UKC

Not sure if this is the correct place to put this but just encountered a landowner's son in the 5th quarry. Some yobs had camped out and left a right state out of the quarry. We were generally asked if we had permission to climb there and was told that they want the land more private after recent events. Left without argument, he was very polite about it all and it's obviously not climber's mess (mostly alcohol related).

Maybe a access officer should give them a ring to clarify the position and/or persquade them that the presence of climbers may put off yobs from littering the area.

In reply to FreshSlate: Any chance you could contact the access officer directly? You can ask Martin Kocsis through the BMC website. If not, let me know and I'll get in touch with him. Cheers though, Andi.

In reply to FreshSlate:

I'm climbing with the local access rep tomorrow, i'll let him know.

Cheers dan.

In reply to FreshSlate: You didn't need to leave at all. The fact is those quarries are all on CROW access land. You should have politely informed him you have every legal right to be there and don't need any form of permission at all.

It's a shame about the mess but it's obviously not climbers as you say.

Really? I'm not aware of this. It seemed to me that all the left hand quarries were on private land.

In reply to Removed User: If you are ever in such circumstances, with a justifiably angry farmer, my tip is don't lecture them about access rights !

In reply to Offwidth:
Could result in things like parking areas being blocked off....

In reply to Removed User:

Since the farmer in question owns the land on which many of the Chew Valley crags lie and who is quite amenable to climbers (and was so before the CRoW act), it might not be a good idea to be antagonistic towards him or his sons.

When you ring up for "permission" it's just to let them know you'll be on their land - simple courtesy really.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:

All his crags are on CROW land. You don't have to ring for permission. That is not being rude or discourteous or antagonistic.

You should of course be perfectly civil and polite on encountering them.

It is YOUR RIGHT to be there. This land is for OUR (responsible) ENJOYMENT.

In reply to Removed User:

Which bit of "simple courtesy" don't you understand?

It may have escaped your notice that there are a lot of shooting buts and associated infrastructure on the moors. Now you may not agree with game shooting as a sport, I don't, but letting the farmer know that you are in a particular area might just be a good idea for both sides.

As far as I know, the farmer has always granted "permission", he'd just like to know where people are on his land away from the marked rights of way. If there have been any problems it's because of people parking in front of gateways and preventing access.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:

He once went off to discuss it with someone else before granting permission, but otherwise there was never any question.

But that was in the days when he had the right to refuse. These days he doesn't, so I don't bother asking. I just check the CROW access database before a visit, as if the land is closed for shooting then it has to be advertised. What's the point in having a right if we then behave as though that right didn't exist? What would you do if you phoned for permission and he said No?

In reply to a lakeland climber:

As pointed out closures for shooting must be advertised at the entry points to CROW land. That is part of the agreement and we must stay off that land when such closures are in force. Fair enough.

Do you ring up permission from a landowner when you embark on a public footpath across his land? Well this is exactly the same situation. The concept of asking for permission is ridiculous, given that no permission is required.

'Simple courtesy' extends to enjoying the land in a sustainable and responsible way and no more. I would agree that responsible parking as well is courtesy (a prime example is the lay by under Upperwood Quarries).

In reply to Removed User:

All the quarries appart from Quarry no. 8 are in the CROW access land.

Map lifted from the Natural England web site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21913923@N03/6045328780/in/photostream

In reply to craig h:

Is quarry eight the one down the hill a bit? I stand corrected, but as far as I am aware all the rest are CRoW and my point still stands.

In reply to Removed User:

There are 4 quarries down the hill a bit, no. 8 is down the hill from the gate at the end of the track. The map shows quarry 1 (first one you get to) quarry 2 has Plum Line and Spanner Wall; quarry 8 is below these.

http://chewvalley.bravehost.com/leading/runninghillpits/runninghillpits.htm...

In reply to Removed User: I'm with you on this, permission was granted when the land was made CRoW but I would advise against telling the farmer what's what in regards to access and inform the BMC or access officer to get in touch with them to diplomatically remind them of their duty under the CRoW act!

In reply to craig h: I would say the jury's out on that map? Are there any more detailed scales available?

In reply to Removed User:

That's the most detailed map I can find showing Running Hill Pits and the CRoW access land, but as I know the area fairly well I'd say quarry 8 does fall out of the CRoW area.

In reply to craig h: Looks like 7 & 8 are out on the OS

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?Z=115&X=401670&Y=407272.5

Though there appears to be some variation between the two maps.

In reply to FreshSlate: Could've been in 8 (first time not in either 1 or 2 and didn't have a lot of time to confirm where we were). Still might be worth a chat with the landowner then.

In reply to FreshSlate:

number 8 quarry is the one with a fist full of daggers and so on in it

its usually this quarry that has obvious signs of camping remains in it, i.e. old camp fire and afew empties

i was climbing here a few weeks ago and came across one of crowthers sons driving his tractor up to running hill gate as he needed access to the fields above, i was about to park in the layby but he asked me to park in front of the gate which you cross to access the pits themselves

whilst not being overly gregarious he wasn't rude either...

In reply to FreshSlate: Out been done yet?