The Castle Climbing Centre

Came here for a taster plus session which involved trying out different types of rock climbing techniques? from abseiling, bouldering to roped climbing.
It wasn’t much of a work out but it was fun and we got to stay for as long as we wanted to afterwards to do some more bouldering. You’re not allowed to start unsupervised roped climbing without doing a climbing course first (~£70) but it’s definitely worth it if you plan on regular visits.
The £33 taster session included a max 4 person class with free shoes and equipment rental. There’s free lockers (£1 deposit), changing/​shower rooms and a simple café.
There are loads and loads of different sections for different levels and some walls get pretty freaking high. I believe it’s the biggest rock climbing centre in London and it’s definitely somewhere you need to go if you have even the slightest interest in rock climbing.

The Castle has been a part of my London experience since day one (three years ago) and is probably one of the best rock climbing centers that I have ever visited. It has four floors (plus an outdoor bit) of rock climbing and is continuing to grow. The routes vary in hardness and terrain type. Honestly, there could be no complaints with all of these options. They even have some routes that are multistories that are super scary!
The staff at the Castle are usually friendly and helpful. I fell off the outdoor bouldering wall and slammed my back and the staff responded excellently.
I have two favorite areas of the Castle. The outdoor bouldering routes are really great on a sunny day! My other favorite route is on the 2^nd floor (by the café) in the left corner as I love bridging the walls.
The Castle also includes a café and climbing store. The climbing store is generally overpriced and one can typically find cheaper stuff online. That said if you want advice or need your stuff in a hurry then this is an option. The Castle also has a bunch of community events including choirs, gardening clubs, etc. I believe that they even have a program where you can volunteer in the garden and get a free pass to the rock gym! There are quite a few groups that climb here often so it’s easy to make friends.
Price-​wise the Castle is reasonable and what one would expect from a rock gym. They of course offer MANY options in terms of memberships, student discounts, one-​offs, etc.
Overall, I would totally recommend the Castle. How cool is it to say that you rock climb in a Castle? You cant really ever get bored here and it’s been a great part of my time in London!

I have climbed here a couple of times now, sampled the shop, the café and brought along groups of local kids too, it’s a great place. The staff are a friendly bunch too!
If there is a niggle it’s parking but it’s a small niggle given the other easy transport links to get here.

My first visit was yesterday and my friend tagged along with me at the last minute. I’m a total newbie at this and my friend did this before. I didn’t know what to expect apart from what I’ve read on their website. I wanted to try bouldering/​climbing for some time now and maybe add it to my regular exercise routine in addition to gym.
After filling out the form online. All I had to do was to get my gym kit and cycle down. Reception staff were very efficient and quickly processed my new membership. Guy at the reception was very helpful and quickly and very precisely unanswered all my questions. Customer service is excellent. I had to rent climbing shoes as it is my first time. It’s 2.50 which I think is reasonable. Be aware of bo, this is something to be expected although they could do more to spray the shoes with odour remover.
I’ve read that Castle has a lot of bouldering options and that is true, there vast amounts of walls designed for this for various levels of experience.
Overall my friend and I had a lot of fun and left without injuries. I’ll certainly be back and advise more of my friends to join.
Didn’t have a chance to try coffee shop but it looks nice.

Absolutely love this place. So much fun.
I’m on a 4 week climbing course here and the instructor is brilliant. Lots of challenging climbs set on several floors for both bouldering and harnessed rope climbs. Either just go for the bouldering or rope climbs after learning to safely put on a harness, check yours and your partners harness and belay devices.
Also has a community garden for growing produce which is then used in the on-​site café for tasty snacks/​meals.

It’s fun, because it’s climbing. But I didn’t love The Castle.
Don’t get me wrong: it’s a cool place. It looks great, both inside and out, and there’s definitely a good atmosphere. I just struggled to make it work for me.
A bit of context: I’ve been bouldering for about 6 months, at The Arch, which is devoted to bouldering. I’m not climbing with ropes at this point. And while it’s kind of cool to see both types going on in one space, it made it — for me — a bit difficult to work out where to go. Bouldering areas were spread out, so while overall there were a good number of routes, I felt like I would complete what I could fairly quickly, and then need to hunt for the next group. When I finished, I realised there was a section I hadn’t seen yet, so I’d missed out potentially. While I’m sure some people love getting lost in here, I found it a bit tiresome, especially as I asked at the start where to go for bouldering. Really, I just wanted to get stuck in but it was hard to get a groove going.
Also, I realise that this might mean I’m just a terrible climber, but I found the routes much harder than what I was used to. Not in a fun challenging way — just in an impossible way. I might have been in the wrong place for someone of my level, but even trying routes that claimed to be very easy, I often found myself struggling. Of course, many people can probably do these routes, but it doesn’t make me feel like it’s a good place for beginners.
There were some good elements. I liked the outside area, and I saw they had routes for kids, so it was obviously child-​friendly.
Overall, however, I wasn’t a fan — and what with a session being a few pounds more expensive than what I’m used to, I don’t think I’ll be back soon.

