Mountsorrel Crags |
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Grace Dieu Viaduct and Craglets Mountsorrel Crags |
OS ref. SK
582149 (Sheet 129) SITUATION
and CHARACTER There are
several small crags above the village of Mountsorrel on Castle Hill
overlooking the Soar Valley. The rock
is granite and the exposures are mostly small, very old, quarries. The crags currently only give bouldering
in a pleasant environment. There is also an enormous quarry to the west of
Mountsorrel (called Mountsorrel Quarry, Castle Hill Quarry or Main Quarry,
opened 1852) which is currently being filled in. There appear to be some excellent opportunities in this quarry
particularly on the SE face of the little mountain (576150) and just inside
the gate on the left (above the skips).
The quarry will not be completely in filled because rock exposure has
to be left for the geologists. Who
knows, it may be the climbable bit.
The rock was capable of giving monoliths of great size and has been
polished and used in buildings. Most
went for kerbstones and setts for paving streets.
APPROACH
and ACCESS Castle
Hill is public open space and there are several paths giving access. There is parking beside The Green. There
appears to be no problem with access to Castle Hill and Church Crag. However, the Crag Behind the Garage is
behind a garage which still operates and the area is probably private. Access to the enormous quarry that is
being filled in is doubtful. However,
The Chimney at 577151 (built 1879) looks accessible and would have 8
good 10m routes. See map
for detailed locations. MEMORIAL
CRAG This is
the best outcrop and the grass drops so steeply in places below the rock that
it might be exciting to fall off. It
is just below the War Memorial on the north of the hill. The small trees round it are cleared
occasionally so it has an open aspect.
1
4c Short wall 2
4c Dome shaped slab and fierce mantleshelf. 3 Cracked
wall. (Not climbed yet) 4
4c The arête with two good holds. 5
5b The wall with high left toe pocket, from
the very bottom. 6
5a The thin crack, swing toe onto slab, and
then up the arête. 7
5b Leaning wall, poor holds to a jug and
`monkey' finish. 8
5a Using
the right arête, swing up onto leaning wall, move left and up. 9
4b Slab and arête with friction hold start. 10
3c Slab and groove. 11
4b Left edge of wall. 12
4a Up the wall. 13
4a The higher wall and continuation wall
direct. 14
4b Right arête from the right. 15
4c Thin crack from right side. 16
5b The overhang direct. 17
D The corner. 18
VD Long groove. 19
4c Wall direct. 20
4c Wall direct. 21
4a The arête (there is a tree in the way at
present). SOAR
CRAG This
small outcrop faces out over the Soar Valley and is just below the saddle of
Castle Hill.
1
4a Cracked arête from the cave. 2
D The arête. 3
3b The twin cracks. 4
The wall direct (not
climbed as yet). 5
The arête (not climbed as
yet). Problem
5: Soar thing 5c 6
4c The grooved nose. 7
VD Slab. CASTLE
CRAG This
outcrop is at the south end of the top of Castle Hill above the wall at the top
of the Crag Behind the Garage. It
doesn't look much but has a few problems.
1
4b Up over middle of block. 2
4a Short wall and slab direct. 3
5a Overhanging wall and slab `Vote No'. 4
3c Corner. 5
4c Arête and wall. 6
4a Corner. 7
5b Crack and arête. 8
3a Nose and corner. CRAG
BEHIND THE GARAGE This good‑looking
crag lies just over the wall below Castle Crag. The wall is to stop you falling over it. It obviously has several routes but, also very
obviously, would be difficult to climb on without being noticed by the owner. CHURCH
CRAG This
little crag also looks good. It is
opposite the church, with public open space beneath. It is overgrown but, facing south, is
clean and dry. If the vegetation were
cleared it would be an excellent little crag of 5m or so. NOTES There are several old quarries around Mountsorrel and the area would be worth investigating. However, the whole area is still active because the enormous Buddon Quarry is still in full production. There is Hawcliff Quarry (573152) with some stunning grooves and walls rising straight out of the water and Cocklow Quarry (570152) but both are within the Buddon Quarry works.
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