St Aldhelm's Head                                 All Photos August 2001       

At the very westerly end of the great Swanage cliffs some 4 1/2 to 5 miles from Durlston Castle lies St Aldhelm,s Head. This marks the end of the best Limestone in the area as the cliffs turn into clay before stretching around the bay to Portland which can be seen in the distance.                                                  Please click on the photos to enlarge

 Location: St Aldhelm's is reach via Worth Matravers a delightful secluded village with pond and pub the Square and Compass which do a good pint of Silly Cow. Go west down a small lane to a farm yard (Renscombe) and do a sharp left on to a dirt track, this is sign posted to St Aldhelm's, follow this track for some distance, probably about a mile, a  4*4 Range Rover is recommended as my Ford Focus will testify. A row of cottages and an old coastguard station are at the end of this track. Park in a small grass patch next to the 12th Century Chapel.  The best rocks are located just to the west of the coastguard but are best reached by going east a few yards below the lookout post and then doubling back by scrambling down an easy gully. The area below is scared with the ruins of an old RAF radar station which was bombed during the 2nd World War when 2 soldiers died when the cook house was hit. An emergency phone is located on the side of the coastguard hut now used by "Coast Watch" a voluntary organization.

The Rock:- Dubious Limestone that looks absolutely terrible until you climb and get used to it. Some rock is loose and crumbly but represents a good challenge. The climbs are mostly in the severe grade with some bouldering. On the whole St Aldehelm's Head should be treated as a climbing curiosity with at least one visit to confirm ones suspicions. 

Looking down behind the coastguard hut. Note the large boulder field below, these are reached with some difficulty and some may be worth a visit but don't break your neck doing it. Someday somebody will clear a route around some of the boulders....On the left of the photo is one of the ways down to Yellow Wall.

The block wall gully shown on the right makes access to below fairly easy with care. The right wall holds Every Whichway  50ft VS 4c. Climb a crack to a ledge, then up. A bit green.

Further right (east) below the large block or pinnacle which dominates the crag is The Other Gully 55ft S 4a. Climb a corner and finish up the left side of the block above. Don't knock it off!

Pinnacle Gully VD Starts below the block and move out right.

Other Times E1 5b. Start in the green crack just right of Pinnacle Gully.

Other Places E2 5c. Start as for Other Times but go up the roofs.

There are about another 15 or so climbs further east with Seriously Short 6a being the most desirable or perhaps Gold Mother E5 6b at Buttery Corner out east of the coastguard hut.. 

From the "block wall gully" shown above, walk across the scree and vegetation to a corner, move around the corner and you should be looking at the famous Yellow Wall called so because, yes you guessed it. Some 100ft plus high Yellow wall

Yellow Wall...On the very right hand side of Yellow Wall is Mammotholian E1 5a 4b. This climb takes the left crack under a small roof. Follow the crack out left then traverse left the up to a lawn. Finish up right. see the photo right for the quality of the start.

Angel Pavement E2 5a 4c. Left of Mammotholian is a crack marked by a Y break.Climb the crack and move out right.

Note:- Care should be taken when setting belays from above and a pre inspection is advised.

Elm Street E2 5b. This climb takes the wide crack 25ft left of Angel Pavement to a large v shaped jammed block. Then up.

Around the corner East from Yellow wall is Jim's Jam S. Start in the chimney on the right of a big bulge.

This is the start of several good Severe climbs on chuncky rock that go up the slope to Block Wall Gully....

New Routes:

The End..