Restricted Access
The crag is within Earls Hill Nature Reserve which is managed by Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The Trust have a positive view of climbing here providing that people are sensitive to the ecological interests of the site. In particular the scree slopes should be treated with care. No camping and no fires, please.
The 'Fifty Foot Wall' routes were cleaned up and extensively restored in early 2013, with the intention of giving climbers an alternative area if (as often happens) Peregrines choose to nest on the main crag. Feel free to go try these - you might actually like them...
In late 2013, the Wildlife Trust undertook some further vegetation clearance work, mainly of invasive trees on the scree slopes, but also of scrub on the rocks. The intent was to improve the cliff environment from the climbers' point of view, as it will allow more light and air to dry the rocks better.
Seasonal Restrictions
Dates: 4 March to 15 July
Reason: Nesting Birds
Peregrines normally nest at Pontesford Rocks each year, with the nest site changing slightly from year to year. Site notices are normally placed on gates on the access track, and near the foot of the crag showing the extent of agreed restrictions, but as a general principle please avoid the whole crag (Main Buttress, The Needle and the Fifty Foot Wall) during the restricted period.
In 2020, we attempted to find a way to permit the use of some routes whilst closing others, but a number of incidents occurred which meant this was not really workable. This included one party who apparently abseiled right over the ledge with the nest and caused considerable consternation to the birds.
The Shropshire Wildlife Trust, The Shropshire Peregrine Group and the BMC would like to thank all climbers who have avoided the rocks during the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 nesting seasons. There appear to have been chicks raised successfully in each of those years.In early 2024, the birds have been seen prospecting the site once again, and it looks like they've selected the same nest location that they've used successfully for the last couple of years - it is therefore necessary to impose the same seasonal restriction as mentioned above between early March and mid July.
Having started climbing here in 1967 I consulted my 1962 guide —-kit hill is actually a combination of a route called slab start —-linking to ‘magpies nest climb ‘—-incorporating a move or two from ‘last post ‘
The last post description in rock fax should therefore be ignored as erroneous
Here follows the description for the good and newly cleaned line —-perhaps should be labelled ‘slab post ‘ !
Start at the base of narrow slab at base of col before path scrambles to needle
40m—-climb cleaned slab past lichen patch to the break by small oak bush ( the rake in 1962 guide )—-small /micro wires——step left onto lichenous wall on cleaned holds via ‘pancake’ of kit hill climb-up this to overhang giving access to wall below oak tree —-a hard and reach move up this leads to a turf ledge under horizontal dead oak bough (this is part of p 2 magpies nest climb)-step round this and up to finish
A good climb with complex history ——more traffic needed !
Jim Fotheringham 23/9/22 Pontesford Rocks
* This newly updated climb is waiting to be checked by the crag moderator.
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