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Dorset
| Site | Level | Visited? |
| 3D Osmington Bay | n/a | Yes |
| Butchers Coppice, Bournemouth | 1 | Yes |
| Braggers Wood, Bransgore | 1 | Yes |
| Buddens | 1 | Yes |
| Dancing Ledge, Swanage | SPA | Yes |
| Portland - various crags | SPA | No |
| Weymouth Outdoor Centre | SPA | Yes |
Level: SPA
This is an LEA run outdoor centre which will run sessions and courses for other groups where space is available. It is AALA registered and as befits an LEA centre is well-appointed. It has an indoor wall on the side of a hall, quite low and mainly for bouldering. There is an outdoor 'boulder' in the grounds surrounded by gravel which is quite good for a climbing session with young peope, and is an unusual feature.
They may allow you to instruct on their walls, but you'd need an SPA.
Level: SPA
Crags popular with groups locally to Portland have been mentioned by local centres (Weymouth and 3D Osmington). Those with SPA may operate on these freely wherever they are in scope of SPA (i.e. not tidal). It is our intention to visit these crags for information purposes only.
Those mentioned are: Portland East: The Cuttings; Portland West: Fallen Slab, Battleship Buttress, Blacknor South.
If there is any other popular group crag please contact us at steve@trekco.com
The Cuttings: Level 3
The group climbing area is to be found at the left side of this popular crag. There is another adjacent crag, the New Cuttings - don't confuse the two! This is a nice sheltered area, but belays need to be accessed by leading so SPA only.
The
Cuttings - left end
Level: n/a (provider only)
This is a very large commercial outdoor pursuits camp which is AALA licensed and has a wide range of facilities. There are in total 3 climbing and/or abseiling towers plus an indoor wall which is about 5m high in a large hall. Next to this is also a bouldering wall.
Non-residential groups are welcome to book any of these activities. The centre also provide climbing sessions run by SPA qualified staff at Portland ('The Cuttings')
Braggers Lane, Bransgore, Christchurch, BH23 8EF. Tel: 01425 673333 website: http://www.christchurchscouts.org.uk/braggerswood/
This is a typical scaffold and wood abseil tower with bolt-on holds. There are both scout and Guide Level 1 instructors available; please remember that the Scout Form 'M' is not acceptable to the GA if you book a session, and ask for a Guide qualified instructor.
No further details are available currently pending another visit, but Guide groups may go ahead and use the site. The images below were 'borrowed' from Braggers Wood website.
SPA
This is a single pitch crag with bolted routes near Swanage. It is probably the only place in the area suitable for groups; however the routes in the top quarry are hard for novices. The crag is above the tidal area, although care must be taken with supervision of non-climbers as it would be easy for participants who wander off to come to grief at the cliff edge, or on the wave-cut platform below.
The
lower quarry is apparently better for groups, and we await more information
on belays etc. soon. Please be aware that it's owned by the National Trust
who require group visits to be booked, group leaders require minimum SPA,
and they charge £1 per student. Please provide photocopies of your
SPA; when you phone they will send you an application form and you send
your information in with this (you also need details of the Guide Assn.
insurance policy). The phone no is 01929 450259.
Upper Quarry
Holloway Avenue
West Howe
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH11 9JW
Tel: 01202 574747
coppice@bournemouth-scouts.org.uk
http://www.butcherscoppice.org.uk
This Scout site has an old pylon which has been converted for use as a tower. The sides are 33 feet high and currently there is ladder access inside which would require students to be belayed to the top, but this is due to be replaced by stairs. There are short and long climbing sides and an abseil face. A bouldering wall is to be built at the base of the tower soon.
Equipment is available and the site should have GGUK assessed staff available. Level 1 instructors are welcome.
Puddletown Road
Hyde
Wareham
Dorset
BH20 7NU
This well hidden site has a small climbing wall under cover in a barn, and a huge abseil tower constructed of scaffold and wood. The tower is of normal height (about 25-30 feet) but has a very large area at the top, and the construction is extremely good with very safe stair access.
No-one was present when the site was visited and details of instruction on their website say:
