Crag features

This place is full of history and character, and has an almost mythical reputation amongst local climbers. The quarry lies below the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in the former St James cemetery (Lucy Walker, the first woman to scale the Matterhorn, is buried here), now a public park. It has  been well climbed over the years - John Redhead trained here when he had a studio back of Bold Street, and Johnny Dawes has paid a visit. Quote: 'Hey, this is hard!' Recently it became overgrown and neglected only to be rescued by an intrepid group of local climbers under the stimulus of the Covid 19 lockdown (co-ordinated by a facebook group St James's Climbers who are maintaining and developing the venue - join if you want to help). Please restrict climbing to the quarry and avoid the retainng walls above which have been subject to collapse in places. Generally, keep a low profile, help keep the place neat and tidy and respect the ambience - and try not to damage the gravestones. The main steep slab is one of the most impressive bits of rock in the area - particularly the further left you go, and will be the scene of many a heart-stopping highball. Underneath the Dickensian black surface layer the rock is a beautiful honey- coloured sandstone. Strange features have been carved into the rock, well before anyone climbed here. But what do they mean? This venue is a fascinating oasis of calm in the busy city centre with the mighty cathedral looming above - around which peregrines can often be seen swooping. Take mats!