UKC

Climbs 58
Rocktype Sandstone (soft)
Altitude 130m a.s.l
Faces S

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The picturesque crag of Under Rockes © Emma Harrington

Crag features

Small and secluded, the main feature being an 8m high wall with large square potholes cut into it at some time in the past, probably from a building that once existed here. The best routes are in this area. A few 4a/4b but mainly English 5b/c and above. Best in spring and autumn when leaves are fewest, but can be OK year-round. A good place to escape the crowds.

Approach notes

NO LEADING - soloing or toproping only, and if the latter then extend the belay over the crag edge - it saves your rope and the rock.
Lies 500m due North of Butcher's Cross and S of Argos Hill.

Heading North on the A267 from Five Ashes, the road bends right at Butcher's Cross and Horleigh Green Road heads off in a north easterly direction. Follow this for 800m to just before a junction on the right signposted Mayfield 1 1/4. The house on the right is called Twitts Ghyll - (there's a new sign!).

Alternatively head south west out of Rotherfield on the Mayfield road. Fork left (down the hill) 800m after leaving the southern end of the village. Follow Five Ashes road for 1800m where a junction with Fir Toll road (signposted Mayfield 1 1/4) is found on the left. The house by the junction is called Twitts Ghyll.

Park opposite the junction on a grassy area (pull off the road and do NOT park in front of the house!!!).

On the opposite side of the road to Twitt's Ghyll, a footpath leads west past an old gate and then for approx. 400m to an old metal harrow on the left. The path turns south just past the harrow and it is possible to step over the fence on the right and head south-east across the field for 150m to the corner of a wooded area. A stile then a footpath runs west through the wood and the rocks appear shortly on the right. The firth buttress on the right has Lamplight and No Ghosts on it. A bit further on you reach another buttress with Dark Crack and a few more feet you reach the potholed wall.

The rope swing has broken a few legs and ankles!

There are further low and overgrown buttresses further downstream...

Update this Crag
Last updated on 11/Sep/2023

Restricted Access

There have been access problems in 2021 due to parking and litter, please park well away from the house and remove all litter from the crag and path leading to it.

Click here for RAD Access Notes
Last update: 13/04/2021  

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Under Rockes is in East Sussex, not Kent. Also, Mark Torch said he couldn't find the Twitts Ghyll house but I found it easily and I thought the directions were very good.
PeterJuggler - 23/Sep/09
The swing as been climber and a new{20 years old 9mm rope ]added to the swing.be careful ,it may break.Have a good swing if you decided to try.
brixton climber - 07/Feb/06
new crag founded 200m or so further left of the main wall.The river carved around the rock and formed a gorge type of effect.Approximatly 5/6 m hight,20m long approx. The first climb done was" penetration",the obvious crack on the right of penetration, good jam crossing the river. the boulder on the right the face was climb,from the bottom and the route call "the shark",flat jam session, graded 5a/5b[waiting for confirmation]. then on the far left of the crag,an obvious small finger crack in a corner,climb straightup, bridge and jam up without pulling on the tree at the top..elbow mantelshelf. mainy other climb still to be done, hard time for boulderer,beautiful place sunnsset at the top.bring a change of socks.
brixton climber - 07/Feb/06
Just to correct a mistake in my last E-Mail. Stonehurst Lane runs west of Butcher's Cross, not east.
Mark Torch - 28/Apr/05
Just wanted to point out that the access instructions to this crag often mentions a house called Twitts Ghyll that I have never been able to identify. I finally found the outcrop by heading east from Butcher's Cross down Stonehurst Lane, which begins just past the prep school. Only a few meters down the lane a path heads north but seems to be barred by a black iron gate. It is easy to walk around the gate and follow the track across the field to the style that leads to the foot of Under Rockes.
mark torch - 28/Apr/05
Very nice. Best routes are Lionheart (hard 6a), fireball (5c), Central Crack (5c) and Uganda Wall (5c). A hold broke off uganda wall over the last year so it's not quite such a soft touch anymore.
Sandman - 26/Dec/03
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