The south bank of the river is designated as open access land under CRoW and climbers have a legal right of access to the crags on this bank. Climbers have been challenged by bailiffs in the past whilst climbing on this side of the river. Given that access for climbing is a legal right on this bank, please report any instances of confrontation regarding access on this side of the dale to the BMC.
The crags on this side of the dale have historically been reached by wading across the river at various places, but please avoid this now and use the following approaches instead:
For Moat Buttress, Crunch/Mallorca Buttress and the Cornice park at Cressbrook, cross the bridge at Rubicon Wall and contour the hillside above the crag. Cross the fence at a bend in the path (at the west exit of a tunnel) and either drop down steeply to Moat Buttress etc, or continue briefly along the trail before dropping down before the next tunnel entrance to get to the Cornice.
Central Buttress is best approached from Litton Mill by crossing the footbridge at LM, following the track and then contouring the hillside low before dropping down. Alternatively, follow a more defined path above the trail before dropping down a grassy slope to the crag.
Parking and Approach
For Moat Buttress, Crunch/Mallorca Buttress and The Cornice, park at Cressbrook.
For Central Buttress park at the small parking area 200m past Raven Tor, before reaching Litton Mill.
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 .