Bowles Rocks
Encyclopedia
Bowles Rocks is a sandstone
crag approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the town of Tunbridge Wells in the county of East Sussex
, on the border with Kent
. It is popular with rock climbers
due to the excellent, south facing, quick drying rock, the range of climbs and the ease of access. It is one of the cluster of local outcrops known as Southern Sandstone.
, formed 130 to 140 million years ago. This rock has a hard skin or rind enriched with organic matter and silica and iron salts deposited when water from within the rock evaporates. However this skin is easily worn away so it is important that climbers keep erosion to a minimum. Top ropes should be set up so as to ensure that rope movement against rock surfaces is minimised and lowering off is not permitted.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
crag approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of the town of Tunbridge Wells in the county of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, on the border with Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It is popular with rock climbers
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
due to the excellent, south facing, quick drying rock, the range of climbs and the ease of access. It is one of the cluster of local outcrops known as Southern Sandstone.
The Charitable Trust
Bowles Rocks is owned and managed by the Bowles Rocks Trust as part of Bowles Outdoor Centre. The centre has developed over 50 years and now works with several thousand young people each year. It has two dry ski slopes, a pool and residential accommodation for young people in line with achieving its charitable objectives.The History
Bowles Rocks was cleared in the early 1960s by the visionary John Walters who was inspired to set up a 'rock climbing gymnasium'. Previously the site had been used as a firing range during the war and to house pigs - hence the climb named Pig's Nose and area called Range Wall. You can still see bullet holes in the rock and larger square holes lower down which once supported the wooden beams of the pig sties.The Climbing
There are approximately 230 climbs or variants at Bowles Rocks, ranging widely in difficulty. A good list can be found here.Type of Rock
Bowles Rocks is made of a relatively soft sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, formed 130 to 140 million years ago. This rock has a hard skin or rind enriched with organic matter and silica and iron salts deposited when water from within the rock evaporates. However this skin is easily worn away so it is important that climbers keep erosion to a minimum. Top ropes should be set up so as to ensure that rope movement against rock surfaces is minimised and lowering off is not permitted.