UKC

Visited there today. Lovely wee suntrap but got asked to leave by the new owner. Grumpy at first but managed to have a useful conversation about the situation. She's concerned about climbers at the top of the quarry spooking her horses, and also have had climbers disrespecting previous requests to leave. She's informed the BMC and Les Ainsworth about this, but too late to be included in to latest Lancashire master-tome.

There's no sign on the approach path and it would be useful for the BMC to put on there, as there are no issues mentioned in the guide, people might not check the RAD and might keep coming (not sure why Les / BMC haven't got the UKC crag page updated for this??).

She is planning to fence off the quarry and hopefully allow climbers' access with prior permission next year, so please respect the current ban to allow the situation to progress positively.

In reply to Fiend:

Ownership at Montcliffe has changed in the last two months or so and as of a couple of weeks ago climbers have been asked to leave the quarry. Although the quarry is not one of the more regularly visited crags in Lancashire the potential loss of some excellent climbing there is very disappointing. The crag is small, but some of the climbing is excellent and I believe that it can be undertaken very much as a background activity and without liability to the owners, which means that climbers could enjoy its recreational amenity without inconvenience to the owners.

The BMC are aware of the situation and have spoken to the owner, but she is still against climbing and the current situation is about to be put on the RAD. I have sent a detailed letter outlining our concerns, trying to assuage liability concerns and making some positive suggestions. However, as yet I have had no response.

Ownership of the land is unclear, but in the main quarry the landowner claims ownership of the rockface, but not the quarry floor, which is rather unusual as the quarry top is usually taken as the boundary. The situation with regard to the bouldering areas is not known. In view of the above, for the time being, climbers should avoid visiting Montcliffe.

Les A

In reply to Les Ainsworth:
Thanks for the further information.

It appears there is some complication over access:

On the Lancashire Rock Revival Group on Facebook, David Price is adamant he knows the man who owns the quarry and possesses the deeds for it, but there might actually be a conflict of deeds. The end result seems to be the same: Avoid it for the time being and let the BMC and local activists investigate it further.