This site is a digital copy of the 1997 BMC guidebook to rock climbing in Lancashire
Climbing guides found for: Bolton
Anglezarke is one of the larger quarries in the Lancashire area. It is sited on Anglezarke Moor, close to the reservoir, and just across the road lies Lester Mill Quarry. Despite being tree-filled, it is a suntrap and the routes tend to dry relatively quickly after rain. The rock is a sandy gritstone and is generally sound, though it can tend towards brittle in some parts. However, care should be taken when climbing on some parts. Some of the rock above the Left Wall Area, near Terror Cotta, should also be treated with respect.
Walt Unsworth and Bev Heslop first discovered Anglezarke Quarry late in the 1950s and ascended the first recorded routes. Unsworth and Heslop attacked the lines of least resistance first and climbed a few of the easier routes on Triple Bob Buttress as well as one on Grey Buttress (Pedestal Route). They also attempted what was later to become Fox`s Corner and made ascents of Plain Bob, Tocsin Wall (the hardest route in the quarry at the time) and a half-dozen others late in the 1950s.
Both Anglezarke and Lester Mill are owned by North West Water, whose managers have in the past been very climber-friendly. Their only request is that climbers on the Left Wall Area should not belay to the fence posts at the side of the road. Climbers are also asked to avoid abseiling over the Golden Tower and the Left Wall Areas, as this is starting to cause serious erosion.
Brownstones is situated some seven kilometres from the centre of Bolton and lies conveniently next to Scout Road, within a stone`s-throw of ample car parking. The quarry is a fellstone grit of similar nature to (though a finer texture than) Wilton and is generally very clean. The climbs are short and this makes it an ideal spot for bouldering on a summer`s evening.
The Lancashire Caving and Climbing Club in the spring of 1947 and was written by Eric Parr. That original guide included 47 problems, many of which are still bouldering classics of today. Notable routes which date from that period include Godwit Groove and Crossbill Crack, now known as Parr`s Crack and Layback respectively, to the modern devotees and both still retain the potential to shock jaded rock-jocks in early season.
Egerton is an extensive gritstone quarry clearly visible across the valley from Wilton. Climbing in the quarry is not concentrated in one area, but is fragmented on a number of sheltered buttresses, which despite initial appearances hide some of the finest routes in the area in terms of quality. As a result of the quarry`s layout, there are always some climbs to be found in the sunshine, though the best area, Wood Buttress, has a shady aspect. To aid location of the routes, some have their initials painted at their base.
Hank Pasquill and friends visited Egerton Quarry in 1972 and climbed a handful of routes, of which no records were kept. The first definite record of a first ascent belongs to Jim Fogg who paid a short visit a couple of years after Pasquill, in 1974, and climbed Thin Crack. News of a potential guidebook supplement provided the necessary impetus, and the crag was rediscovered by Tony Preston in 1975. Preston climbed Dickie`s Meadow on the area of rock just right of Wood Buttress proper, a significant route, but something of a flanking attack, leaving the remaining possibilities for later.
The quarry is owned by Mr Moon, who has extended his garden in the section to the west of the old road that splits the quarry. Mr Moon is happy for climbers to climb at their own risk on the Bridge Area and the main part of the quarry to the east of the old road. However, climbers must not climb within the garden area, previously known as Grafitti Wall, on which some relatively poor climbs were previously recorded. Most of this area is bounded by a fence, but it also includes a short unfenced section up to the bridge. Thus, climbers must NOT climb to the right of Broken Toe.
There are further routes to be done in the quarry, but these will require some cleaning.
There are further routes to be done in the quarry, but these will require some cleaning.
The crag is short, but steep and most of the climbs are strenuous. In the past, vegetation and a pool at the foot have dissuaded many from climbing at Ousel`s Nest. However, the crag has now been cleaned and there is better access to the rock, which has considerably improved the crag. The reward for visitors will be many good, hard routes, including a few excellent lines, that have not yet been climbed.
Ancient pegs greeted Carl Dawson and John Spencer when they `discovered` Ousel`s Nest on New Year`s Day in 1968. Spencer returned later with Steve Jones and this pair ascended and named Hogmanay Slab, though it is now obvious that Jim Fogg and many others had in fact climbed it earlier. Jones himself had paid an earlier, forgotten visit to the crag and had climbed a line over on the right-hand side of the crag that he named The Peeler, though no details are now available. Spencer teamed up with Phil Bond that April and climbed a route which they named Freak-Out, though it is now known as Metropolis.
The quarry is in the Jumbles Country Park which is owned by Bolton Council. Currently the Council take a pro-active approach that encourages climbing at the crag.
Wilton One is the largest of the four quarries.
The quarries at Wilton are all owned by North West Water, which has taken a generally constructive approach to permitting climbing on its quarries.
There is no climbing allowed in Wilton Two on Wednesdays, Fridays or Sundays
Wilton Two and Three are shared with Bolton`s two gun clubs. There are agreed times for shooting and at these times a red flag will be flying. During these times members of Bolton Gun Club and Bolton Rifle and Gun Club have absolute preference over climbers and for safety, North West Water also insists that climbers should not be in any part of either quarry while there is any shooting. The shooting times are subject to alteration by agreement and for the latest information climbers should consult prominent notices in the quarries.
There is no climbing allowed in Wilton Three on Wednesdays, Fridays or Sundays. Wilton Three is the first quarry on the right when approaching from the A675 up Scout Road. The quarry is one of the most popular in the whole Lancashire area, and is very well used on warm summer evenings by locals to work up a sweat and a thirst before a session in either the Wilton Arms or the Bob`s Smithy.
Wilton Two and Three are shared with Bolton`s two gun clubs. There are agreed times for shooting and at these times a red flag will be flying. During these times members of Bolton Gun Club and Bolton Rifle and Gun Club have absolute preference over climbers and for safety, North West Water also insists that climbers should not be in any part of either quarry while there is any shooting. The shooting times are subject to alteration by agreement and for the latest information climbers should consult prominent notices in the quarries.
Over the years this quarry has become needlessly neglected by the majority of climbers. This is a pity, because it contains some excellent climbing. It is the smallest of the four quarries on this site and lies at the top of Scout Road, just before the sharp bend at the top.