Kilnsey Crag for sale
- Wednesday 7th June 2023
Kilnsey Crag, one of the 'Big Three' crags in the Yorkshire Dales, was put up for sale yesterday on Rightmove with a guide price of £150k.
A long-standing 'top spot' for climbers in the Dales, Kilnsey began morphing from an aid-climbers playground into the free-climbing paradise that it is today when Pete Liversey began a campaign of freeing old aid routes; one of his earliest and most impressive ascents being Central Wall (E4 6a) which he did back in 1972.
The sale includes nearly 20 acres of land around the crag but excludes the shooting, fishing and mineral rights which are reserved for third parties.
The crag has a variety of 'Designations'. The foot of the crag is classified as Severely Disadvantaged Land whereas the crag itself and land above is classified as Moorland and lies within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The land is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and subject to a Limestone Pavement Order. In addition, the land has a range of 'red list' flora and fauna.
The sale agent’s listing also includes that ‘The sale offers significant amenity, biodiversity, and environmental opportunities.’
As one of the principal climbing destinations in the Dales, Kilnsey is very high on the list of important crags to many that live and climb in the area and to visitors. Whilst there are no public footpaths on the land the land is designated as open access under the Countryside Rights of Way Act (CROW).
The potential sale of the crag is obviously a cause for concern for many climbers who are now calling for the BMC to get involved and potentially purchase the crag to secure access for climbing.