It’s simple — this is the BEST climbing centre in London. Whether it’s top roping or bouldering. The castle has loads of routes.
In the summer they even have outdoor bouldering.
And one final tip — they have what’s called a bouldering ladder where you take on bouldering routes numbered 1 – 20 and they get progressively harder. A great way to build up skill and track progress.

Are you adventurous and love the outdoors? Do you live in London and think «Crap, it’s too cold outside but I want to do something great!»? Then I suggest you pay a visit to The Castle Climbing Centre. It’s a great place to go with a couple of friends or even by yourself to learn to climb.
Fitted with multiple high walls and routes for all levels (beginners, intermediate and expert) and very well equipped, The Castle Climbing Centre is only a 7 – 10 minutes walk from Manor House.
The signing up process can be slightly long as one signs away (pretty much) a death certificate as I call it in case of injury which cannot be liable to the business.
The centre has changing rooms with showers, a store to rent ropes and climbing shoes for about £5 after signing up. The sign up cost is £12 for non members. It is easier coming with a member your first time due to safety reasons.
There is only a little surprise which I love! A café at the too floor with sofas where one can relax after climbing or just accompanying someone. It has a great atmosphere and can be pretty busy so I suggest you he smart about parking !
The staff are quite friendly and happy to help in tying ropes or whatever it is one needs.
I’ve been here a couple of times and would go back with a friend I’ve recommended. In fact, my arms hurt from Saturdays visit !

OK Castle. Time for an update.
The Castle continues to expand and provide more and more areas for climbing. I come regularly and rarely climb the same route twice.
They have new bouldering areas outside and above the café.
The wells, deep underground, have massively expanded the lead climbing provision with more to come including a massie traversing wall in the near future.
The men’s changing rooms are getting a new facelift
The check-​in system for pre-​paid members is now a breeze.
My only moan is the bike parking area is a bit crap and always chocca.
Yay climbing!

I always like taking my life in my hands and what better surroundings than with a bunch of polite English people. That’s right, I’m the one up the wall swearing, sorry about that.
I’ve been to the Castle a few times and it’s a great place to spend a few hours. It’s slightly reminiscent of your school gym in terms of smells and facilities but then again it’s not a day spa so suck it up.
I’ve been up most of the walls and for a novice like me they are pretty challenging. They also have bouldering which looks beyond impossible for a newbie and i believe they change the climbs around every so often so the regulars don’t get bored.
This place is such a yuppie family destination so don’t be surprised to see tiny children running around demanding cream crackers.

Looking for a different kind of workout in London or maybe just watched Cliffhanger one too many times? Why not head to The Castle; London’s best indoor climbing centre.
The Castle Climbing Centre started off life in 1852 as a water pumping station but since opening as a climbing centre in 1995 has become one of the leading climbing facilities in Europe.
Having a good level of experience climbing from back in the US, I took a friend along who was a complete noob to show em’ the ropes.
The Castle is enormous in scale with many different sections and areas to test your skills. There is a choice of bouldering, roped climbing and even abseiling, which is done from one of the towers! There is even a little café and a shop where you can buy or rent any gear you might need.
It might seem a bit pricey as a non-​registered member at £13 or £12 as a member, but signing up as a member for £5 gives you the option to come at off peak times for only £7 per visit. After signing all the paperwork preventing you from suing them if gravity injures you, it was on to the action.
I was going to teach my friend how to belay, but he didn’t do his homework and I wasn’t going to let a guy whose shoelaces are always undone try a figure eight or bowline knot on my rope… so bouldering it was!
There are a lot of different ability level routes and areas to choose from with the bouldering areas covering parts of the ground floor, upstairs and the larger new boulders outside, more closely resembling those you’d find in the wild :)
Overall, an enjoyable afternoon out, but with a rock climbing centre a lot closer to where I live, this well known treasure will have to remain an occasional treat!

