St. Bees Head

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St. Bees Head - South

St. Bees Head - South Area Summary

A beautiful spot on the northwest Cumbrian coast, St. Bees Head - South is the lesser-known sibling to the popular northern head. Initially at least, the coastline here exits the sea at a shallower gradient than further north, and as such a beach and rocky plinth are the only coastal features at the parking. However, as you trudge the coastline northward it soon becomes apparent that the endless rock familiar with the northern head is bestowed on its southern sister.

Despite having been climbed at for many years (albeit sporadically), receiving a mention in the LakesBloc online topo, and also some cursory coverage in the Rockfax Lakes Bouldering guide, the blocks at St. Bees Head - South have remained a quiet backwater, and for the most part (in the modern sense) virgin territory. The likes of Adam Hocking, Wes Hunter, Ryan Dempsey, Jim Arnold, Rob Fielding and the Wilson’s (to name a few) have left their mark here over the years, but as no records have been kept little is known about who did what and when. As such, if any of the climbs listed here are yours and you wish to take credit please get in touch, we just thought it was about time it was documented in some way.

The guide featured here is a selection of the best and most comprehensive sectors. There are many more boulders featuring climbing dotted along approximately 1km of coastline. The most prominent boulders are documented on a Google map, which can be found here: St Bees Head - South Boulders Map.

Bird Restrictions: Please check the BMC's Access Restrictions PDF, to see if your desired sectors are effected by any seasonal bird bans here.

Location Map (For directions click map icon)

Further Information