This site is a digital copy of the 1997 BMC guidebook to rock climbing in Lancashire
Climbing guides found for: Furness
This is a steep quarry, about 700 metres south of Broughton beside the Foxfield road. The rock is a geological curiosity, with very smooth slate which has a most unusual blistered structure and is stained with hematite. There are only three `asinine` routes at present.
A curious limestone plug in the Duddon Estuary, which is visible from the A595. Approach is via Grange Marsh Farm, and care is needed with parking to prevent blocking access. On the left is a set of short friction slabs with several eliminate problems marked in blue paint, as well as a delicate girdle. Around the back is a continuously overhanging low wall with a desperate monster girdle.
Goldmire is an extensive limestone quarry which lies about one kilometre west of Dalton-in-Furness and five kilometres from Barrow-in-Furness, which can be seen from the Dalton bypass.
Although Goldmire Quarry is clearly visible from Barrow, it was neglected by climbers until June 1993, when Al Phizacklea, John Holden and Andy Rowell decided to make a visit. They immediately dismissed all thoughts of climbing on the loose, lower tier which was still being worked, but were impressed by one section of the upper tier, on which they staked their claim with Insular Peninsular. By the end of the month, Phizacklea returned and added Black Gold over the prominent roof at the right-hand side, whilst Holden introduced John Martindale, who climbed Neibelheim.
Since the completion of the Dalton bypass in 1994 the quarry has been closed and the buildings have been demolished, so further quarrying operations in the near future seem highly unlikely. However, there is currently no access agreement and the quarry owners did evict climbers when it was active. So please keep a low profile, as the local residents have been known to report climbers to the police.
Clearly seen from the A590 just north of Ulverston, these clean slate slabs are a popular practice ground. Park in the steep lane below the hill. The slabs themselves lie halfway up the hill about 150 metres from the gate at the end of the lane. From the gate, keep parallel to the A590 for about 50 metres, then strike directly up the hillside to the prominent, steep slabs, directly above a bench on a tarmac path.