Just a few months late…
Of course, being an avid climber and finding the Castle a conveniently short walk away from me, I am a bit biased. But I’m also a bit spoilt with 4+ rock gyms back home, not to mention Sender One. With that said, I’ve experienced a variety of climbing gyms, the best to the worst, and the Castle is indeed fit for royalty.
The concept is obviously cool and I’ve taken quite a few pics to show off to friends, haha. A «rockclimbing castle» can come off sounding a bit gimmicky, but quality and professionalism abound here.
PLUS: This is a huge three floor space, with several offerings and a lot of variety. It covers all the basic types of climbing nicely (as mentioned in other reviews), has a seemingly endless amount of courses, hosts competitions, organises group events, sells equipment, and even has a café serving up freshly grown greens from the outdoor garden in the back (which you can check out).
MINUS: In trying to do it all, the layout is quite confusing. The women’s change rooms are on the first floor while men’s are on the second. The lead climbing is in the same space as the café (which has no rubbish bins), with some random bouldering elements thrown in. The space designated for stretching is awkwardly amongst lockers and traversing practice. I explored this whole space and still could not for the life of me find the «gym space» staff at the counter mentioned to me.
PLUS: There is quite a bit of space devoted to bouldering (including sections for traversing and feature climbing) scattered throughout the three floors. Hundreds of harness free routes along with a wide range of difficulty. This is just excellent. Too often I see bouldering left to the wayside in larger gyms.
MINUS: Again, in regards to my hunt for the mysterious «gym space,» the Castle doesn’t have weights, other strength building equipment, or any cardio machines. This is a huge minus for me as I prefer a multi-​faceted work out to cap off my usual gym routine.
PLUS: They do have a campus board AND a system board. And even a finger board. Definitely necessary if you’re looking to get serious about climbing and take it to the next level. Don’t overlook these tools!
MINUS: I found the grading system a bit confusing as routes marked more difficult than others were quite easy, and vice versa. Very odd. Perhaps this is a «lost in translation» sort of deal happening with the conversion.
PLUS: They have a «buddy system» for climbers who come alone but would like to do some top-​roping. Obviously, your chances of finding a partner still depend on several other factors, but they’ve made it easier for single climbers like me.
MINUS: I saw a lot of unsafe belaying practices here. Staff didn’t seem too strict on the type of device, as you can use anything from a Gri-​gri to just a standard ATC (called something else here? I asked about this equipment over the phone and got a confused response). But perhaps this makes it more difficult to ensure that climbers know basic safety and belay methods. Hmmm. Makes me a bit uncomfortable since you need to have a really high level of trust for your belayer, I think.
PLUS: The price is right. Only £7 for students if you go during off-​peak hours. This rate is unbelievable.
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To summarise, this is a huuuge facility with copious options to satisfy a wide range of climbers, and is relatively successful in its endeavours. The environment is friendly and energetic, and the attention given to bouldering and traversing skills makes this a great spot if you’d like to climb but are coming solo. Also a fantastic place to entertain your visiting friends!

Lovely climbing centre with a wide variety of indoor climbing options and friendly staff, and it’s actually in a castle! Or at least a really big old house that was built to look like a castle!

A very big rock climbing gym inside of a building that looks like a castle (it was never a castle, just a water pumping station).
It’s got a lot of space, lots of walls, lots of problems (I mean that in a good way — rock-​climbing problems, not problem problems). it’s better than the climbing centre in Bermondsey, and the one at London Bridge closed down. I don’t know if there are many other climbing centres in London, but I don’t really need to look any further. This is the place I will be going to.
The staff here is pretty nice. Safety is paramount to the whole operation. There’s an eco-​slant to the whole thing which is charming. Also, I had a flapjack cake in the café that was fantastic.

Best indoor climbing in the world!

