Trip Report
A big wall two hours from London, England?

by David C
Thursday February 26, 2015 6:41am
Here's some fun we have been having because we can't afford the flights to Yosemite.

http://www.coldmountainkit.com/knowledge/articles/374-wonderland-a-very-british-big-wall-part-1

  Trip Report Views: 1,758
David C 		About the Author
David C is a trad climber from UK.

Comments
Jones in LA

Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
  Feb 26, 2015 - 07:51am PT
"...never more than 2 miles from a tea shop, within walking distance of one of the world’s best pubs, no need to haul, no need for a portaledge (there are several good bivvy sites on the route)..."

Oh, man...sign me up!

Thanks for sharing this from across the pond. Looking forward to Part 2.

Rich Jones
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  Feb 26, 2015 - 08:03am PT
Whoo hoo! Swanage. Love that place.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Feb 26, 2015 - 10:07am PT
Åndalsnes is less than a two hour flight from London, but I concur with the superiority of the pubs near Swanage, or anywhere in Aulde Blighty.
David C

Trad climber
UK
Author's Reply  Feb 26, 2015 - 12:45pm PT
I was being modest. It is the world's best pub. Strong words. Especially as it is a bit of of new pub, by UK standards (the pub in my village started serving in 1279). Here is some history about the pub near the route:

"The Square and Compass began life as a pair of cottages commanding a little bluff known as Lychard (meaning Bank), which overlooked the village and a marvelous view of the Channel. Around 1776, it became an alehouse, owned by Wareham brewer c#m clay merchant, under the sign of The Sloop. There were connections with smuggling, including skirmishes with excisemen at St Aldhelms Head. A new tenant landlord, a stone mason called Charles Bower, seems to have changed the name around 1830. He ran the place for more than 40 years, to be followed by his widow, then a series of tenants until 1907, when the Newmans took over. In the interwar years the pub became a fashionable watering hole for a creative set, the artist, Augustus John, cartoonist Low, pianist Harriet Cohen, actors Leslie Banks and Gwen Francon-Davis amongst many signatories of the Visitors' Book. During the war the clientele changed to include physicists and astronomer Sir bernard Lovell and nobel laureates Sir Alan Hodgkin and Sir Martin Ryle, all developing radar nearby. The Square evaded the heavy hand of modernisation during the 1960s. Its oldest clients, some in their nineties, remember reaching up to the same serving hatch with change for ginger beer in sticky hands."

Basicly: Someone invented hand beer pumps. The Square and Compass ignored the invention. It also ignored the invention of carpets, heating, level floors, electric beer pumps, plastic, forks, spoons and double glazing. It hence now finds itself in fashion. The beer comes from a small hatch the other side of which is a pile of beer barrels. Each with a tap. No pipes. No bottles. Use a mobile phone, or ask for a cabernet sauvignon and you will be set upon by large dogs. Result? Perfection. The climbing is also very good.
MH2

Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
  Feb 26, 2015 - 04:13pm PT
Approve



(just noticed at the top of the page: Add Customer Comment, worried now)



edit:

Checked and found that the page heading for a post to a thread is SuperTopo Forum Reply.
What did I buy, here?
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Feb 26, 2015 - 09:21pm PT
This was great! I love your writing.
Thanks!
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