[GCW]

Just found that there is a shiny green fence here. It's about six feet high and appears to encircle the quarry, cutting off access. The only way in would seem to be climbing the fence, which will only aggravate any issues and is not to be condoned.

[r-man]

I haven't been since the new fence was erected, but I heard you could still get in? Quite a few people have been in recent times and there haven't been any issues as far as I know.

[GCW]

I admit I didn't go all the way round, but it goes round as much of the perimeter I could see.

[sxrxg]

I slid my pads underneath in the corner and then went under the green fence. The gap is about 2ft from the ground to the bottom of the fence last time I went unless further fencing has been added at the base. Also I found it easier to walk left once under the green fence and then hop the old barbed wire fence and walk down the grass bank rather than following the description in the guide and going down the very steep bank into the middle of the quarry.

[GCW]

Where was this gap? Didn't notice it.

[sxrxg]

Pm sent with further details.

[spidermonkey09]

Visited here today for the first time and followed the parking advice on UKC; namely, parked on the track beyond the footpath in a layby on the left, opposite a metal gate. Walked in by going through the gate, uphill and through another gate, then right and crossing a low barbed wire fence to get into the quarry. The gap in the fence flagged by sxrg has had a strip of barbed wire added; I wouldn't want to go under it now.

While climbing a guy in a high vis told us we weren't allowed to be there, that Biffa owned it and we needed to leave. He agreed we could go in 20 minutes but told us 'don't make a habit of coming.' He was friendly but firm. I forgot to get his contact details (sorry Bonjoy!  ) but I'm pretty confident he was a Biffa employee judging by the high vis. When we got back to the cars we had notices on the windscreen saying 'Private: No Parking, No Climbing'. I presume these were left by high vis man but not sure.

I think I'd be happy enough to go back but would probably park at the end of the track next time and walk down carrying pads (I see Fiend did this when he last went from the LRR FB group). Not sure if worth contacting Biffa but more of an update on parking if anything else. Would be good to update the UKC page to reflect this; I have done so but its with the crag mod for approval.

[remus]

Thanks for the update, I've just approved it on the UKC page.

[Kingy]

Thats a shame, I went several times in early 2021 as did a few others. I was parking on the A675 by the farm road turnoff and walking up the farm road (only 5 mins) to the footpath. I met the farmer one time and he allowed me to go climbing - I assured him I would keep a low profile (I never saw any BIFFA employees). Crawling under the metal fence above Undercut Buttress was the way in but sounds like this may have got more problematic.

Some quality problems there like Another World and Fracking, would be sad if climbing was banned.

[steveri]

RAD updated now too. Ta!

[Probes]

I've been up a few times since summer, last time about 6/8 weeks ago. I parked by the old footpath, where I've parked for the past neigh on 30 yrs. Stuck the van right off the side of the road so to not block anything. The farmer came and checked me out last time, he looked a bit pissed, as I was in full work pants, looking like a builder up to no good, then spotted the pads and left me too it. Never had an issue with biffa. I'm usually solo and mid week. Be a shame for this to escalate and lose access completely. I wondered if the access through the green fence (unbolted to allow squeezing through) might piss them off also.

[Kingy]

Here is Fracking, one for a cold day!

[spidermonkey09]

There seems to be a fair few anecdotes of locals doing their thing and having no issues, but none of it is very joined up, eg where you're parking is explicitly where the ukc access notes says not to park on the grounds that the farmer doesn't like people parking by the path. Instead it said to park further down (also what people say on LRR historically) and I got a windscreen note first time! Maybe just bad luck?



Unless I'm looking in the wrong place I don't think it's possible to squeeze through the green fence anymore, with the addition of barbed wire.

Agree we wouldn't want to lose all access but seems like the easiest thing to do would be to park on the main road as Ted suggests.

[r-man]

I don't think it's the farmers. I could be wrong but I think I've met all of them - farmers who owned the fields on both sides of the road, and they all said there were no issues parking in the laybys. None of the farmers I met were bothered about climbers. I did once meet a woman who I think lived down the road, who said it was a private road and that people shouldn't be parking on it. She said it might block the road for the farmer, which seemed strange as a farmer had directed us to that particular parking spot, which is right off the road. I told her this but she still wasn't happy. Anyway, I've been parking at the end of the lane to try and avoid issues.

There was once a footpath sign by one of the laybys, pointing to the stile. This has mysteriously disappeared. (As I found out after someone moaned at me for crap directions!)

As for the Biffa man, it is his job to tell people they aren't supposed to be there. Liability issues I believe. He appears every so often to check the land, which Biffa still own. He's not looking for climbers, but if he sees them, that's what he's been told to do.

The BMC have supposedly been in conversation with Biffa about restoring official access now that landfilling operations have ceased, but it's been years and nothing much has happened.

There are some fantastic problems at Stanworth, definitely a little gem.

[spidermonkey09]

Thats good to know re the farmers. The notice I had on the windscreen was a handwritten one in black marker pen, not on Biffa headed paper or anything(!), so guess it could have been the resident. Sounds like parking at the end of the lane is the way to go.

I actually only found the footpath by accident when returning to the car; on the way up I was guesstimating a bit. Its definitely not obvious. For anyone looking for it later, the footpath is about here: https://goo.gl/maps/JVPDggGQy5xoatLT9.

I will drop Bonjoy an email now just in case he hasn't seen this thread.

[r-man]

The gap in the fence flagged by sxrg has had a strip of barbed wire added; I wouldn't want to go under it now.

Can't remember who, but pretty sure someone told me they had learned the barbed wire under the green fence is to stop the sheep getting in, which is annoying for the farmers.