Cademan Woods and Broad Hill

The fine wooded hill to the north of the village of Whitwick contains a number of natural granite tors and bosses, some of which peep above the trees and give good views. The crags contain a number of problems, mostly easy, but some hard.

It is surprisingly easy to get lost in the wood and part of the fun is actually finding the stones you are looking for (or even some others). The area is worth visiting as an area of natural beauty, even if you can't find the crags. High Sharpley is just across the road.

APPROACH and ACCESS (Area Map)

There are several ways into the wood.

1. For High Cademan itself there is a car park at 443168 and a short walk through the trees and over the fence leads to the summit. High Sharpley is on the other side of the road to this car park.

2. Broad Hill is best approached from the Thringstone-Poachers Corner road, or from Grimley's Rock. (See also Grace Dieu)

3. For Grimley's Rock the best approach is the public footpath up the hill across the allotments from 433168.

All the land around Cademan Wood and Broad Hill is owned by DeLisle. Historically there has been a problem with access to his land (after years of public access, High Sharpley and Gun Hill have been closed) but Cademan Wood is treated by the local people as land over which they are free to roam. And very pleasant it is too. Parts of Broad Hill are an extension of the parkland across the road in Grace Dieu Wood.

GRIMLEY'S ROCK (434169)

This is a small granite quarry to the south-west of Broad Hill and is only a couple of minutes up the hill from the road. Part of them is visible from the footpath that runs close by. This is a small slabby area which gives a route or two. A short distance further up the hill lies the quarry which has considerable potential for steep, short routes. A fine route which is difficult to start (4c) exists up an undercut slab to the right of a prominent rib at the extreme left of the quarry. There are many other prospects but the crag is deceptive and is much steeper than it looks. A warm sheltered spot that faces south.

CAR HILL ROCK (432169)

A small quarry on the opposite side of the road from Waldrams solid fuel depot on Grace Dieu Road has coal etc. stored in it. The face over the summit (facing south) should have a couple of easy routes in a pleasant open situation. This crag was called Carr's Quarry in 1911.

BROAD HILL (from 433172 to 436170)

There are a series of rocky knolls in the strip of woodland running north-west from Broad Hill. Some can be seen from Grimley's Rock. There is a good path running from Access Point 2 towards Grimley's Rock. Most crags can be seen from this path. Calvary Rocks takes its name from the calvary erected there on Jan 1 1843, the day before a small school opened in Turry Log Cottage just below.

The plinth of calvary is still there and the cross is in the Abbey just along the road. There were Fourteen Stations of the Cross leading from the calvary to the ruined chapel in the wood of Temple Hill. Presumably some of the Stations were on the tors and this may explain why the path through the woods and by the rocks is so pleasant. Is there a Twentysteps on the real Via Dolorosa?

At 435170 is Reg's Crack, a large boulder with a good crack.

At 434171 is a crag (Turry Tor) (Turry Tor) with an obvious green inverted V on the east face. There is a slab and the V itself which can be finished on massive jugs. Also a fine steep arête right of the groove.

At 4341 72 is Twentysteps (Twentysteps) with a beech tree growing from the top and the remains of the steps on the way up. The tor gives a whole range of routes from slabs to the face of a blade of rock. There is a chimney and cracks. A good view from the top of the beech tree. Twentysteps is the best of the tors.

There are crags at 433172 (Calvary Rock) which can be best seen from the open country to the east of the wood. There are two buttresses, the most northerly sporting a 6m easy crack and a face climb. The south buttress has a more open aspect but the best rock is behind a holly tree.

The crag at 435173 (Trilobite Plantation) is disappointing and only the part near the road gives any climbing.

The remaining crags near the summit of Broad Hill itself are mostly piles of boulders in the trees.

CADEMAN WOOD

The easiest access is from the Whitwick-Poachers Corner road (Swannymote Road) using Access Point 1. Just to the west of the car park there is a small green, overgrown quarry with a few rocks (443168)

50m NE of 439171 there is a small crag with a pinnacle in the centre (Pinnacle Crag). It would be hard without the adjacent rocks. There is an arête and fine overhanging wall.

The crag marked on the map around 439171 is mostly boulders.

The trig point (442169) on the rocky summit of High Cademan gives a good view. There is climbing to the north around a chimney. The roof of the chockstone goes at 6a (G. Lucas, 1987) to a swing, a pull, and a mantleshelf. No using the feet to bridge. The left hand overhanging sharp arête is also 6a (G. Lucas, 1988). You may need a blowlamp to clean and dry the holds. There are other poorer prospects on Nut Ripper Wall (W of summit, 4m high) and Pullover Wall (S of summit, 3m high).

TEMPLE HILL (436168)

Provides a pleasant walk. There are many isolated boulders but none worth climbing. The old 6" map indicates a R.C. Chapel on the summit (The Temple), hence the name.

SWANNYMOTE ROCK (445172) (Swannymote Rock)

This little crag (probably named after the ancient Swannymote Court formerly held in the Charnwood district) is situated 100m to the east of Swannymote Road north of Cademan Wood. It is just through a wood and secure behind a wire fence. There is a small face (4m) and arête on the west side uncomfortably close to the fence. Keep your legs together if you fall off. The north face is easy but has a deep chimney. The Rock is geologically interesting because of the varied rock types there. Access probably restricted.

1. 4a Left edge of arête.

2. 5b Swannymote arete.

3. 4c Step into middle of wall and swing up.

4. 4c The wall on small finger flakes.

5. 4b Thin move to big jug.

6. 4b Flakes on leaning wall.

7. VD The right arête.

8. D Slab.

9. VD Chimney.

10. 4c Centre of wall.

11. 4b Left edge of wall.

12. D Stepped arête.

13. VD Rounded arête.

POACHERS ROCK (446175) (Poachers Rock)

This little crag is situated in a wood about 100m west of Poachers Corner where Thringstone Road meets Swannymote Road. It's only 50m from the road. Access probably restricted.