Climbing ban lifted in Carn Gowla, Cornwall

Dringo Creigiau
04 Medi
3 min read

A peregrine survey by boat with high-quality photography organised by local BMC Access Reps Iain Peters and James Mann has helped to identify peregrine nesting sites so that a blanket ban on climbing at the Cornish climbing site of Carn Cowla can be lifted. A temporary ban had been put in place by the National Trust covering the cliffs between Tubby Head and Bawden Cliff, including major route locations up to and beyond the America Buttress. The ban has now been lifted so all sections are open, with only crag- and area-specific restrictions in place when necessary.

On the north Cornish coast a few miles from St Agnes, the Carn Gowla sea cliffs offer some of the most exciting and adventurous climbing south of Gogarth with crags up to 100m high and national classics such as Mercury (E2), America (E4) and the 5 pitch rising traverse Journey to Ixtlan (HVS). Carn Gowla is a committing place which can feel daunting on first acquaintance: the cliff's face north / north-west and plunge direct into the Atlantic so need calm, dry conditions. Access is by abseil and there are few cliff top vantage points. For these reasons the climbing season at Carn Gowla tends to be shorter than other sea cliffs in Devon and Cornwall.

As well as some great climbing, parts of Carn Gowla are home to nesting seabirds and to peregrine which nest from time to time. The area is a SSSI, designated as CROW land and owned by the National Trust. The BMC has agreed restrictions to protect nesting birds over the years but in the 2023 and 2024 seasons there were frustrations as the restriction was repeatedly extended due to lack of knowledge about if and where Peregrines might be nesting. The BMC offered various forms of support to help identify nest sites, but the net effect was that climbing was effectively banned at the whole of Carn Gowla over the good weather climbing months May to mid-August 2024.

In 2023 our local Access Rep Iain Peters organised a boat survey and James Mann took a series of excellent high-res images to help identify the precise locations of nest sites. Throughout all this, discussions between the BMC and the National Trust have been ongoing and earlier this August the General Manager for Mid & SE Cornwall, Bill Makin, clarified the National Trust’s position on the climbing restrictions i.e. that they are in fact, "BMC restrictions, and not a National Trust ban on climbing".

This being the case, for the 2025 climbing season, there will be a restriction on sections of the crag known to have colonies of nesting seabirds. Should peregrine be found to be nesting, specific restrictions will be put in place on nearby routes. Peregrine (and chough) are Schedule 1 species, protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; it is an offence to disturb them while nesting, building a nest, in/near a nest containing their young, or to disturb their young.

Check the Regional Access Database (RAD) for updates on these climbing restrictions and all others nationwide.

Carn Gowla, Cornwall, a stunning place to climb

BMC Access Rep and Atlantic Coast Guidebook writer, Iain Peters, said, “As well as my involvement with the BMC, I’m also a National Trust volunteer for the Culm Coast between Clovelly and Morwenstow, helping with footpath work, rewilding programmes and liaising with visitors. The BMC has excellent relationships with National Trust staff on this section of coast with any access and conservation issues being dealt with in a spirit of cooperation. I will continue to work constructively at Carn Gowla and the BMC will play its part by helping gather accurate data on nest sites to inform decision making.”

BMC Land, Property & Access Advisor, Dave Turnbull, said, “The BMC has spent 50+ years working with conservation bodies and landowners to agree access arrangements which allow climbing and protect important species of nesting birds. By and large, these work extremely well and are widely respected by climbers, with the cliffs of southern Pembrokeshire, Baggy Point and Berry Head being good examples. It’s great that the National Trust has now clarified the situation at Carn Gowla and we look forward to working collaboratively with them next season and beyond.”

Time is short for climbing at Carn Gowla over the rest of 2024 but, if you're in the area in September or October and hit a good weather window, it's definitely worth a visit. There's a climbing meet scheduled for the weekend of 7-8 September with camping within walking distance of the crag, all are welcome. Contact BMC Access Rep Iain Peters for more info.

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