Bowden Doors

SandstoneFaces WtradboulderingMod to E6 / f7C

The showpiece of Northumberland climbing, a long rampart of immaculate fell sandstone on a moorland crest with views to the Cheviots. Rounded breaks, flared cracks and bold walls demand a distinctive technique, and the county's famously stiff grades keep visitors honest. Exposed to the wind, it dries fast, but the soft sandstone should be spared when damp.

Bowden Doors, Sandstone — Field beneath Bowden Doors and Raven's Crag - geograph.org.uk - 3836827 · Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Soft sandstone — never climb here when the rock is wet or damp. Wet sandstone is permanently damaged by climbing.

Conditions right now

Classics

Route	Grade
Russet Groove	VD
Castle Crack	HS 4b
Main Wall	HVS 5b
The Tube	E2 6a

Access & approach

Roadside parking on the Belford to Wooler road below the crag; two minute walk. Private farmland with long-standing access - keep clear of livestock and leave gates as found.

Always check the BMC Regional Access Database (RAD)for current restrictions and seasonal bird bans before visiting. County: Northumberland. View on OpenStreetMap ↗

Photos

Freely-licensed photographs taken at or near the crag. Rock changes less than websites do, but check the date — an approach can silt up or a path can be diverted.

Raven's Crag - geograph.org.uk - 4576373 · Russel Wills, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where this entry comes from

This is one of our editorial seed entries — written to get the conditions engine working, not sourced from a guidebook or an open database. Treat the details as a starting point and check them yourself.