Trowbarrow Quarry

Lancashire

Large and varied limestone quarry with the Main Wall containing a number of great cracklines. More recently found popularity as a bouldering spot.

Crag information
Climbing Area: North West Rock Type: Limestone
Importance: Regional CRoW Land: No
Ownership: Local Authority No. of Routes: 240
Within National Park: No Year Developed: 1967
Grid Reference: SD480758

Trowbarrow was acquired by Lancaster City Council in 1997 following a fund raising appeal organised by the Arnside and Silverdale AONB Landscape Trust. The crag lies within a Local Nature Reserve and has a management committee (including local BMC representation), that meets to discuss site management. The following guidelines have been agreed for use of the crag:

  1. No abseiling, top-roping or lowering-off Main Wall - climbers should walk down after completing routes. This arrangement is to protect geological features on the face, part of a geological SSSI designation.
  2. Group use is not permitted.
  3. No bolts placed in the quarry.
  4. No camping or fires.

Thank you for supporting these access arrangements.

A project monitoring the stability of the Main Wall has indicated it is slowly rotating in a clockwise direction due to localised faulting. While the face is unlikely to suffer a catastrophic collapse, the rotation is destabilising rock around Warspite Direct and other routes in this vacinity - hence the stepped roofs and fallen blocks.

Red Wall - please be aware that there are some loose blocks at the top of Red Wall, in particular at the top of Mugwump. A number of the trees at the top are also dead, shallow rooted or overhanging the edge and will be unsafe.

There has also been a small rockfall at the south west end of the quarry on the right immediately before the first rise in the quarry floor when entering from Storrs Lane. There is a poor rock climb known as Baby Walker situated about five metres left of the rockfall, but it is very rarely climbed and can be reached without going below the rockfall. The area is best avoided at present.

Currently an issue with unlawful motorcycle use. Please report any incidents to the police and the National Landscape team at Arnside with as much information as possible.

Parking and Approach

Parking on Storrs Lane.

Area information

Weather Information

Guidebook info currently being updated

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3
Anonymous User
06/05/2017
There was a noisy Kestrel spending a lot of time in the cracks near the base of the main wall when I visited to boulder in late April. No-one was climbing on it while I was there but it may be nesting. Worth a closer look?
Anonymous User
28/05/2023
Jackdaws nesting in the big cracks in most of the routes on the main wall.