Right now

Temp11°C

Wind13 km/h

Gusts19 km/h

Humidity72.2%

Rain 48h0.3mm

Last rain32h ago

Assessment

Should be dry

Sandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Monday 28 September

Caution

Temp0°C

Raindry

Wind13 km/h

Gusts19 km/h

Humidity72%

Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

10:00 — dry — — null%

18:00 11° dry 13 — 72.2%

19:00 10° dry 14 — 79.3%

20:00 10° dry 14 — 87.1%

21:00 10° dry 16 — 91.9%

Tue Tuesday 29 September

Caution

Temp15°C

Rain0.2mm

Wind34 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity81%

Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 10° dry 23 — 94.1%

07:00 11° dry 26 — 91.7%

08:00 13° dry 26 — 87.9%

09:00 14° dry 30 — 82.9%

10:00 15° dry 32 — 76%

11:00 15° dry 32 — 73.4%

12:00 16° dry 35 — 76.3%

13:00 15° dry 36 — 80.6%

14:00 16° dry 35 — 81.8%

15:00 15° dry 32 — 89.4%

16:00 15° dry 34 — 91.8%

17:00 15° dry 33 — 95.2%

18:00 15° dry 34 — 97.4%

19:00 15° dry 34 — 96.8%

20:00 15° dry 36 — 98.6%

21:00 15° dry 34 — 98.2%

Wed Wednesday 30 September

Poor

Temp20°C

Rain3mm

Wind20 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity67%

3.2mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 17° 0.8mm 32 — 93.6%

07:00 17° 2mm 34 — 93.5%

08:00 17° 0.2mm 37 — 94.2%

09:00 18° dry 32 — 93.3%

10:00 19° dry 22 — 87.5%

11:00 19° dry 17 — 75.3%

12:00 20° dry 18 — 66.3%

13:00 21° dry 21 — 62.7%

14:00 21° dry 22 — 57.7%

15:00 20° dry 21 — 58%

16:00 19° dry 20 — 60.4%

17:00 18° dry 18 — 66.3%

18:00 16° dry 15 — 73.5%

19:00 15° dry 13 — 79.6%

20:00 14° dry 13 — 82.9%

21:00 14° dry 12 — 84.4%

Thu Thursday 1 October

Caution

Temp17°C

Raindry

Wind17 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity61%

Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 9° dry 12 — 95.7%

12:00 17° dry 17 — 61%

18:00 13° dry 12 — 74%

Fri Friday 2 October

Poor

Temp17°C

Rain0.7mm

Wind25 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity74%

0.7mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 12° 0.2mm 19 — 85.8%

12:00 17° 0.3mm 25 — 74.3%

18:00 14° 0.2mm 12 — 91.1%

Sat Saturday 3 October

Caution

Temp14°C

Raindry

Wind19 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity61%

Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 10° dry 18 — 93.3%

12:00 14° dry 19 — 61.1%

18:00 11° dry 9 — 71.3%

Sun Sunday 4 October

Caution

Temp16°C

Raindry

Wind22 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity72%

Should be drySandstone may still hold subsurface moisture

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 8° dry 9 — 87.8%

12:00 16° dry 22 — 71.8%

18:00 14° dry 17 — 87.7%

Mon Monday 5 October

Good

Temp19°C

Raindry

Wind31 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity67%

Should be dry

Hard sandstone climbs well when dry
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 15° dry 22 — 86.9%

12:00 19° dry 31 — 67.4%

18:00 15° dry 14 — 85.5%

About Back Bowden

Back Bowden sits just south of its famous neighbour, offering secluded Fell Sandstone walls and isolated boulders set amongst heather moorland. The rock quality is superb, featuring crisp break edges, slopers, and technical flutings that reward delicate footwork. Facing southwest, the crag catches ample afternoon sun and benefits from quick drying times, though its open position leaves it exposed to wind. The venue features an excellent spread of intermediate to advanced traditional routes alongside world-class bouldering circuits. Key lines that attract visitors include The Scoop (E2 5b), The Sentinel (E1 5b), and Panther (E5 6a). Reaching the crag requires a short fifteen-minute walk across open moorland paths starting from the main Bowden Doors parking areas. The primary factor to remember is rock conservation; sandstone loses structural integrity when damp, so allowing the crag to dry completely after rain is mandatory to avoid snapping delicate flakes.

Region: Northumberland — Northumberland Grit
Rock type: Sandstone
Aspect: south-west-facing
Altitude: 170m
Exposure: medium
Seepage: low

Other crags in this region

Beanley Moor Caller Crag Cateran Hill Corby's Crag Denton Crag Edlingham Crag Great Wanney Raven's Crag (Northumberland)Rothley Crag Sandyford Crag Shaftoe Crags Simonside Berryhill Crag Bowden Crag Ford Castle Crags Goat Crag (Northumberland)Hetton Crags St Cuthbert's Cave Crag Watchcrag