The area covered here is huge, being several hundred metres in length and with many large buttresses separated by sections of heather. At present the climbing is confined to the cleanest and more obvious sections of the quarry with a well developed eastern end, some choice buttresses running westwards and an upper quarry section at the western end.
Climbing Area:
Yorkshire
Rock Type:
Gritstone
Importance:
Local
CRoW Land:
Yes
Ownership:
Unknown
No. of Routes:
50
Within National Park:
No
Year Developed:
Grid Reference:
SE164780
There are some excellent highball offerings on good quality Gritstone including several good arêtes, some thin slabs and bold technical walls so plenty of mats and some spotters are in order if you would like to get the best out of the bouldering. The routes are located at the western end with some boulders in the vicinity where just one mat would suffice. Unfortunately much of the rock around the middle part of the quarry has clay and shale running off from the moor above and dirty top outs which probably wouldn't benefit from being cleaned. One is likely to find dry rock even if it has been wet the day before as most faces get sun from early afternoon and the moor is exposed to any winds. There are belay stakes above the western end of the quarry for doing the majority of the routes.
Parking and Approach
The best approach is by parking at The Druid's Temple (local brown tourist information signposts indicate the Swinton Bivouac cafe/camping close by) located about 2 miles south of the small village of Healey nr Masham. The Temple is well-worth a visit. Start by walking out of the car park past a gate towards the temple but immediately take a le ft turn through another gate in a wooden panel fence. After a few minutes you'll come to another gate but take the one leaving the forest on the left and follow the wall westwards. Eventually cross another gate in a narrow walled off area and pickup a track running left following another wall across the moor. When you get to a wooden gate, go through this and follow the wall down northwards. After about 70m take a quad track on the left, this takes a downhill turn which brings you out above the eastern end of the quarry. If you carry on west instead of going down the hill you'll reach the western end of the quarry. The area can also be approached by using the same parking as for Clint Crags and Roundhill on the opposite side of Leighton reservoir. Both approaches take about 20 minutes. The moor can be subject to closures at certain times of the year so check the Natural England website for further information.
CRoW Information
Open access land, designated under the Countryside & Rights of Way Act (2000) give area access rather than linear access as provided by public rights of way. It also gives a legal right of access specifically for climbing, as well as walking and other quiet recreation on foot.
Please bear in mind however that the landowner still has the right to restrict access for up to 28 days per year (often used on public safety grounds for shooting in moorland areas), and can also apply for longer term restrictions with Natural England (such as bans on dogs, or regular restrictions during particular times of year). It is important to check for these restrictions regularly as they can be added at short notice – all details for open access land in England can be found on Natural England’s website .
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