In the very north of England, Northumberland National Park boasts the darkest skies in the country, cleanest air, remnants of Hadrian's Wall and excellent bouldering in a wild, accessible setting.

The Northumberland area is packed with quality rock and beautiful scenery, making it a great bouldering destination.

Located inland of the northeast coast, the area feels remote while being easily accessible. It’s close to the sea too. The climbing is spread between the park and the surrounding area, offering multiple crags from seaside and tidal spots to scenic valleys.

For many of us, outdoor bouldering connects us with nature whilst giving a little mental breather from the responsibilities of normal life.

Northumberland is a perfect place for this, with great sandstone climbing (and some grit) in a quiet corner of England. Northumberland is the least populated and least visited of the National Parks, but what it lacks in visitors it makes up for in quality bouldering.

Area Highlights

Back Bowden Doors, Bowden Doors and Ravens Crag

These three crags are located a couple of kilometres west of Belford and are within a short walk of each other. Combined they have over 600 routes on excellent hard sandstone. 

Back Bowden Doors in northernmost of the three, with a short approach and westerly aspect making it great for a late afternoon session. The 200 plus problems range from Font F3-F8b offering something for everyone.

Bowden Doors is a little further south sitting atop a hill. There are a variety of styles here from slabs to roof problems, with the grade range like Back Bowden Doors but with more climbs in the lower grades. Due to its location on the top of the hill, it doesn't tend to be wet and dries quickly after the rain.

Ravens Crag is at the bottom of the hill that Bowden Doors is on. 100 problems are on offer with the highest density in the mid grades. The wall offers a mix of styles with some challenging traverses if you want to test your endurance.

Berryhill

Not everyone is a crusher and Berryhill is perfect for those climbing at the lower end of the grades.

Just east of the village of Etal and near the Scottish Border, Berryhill is located on a farm. It is good form to ask permission, but there are no access issues at this time.

The bouldering is on the small walls before the main climbing crag for Berryhill, the free-standing boulders and on the main crag itself. Grades range from Font F3-F7b with more choice at the lower end.

Callerhues

Just west of the national park you will find Callerhues, a collection of low cliffs or high boulders depending on how you look at it. The approach is about 30 minutes so you will tend to see smaller crowds. There are over a hundred routes on offer so finding challenges to fill the day won't be a problem.

The crag is on a hill overlooking the bogs making for a lovely if not remote view. The problems range from Font F4 up to F8a with many being on the taller side, so make sure you have a stack of crash pads to protect those ankles.

The rock here is particularly fragile when wet so give it a couple of days after rain to dry out.

Kyloe Crag and Kyloe in the Woods

Referred to as Kyloe Out and Kyloe In, these areas are right next to each other offering up over 300 climbs. It is located about 3 kilometres west of the coast near the town of Lowick.

The area is a managed woodland and it wise to be on your best behaviour. Stick to the tracks to access the climbing as there may be people hunting in the woods. The approved access is on the north side and you will pass the crag on the way to the climbing in the woods.

At the crag, you will find problems starting from Font F4 going up to F7a. There are also longer traverse problems if you really want to get your pump on.

In the woods, you have moderate to harder problems up to Font 8B. Many are overhanging so they can stay dry in the wet.

Access relationships at Kyloe are currently good, please help us to ensure they stay that way:

• Park sensibly - don't block gates, the road or park on the farmer's mown lawn

• No fires

• Take all litter home including any found at the crag

• Keep the pooches under control (particularly when crossing fields with grazing sheep and cattle)

Ravensheugh Crag

If you want an adventurous day then Ravensheugh is worth checking out. Best approached on a mountain bike due to the length of the approach. You will find the trek is worth the effort however, with high-quality rock in a remote location. This is one of the few crags that are within the national park boundary.

In this hilly area, you will also find Simonside Northface, Dove Crag, and Potts Buttress which all have some quality bouldering as well.

Rothley Crag

Just north of Scots Gap, you will come to Rothley Crag which boasts mostly boulder problems on featured gritstone. With over 200 routes ranging from Font F4 to F7a, all but the strongest among us will find some great problems to tackle.

The approach is short and since it is only a few kilometres north of Shaftoe Crags you can easily combine the two for an epic day of bouldering.

Shaftoe Crags

Most crags are a mix of bouldering and roped climbing, but Shaftoe is just boulders. Hundreds of problems combined with a short approach might mean a lot of people, but it still won't be an issue to find a free boulder. Located south of the National Park, Shaftoe has problems ranging from Font F4 to F8a.

The boulders are strewn about the moors so expect a bit of exploring to get the lay of the land. From roof and testy overhanging problems to cracks and slabs, there are challenges for just about every style of climb.

Considerations when bouldering in Northumberland

Almost all the climbing in Northumberland is on sandstone, which can damage easily when wet, so try to give it a day to dry after it has rained. If you stick to more exposed crags you will find they dry quicker.

In most areas access isn't a concern, but try to show good manners by not blocking farmer's access in your car.

Logistics

When should I go?

With its proximity to the sea and often hilltop locations, many of the crags are good from spring to autumn. Stick to the wooded areas in winter to cut down on the chill of the wind. 

In colder temperatures consider going later in the day and choosing a west-facing rock to maximize your exposure to the sun.

Which guide should I buy?

The Northumberland Bouldering Guide (2008) by John Earl and Steve Crowe. This guide covers the major bouldering areas of Northumberland with maps, topos, route descriptions, and colour photos.

For a general guide for the area, there is Rockfax's North England guide which is written by the aptly named Chris Craggs. It has both roped climbing and bouldering, and covers the highlights of Yorkshire, North York Moors and Northumberland.

Or if you’re looking for a summary guide of the best crags in the North, Northern Rock by Wired Guides, released in 2022, is well worth a try. It covers 3500 routes across traditional climbing, sport climbing and bouldering in Yorkshire (grit and limestone), Northumberland, Lancashire and the North York Moors.

Handy websites

Northumberland Climbing: Is a site that compliments the guides "Northumberland Climbing Guide" and "Northumberland Bouldering", and offers a lot of information when planning a trip. It covers both climbing and bouldering, so make sure you’re looking at bouldering information if that’s what you’re after. For each crag, it provides grid references for finding the place, an overview and interesting snippets on the history of the crag.

UKClimbing: has routes and grades listed with beta and locations for some. All the crags are on their interactive map and usually have fairly good approach instructions. It is easy to transfer from their map to Google Maps to get driving directions to the crags.

How do I get there?

It is about a six-hour drive from London to Northumberland, so a long weekend is in order if you are coming from that area.

If you are flying in, Newcastle has the closest major airport. It is about a 45-minute drive from Newcastle depending on which crag you going to.