, who keeps some chickens below Rowtor Rocks. This followed a request from the local MP to the CEO that complaints his constituent had raised with him regarding people bouldering at Rowtor, and disturbance to her chickens, be investigated. The local police have been made aware of the situation.

Complaints related to increase in the numbers of people visiting the site in recent years, to noise, and to behavior she found unacceptable. There was a particular issue regarding boulder problems above the chickens, and of climbers loitering around those problems. This causes alarm to her chickens and disturbs their laying. The resident was further aggrieved by comments she had read on climbing web sites regarding her chickens.

Rowtor Rocks are on private land with no right of access. Climbers will be aware that at the nearby venue of Eagle Tor permissive access was withdrawn because of the sheer number of visitors to that site and behaviour by some climbers the owners regarded as unacceptable.

It is probable that boulderers visiting Rowtor do not perceive themselves to be behaving badly. Nonetheless that is not the perception of this local resident. The landowner has not at this stage withdrawn the right of access, but it is probable that he will if he receives further complaints. Relations between the landowner and climbers at other popular venues he owns like Cratcliffe Tor and Robin Hood's Stride have been cordial so far.

The BMC sent the CEO a briefing note prior to his visit. Based on the informal feedback we have had subsequently, the BMC has offered to see if it can help the landowner with meeting the cost of repairs to informal paths on the Rocks and with such signage as he has indicated he wants. He will also be asking the new landlord of the Druids (formerly of the Red Lion at Litton) to keep an eye on Rowtor Rocks when the Druids re-opens.

As a gesture of goodwill it would be helpful if climbers remained out of sight of the chickens as far as was possible, and indeed out of sight of the houses nearby and particularly of their upstairs windows. Avoiding congregating by (or spending time working) problems above the chickens would also be discrete."

Three problems in particular seem to be the source of complaints from the local resident: Domes, Pat's Roof and Short Sean's Reachy Roof. Please avoid these for the time being. Any updates to the access situation at Rowtor will be added to the RAD page. Please check there before visiting next in case the situation has changed and be sure to inform the BMC or the local Peak Access Team of any further incidents.

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