Mowing Word

The climbing at Mowing Word can be split between five distinct areas – The West Face, The South Face, East Face, Hidden Wall and the Forgotten Wall. In addition to these the West Face can also be split up into three area’s for the purposes of clarity. All of the routes are in some way affected by the tide the degree to which it is very much dependant on the time of year and the weather. Most starts will require a hanging belay just above the high tide line, o in high seas or stormy weather, the crags is probably better off avoided all together.

Crags and routes are listed from left to right, and are graded and rated with the aid of the old Climbers' Club Guide to Pembroke, the old Pembroke Supplement and the 2009 Rockfax Pembroke guide. Since then, the Climbers' Club have published a new comprehensive guide for this area, Pembroke Volume 5: Stackpole and Lydstep, which adds a significant number of new crags and routes to the area, though the changes to this pages' crags are few. Nevertheless it is recommended that you refer to this or the Rockfax book for up-to-date information and route descriptions. In addition to these sources Rockfax’s website also has descriptions for the routes included in its book, which can be viewed on its online route Database.

Routes are rated using the British Adjectival Grading System. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available: download it here. With the exception of Tenby South Beach Quarry, bolting is strictly prohibited everywhere in Pembroke, so don’t even think about it here.

Route Symbols:

A so-so route, neither good nor bad. Not unpleasant unless otherwise stated. A good route which is definitely worth a climb. A very good route, one of the best on the crag and well worthy of attention. An excellent route, one of the best in the area, and probably in Britain too.

No Restrictions Used to indicate that there are currently no restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. Restrictions Used to indicate that there are restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. See the Red Tape and Access Section for more details.

Chimes of Freedom Area

The Chimes of Freedom Area constitutes the huge buttress that protrudes from the West Face.

Diedre Sud Area

Most climbers will know of Mowing Word for its two classic routes - Diedre Sud (HS 4a) and Heart of Darkness (HVS 4c), both of which can be found on this section. If that weren't enough, the other routes of this section also have plenty to offer.

The Curver Area

This southern most section of the West Face also has some interesting routes.

The following routes are located on the most southerly tip of the headland.

Smaller and generally less fertile than the West Face, the East Face of Mowing Word has a few worthy offerings for the visiting climber.

This fine, overhanging wall lies in a zawn to the right of Square Chimney.

Despite its name the Forgotten Wall is far from forgotten. Find it between the Hidden Wall and Stackpole Head's West Face.

This section displays the weather forecast for Bosherston, which is located just to the west of Mowing Word. This gives a pretty good indication of what the weather will be like on the crag, as both Bosherston and Mowing Word sit at pretty much at sea level.

Tide times can have a significant impact on where and when one climbs. It is therefore extremely important to check the timetables before embarking on trip to the area. UK tides information for all standard and secondary ports is provided by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), and displayed on the BBC's website. The link below provides a link to the nearest monitoring station to Mowing Word:

Stackpole Quay (SR 992 957)

Because the crag is an important breeding and nesting site for bird species such as Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), between 1st March and 1st August climbing is completely banned on most of the faces. Climbing outside this period is however, completely unrestricted, with late summer early autumn generally offering the most stable weather. Since most of the routes start with a hanging belay just above sea level, Mowing Word is probably better off avoided in high seas - unless of course, your belayer doesn’t mind receiving a good soaking.

The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. Because most of the pitches are quite long, a well-stocked rack with plenty of quickdraws is advisable; a good compliment of friends or other camming devices will also certainly help – smaller ones will generally be of most use. A set of double ropes of at least 50 metres in length is pretty much essential for all climbs and in addition to your usual gear you will also need an abseil rope to access to the base of the crag.

Mowing Word lies around midway between Broad Haven Beach and Stackpole Quay, but is best reached from the beach in the south. When approaching from Carmarthen (SN 405 196) take the A40 Truck Road signposted for Saint Clears (SN 274 160). At the Saint Clears roundabout, take the A477 Trunk Road towards Pembroke Dock (SM 969 036). Before reaching Pembroke Dock, turn left onto the A4075 (SN 019 027) to Pembroke (SM 989 012). In Pembroke, drive straight over the first small roundabout you reach and drive along the A4139 a few hundred metres and turn left and take the B4319 south towards Castlemartin (SR 915 983). Around 2.5km after Saint Petrox (SR 971 975), take a left hand turn (SR 965 964) signposting Bosherston (SR 965 947). Drive through Bosherston (or stop for a cup of tea at Mrs Weston's Olde Worlde Café) to the Broad Haven Car Park (SR 975 939).

Leave the car park and cross Broad Haven Beach, from here follow a path along a fence that leads to Saddle Bay (SR 983 942). From Saddle Bay follow the coastal path past Raming Hole (SR987 944) to a small sandy bay. From here you will be able to see the narrow headland of Mowing Word (SR991 942) protruding far into the sea. The coastal path will now take you along the cliff tops to said headland where you will be provided with a choice of stakes for abseiling and belaying.

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. The city of St. David’s and its hinterland is particularly well provided for. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

For everything else and more see Visit Pembrokeshire’s website.

Mowing Word is owned by the National Trust and classified as open access land meaning that the public has a right to access it more or less at any time. However, it also forms part of a Special Protection Area and is an extremely important site for breeding and nesting choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), therefore between 1st March and 1st August climbing is completely banned on most of its faces. It should be noted that Pembroke nesting restrictions are complex and vary annually. Please check the notice boards in Stack Rocks or St Govan’s car parks for more information.

For further information, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking:

Regional Access Database

If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones

Government Bodies and Other Organisations

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

Council for National Parks

Association of National Park Authorities

Natural Resources Wales

CADW

Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales

Dyfed Archaeological Trust

The National Trust

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Outdoor Organisations and Companies

British Mountaineering Council

Pembrokeshire Climbing Club

Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group

UKClimbing

Weather and Tides

The Met Office

BBC Weather

BBC Tide Tables

UK Hydrographic Office

Tourist Information

Visit Wales

Visit Pembrokeshire

Travel Information

Welsh Public Transport Information

UK Train Timetable

Accommodation

Youth Hostel Association in Wales

Independent Hostel Guide

Campsites in Pembrokeshire

Maps and Guidebooks

Ordnance Survey

The Climbers’ Club

Cicerone Guidebooks

Rockfax

Mid Wales Climbing

Cordee Travel and Adventure Sports Bookshop

Wildlife and Conservation

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre

South West Wales Wildlife Trust