Harrison's Rocks

Harrison's is the most popular southern sandstone crag with a great selection of climbs in a quiet woodland setting in East Sussex. Around 700m long and never higher than 12m, it is the most popular of the Southern Sandstone outcrops, offering over 380 climbs from 2a to 6c.

Originally bought by local climbers in 1959 (at that time when the BMC was unable to own property) and passed onto the CCPR, then the Sports Council Trust Company Ltd who managed it with close BMC involvement. Ownership transferred to the BMC's Land and Property Trust in 2009 and the site is now actively managed by a group of local climbers.

Site management

The freehold comprises a narrow strip of woodland above, and a slightly larger strip below the rocks, which is mostly deciduous woodland, with birch, oak, beech, rowan and sycamore the most common species

Considerable landscaping, woodland management and ground erosion control work has been undertaken over many years; cliff top anchors inspected and replaced and rock repair work undertaken as necessary.

Harrison’s Rocks Management Group (HRMG)

The rocks are managed by a sub-committee of the BMC’s Land Management Group (LMG), called the Harrison’s Rocks Management Group (HRMG), made up of volunteers from the local climbing community, supported by the full-time BMC officers. The main work of the HRMG is the protection of the crag environment, constantly trying to reduce or mitigate the effects of so many visitors on the woodland environment, crag base and the rock surfaces themselves. The woodland management involves access point, footpath and crag base erosion control, clearing and maintenance of drainage channels and the drafting, installation and maintenance of minimal signage. With regard to the rock, this involves the placement, maintenance and testing of anchors, resin repairs to damaged holds, rope groove repair, monitoring of the existing cement repairs and removal of any loose pieces.

In 1983, the whole site was placed under a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) following complaints from a local resident when a dangerously leaning oak tree was felled unofficially by persons unknown. For the next 25 years there was a reluctance to do much forestry work in the woodland for fear of contravening the TPO, with the result that the trees grew without restriction until they formed a dense canopy, with little growth below, reducing the light and air that reached the crag and also increasing the overall humidity. Despite this, much work was done on erosion control, led by Chris Tullis and his company, aided by volunteers, especially former HRMG chair Bob Moulton, who has done so much for the rocks and is still involved in the BMC’s Land Management Group.

In 2009, when the freehold was returned to the BMC, a decision was taken to create a long-term woodland management plan which could be presented to the Forestry Commission (as it was then called). This plan, once approved, would supersede the TPO and allow us to take steps to improve the woodland environment and the state of the crag. A well known local climber, Malcolm McPherson (aka ‘The Wizard’) volunteered to produce a draft plan, with the following aims: To reduce the overall woodland canopy by 60-70%; to remove non-native species such as sycamore & rhododendron; to preserve as far as possible oak, beech and other larger native standards; to thin out birch and coppice rowan, hazel & holly; to use the materials arising from the tree work for erosion control around the site; to encourage more diversity of flora & fauna in the woodland – to this end to leave standing dead wood and arrange for a bat survey.

The site was divided into 13 compartments, one for each year of the plan, which were felt to be a size that was manageable by a small team of tree surgeons and the volunteers who would deal with the arisings.  The first draft of the plan was created in November 2009 and after many iterations and the necessary consultation with local residents, the final version was agreed in July of 2013.

So that some work could be scheduled ahead of the approval of the management plan, it was proposed that a ‘10m corridor’ be created at the base of the crag, to allow more light and air to get to the rock. This would involve removing smaller trees and ‘crown lifting’ larger ones within 10m of the crag base. This work commenced in 2010 so that enthusiasm and momentum wasn’t lost while the plan was being agreed.

From 2012 until the present day, the HRMG has organised each year’s work on the relevant compartment, surveying them first to agree on which trees are to stay, engaging tree surgeons to do the felling and then arranging for and supervising volunteer work weekends to make use of the felled wood and brash. At this point I must say a big thank you to the Sandstone Volunteers Group (SVG) and especially to Graham Adcock, who organises & mobilises the members. This group is an absolutely vital resource, without which the HRMG, currently eight-strong, could not do all the erosion control work needed at the rocks. Every winter Graham puts the word out to the members of the group to request help with the work needed following a cutting weekend.