I’m not sure who looked at an ancient castle in Finsbury Park and went, «Hmmmm, I want to climb that sonova.» And then they did.
The Castle Climbing Centre is just that — a castle with it’s insides ripped out and replaced with climbing walls, bouldering walls, a small café bar and a few surprises along the way (like comfortable couches spread throughout the building when you just need to collapse or a beautiful semi-​hidden garden out back.)
It’s a great centre. It costs £12 to climb but if you’ve never dome it before, you have to come with a member. Then it’s another £5 to rent a harness and climbing shoes. A little expensive but no more so than anywhere else and you can buy bulk passes to make it less so if you know you’re coming back.
It’s a beautiful space with tons of room. We were there on a popular Sunday afternoon and there was still plenty of room for us to climb all over. I did the normal ropes course and then tried bouldering for the first time where you climb free without the ropes. That was pretty damn amazing.
My only small complaint is that they have water fountains made for filling up water bottles but not for drinking water. You can still drink from there, they’re just a little uncomfortable. Still, small gripe.
Overall, totally worth checking out and unlike anything else in the city, or really, anywhere.

I mean… it’s a castle. One with its innards ripped out and replaced by variegated cell walls dotted with multi-​coloured hand– and footholds. Does it –get– much cooler than this for a rock climbing gym?
The three floors of top roping, lead climbing, and bouldering merely comprise a fraction of what this mega-​centre has to offer. They now have a more traditional gym space, walls of lockers (remember to bring a pound coin to use them), a kit shop, and a cute little café on the top floor.
On top of offering an awe-​inspiring venue, the staff I’ve encountered have been absolutely lovely. Even when they spot something going less-​than-​right, they come by to gently offer words of wisdom rather than scathing criticism. Plus, as manual as the check-​in process here is*, the front desk employees keep things moving right along.
I thought that climbing was going to be one of those things that I might have to give up for good after I moved away from NoVA and my beloved Sportrock Gym there, but I’ve discovered a whole new level of climbing gym brilliance at the Castle.
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* My former climbing gym had a swipe card system which automated the check-​in process completely. Whilst it’s not a hassle, it would reduce the work required of the front desk staff here nominally.

Only in London would you find a castle in the middle of a mile of council flats, and within this castle find a rock climbing gym. This place is amazing, and having gotten a small taste of it, I now want to go back for more. Plenty of wallspace, lots of variety, good vibe, nice café, fair prices, etc, etc, etc. Definitely rad.
How did this castle come to be? The website only tells us that it was previously a water-​pumping station. But before it was a water-​pumping station it was surely a castle, right? I mean it couldn’t not have first been a castle. Don’t know if I want the real history or would rather just stick to the one constructed in my imagination…

Went with a bunch of friends, much better to go with a group actually, so you could all take turns belaying and climbing and resting. Some were registered there so that meant that we could be their guest without having to pay extra to register ourselves. Part of registering was taking a test of your climbing skills. I do not live in the area so I didn’t want to register and I was not skilled enough for their test.
There are so many climbs to be climbed! and boulders to conquer.
All the things coming out of the café looked and smelled great. But we were going for a roast later so I was waiting for that.
It was nice that the routes had a decent range of options so that we could all stick around the same area and all still have a challenge.
Cheap rental prices, harness, lockers, etc.
Hopefully we’ll have another climbing adventure here soon.

The Castle is one of my favorite places in London, I am slightly reluctant to review it for fear of attracting more people. If you enjoy climbing, it is hard to beat The Castle for variety of climbs, laid back atmosphere and good music. Even if you are not normally a fan of indoor climbing, this place is still a fantastic oasis, where you escape the hectic London lifestyle. I often while away several hours a week here, chilling in the café, climbing with my friends and running around with my friends’ children.
If you are a beginner, it is probably best to get yourself on a course, as you will not be allowed to climb on your own without any basic safety knowledge. The course offering the best value, is the Afternoon Introduction which costs 50 pounds for five hours of instruction.
For more experienced climbers, you will need to pay a small joining fee of 4 pounds, then 11 pounds for each session (6.50 if you are a student and show up before 4pm). There are a wide range of routes for all levels and plenty of bouldering areas, built into the multiple levels of the old water tower. The café serves basic snacks and drinks at a reasonable price, and is a great place to watch people climb while you take a rest.
The Castle is very child friendly, with many parents bringing their kids on a Saturday morning. There are specific sessions for the over 9s, but if you bring younger children, you will have to teach them yourself. Babies are welcome too, but it is much easier if you can bring a third adult to look after them whilst the other two are climbing.
The best times to climb are before 7 on weekdays and before 12 at the weekend, after this, the wall becomes extremely crowded and noisy. There is little the Castle can do about this, except to try and expand capacity, which it has done frequently over the last few years. Though apart from the overcrowding, this is a great way to spend a few hours escaping the London chaos, if you can’t get yourself out into the countryside.