UKC

Hi All,

accepted a job in Preston to start in coming months.

 Wanted to understand best places to climb. Mostly trad climbing S-Vs. 
From South Birmingham so usually climb Wye Valley, The Roaches, Stanage and popular areas in Peaks in general aswell as North Wales.

is there many places round Preston post work on to climb within 30mins- 1hour Tops 

Pretty easy access from Preston to the myriad Lancashire quarries. You can also jump on the M65 to enjoy some of the West Yorkshire grit within about an hour.

Climbing wall in town plus BUK bouldering wall on the outskirts. Also easy to head north to the lakes.

A longer drive than you want, but you could be in Langdale in 90 mins too. 

What’s the climbing wall like in Preston? Is there a mountaineering/climbing club based there ?

Not been for ages I’m afraid but it’s fairly comprehensive.

More info here: https://lakelandclimbingcentres.co.uk/centre/prestonwall/

No idea on clubs, but sure there’ll be someone else along soon to advise on that. 

Boulder UK is mega

Preston wall has Mega leading.

Best of both worlds!

I used to live just south of Preston (Chorley) and I was in Lancashire Mountaineering Club - they were very active at that time. There's also Lancashire Climbing and Caving who I think are pretty active.

I liked it round there as you could easily do Dales, Peak or southern parts of the Lakes for a day trip (maybe even Snowdonia depending on how much driving you'll tolerate/justify in one day). Evenings you can do the Lancs quarries or the limestone crags around Carnforth. Or Chew Valley at a push (although I suspect traffic to get round that way is worse than it was when I lived there about 12 years ago).

Personally I'd go for the Chorley area (or maybe out towards Clitheroe) if I were to live there again rather than Preston itself.

We have relatives who live in Preston and we often bring the climbing gear with us. The Lancashire quarries are superb, you have all the Wilton's 1 - 4 ( climbing in some of them is limited to certain days as they have gun clubs in two of them) Anklezarke and Egerton has some class lines as well. All within 30mins of Preston. Bouldering you have Craig Longridge with its mega traverses and up problems and Brownstones quarry.

The lead wall and bouldering at the West View leisure centre is also very good - it's run now by the Lakeland Climbing Centre and theres also Boulder UK.

I used to live on the Fylde.  There's Fylde MC (my club) and Preston MC, as well as the two mentioned already.

It's a brilliant part of the world for a climber.  Tons of quarries nearby for evening climbing, Wilton, Angkezarke, Troy, Witches etc.  Natural gritstone at Widdop, Eastby, Rylstone, Crookrise etc.   Bolted limestone towards Ingleton....

An hour from the Lakes for the weekend.  Two hours from the Peak District.  Two and a half from Llanberis...

Sometimes I'd be bored at 8pm on  friday night, nothing planned.  By 9:30 I'd be in the pub in the Lakes with the weekend sorted.  Happy days.

Would you recommend anywhere to live in or around Preston

I've not lived around there for 12 years so am not really sure what places are like now. Hopefully others who still live around there will be able to advise based on more recent experience.

Venues not yet mentioned - I'd add Denham Quarry and the Warton Crags around Carnforth, these can certainly be considered after work venues along with C-y-L.