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Many of the climbing areas covered in this book have sensitive access but, thanks to the BMC and their
local volunteers, most are currently accessible to all climbers - all areas with potential problems or actual
bans are noted within the text. Climbers should be aware of their responsibilities and be careful not to abuse
the access granted. In general, simple reasonable behaviour like not dropping litter, respecting restrictions,
not making excess noise and using the described approaches is all that is required to ensure continued
untroubled access to the climbing areas.
One notable area with a major access problem is Lulworth. This area is owned by the Weld Estate who in
1995 announced a total ban on climbing on their land for reasons of conservation and public safety. This
ban continues to the present day. There are also some specific (non-bird) restrictions at Winspit Quarry,
Dancing Ledge, Blacknor Far North and near the Godnor and Neddyfields cliffs that are covered in detail
in their respective introductions.
Bird Nesting Restrictions
C
To avoid disturbance to nesting birds, seasonal climbing restrictions have been placed on certain
sections of the Dorset coast. The nature of these restrictions varies from Portland to Swanage, but
it is essential that climbers abide by the restrictions and also take note of any changes that may occur
further to the information contained in this book. Note that the restrictions are not just no-climbing restric-
tions - please keep away from these areas altogether.
Portland
- The restrictions on Portland are variable and reviewed each year and in general are only
applied to the sections of cliff where the birds (often peregrines) have actually nested. The restrictions
usually apply from the 1st March until 30th June but they are lifted if there are no nests or if the birds
have fledged. The current practice is to mark the affected routes by fixing a sign on the bolts at the edges
of the restricted area. There is also a permanent restriction on the far end of Coastguard South.
Swanage -
Unlike the Portland restrictions, the bird nesting areas for Swanage are well established and
seldom change. The affected routes are clearly marked in the text and all the bans apply from 1st March
to 31st July. The crags with restrictions for nesting birds are Hedbury Big Cove, Smokey Hole, Guillemot
West, some of Cormorant, some of Blackers Hole and several sections of the Boulder Ruckle.
All these restrictions can change so please check the BMC Regional Access Database (RAD) if you are
unsure -
www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/RAD/
Swanage
Lulworth
Portland
28
Access
Dorset Climbing
Access