There is a wealth of good quality rock to be sampled in Lancashire. The region is unique in that we have a high concentration of sandstone quarries, abandoned during the 1930/40's, that were formally used for the production of building stone and street flags. The Quarry Workers employed a method of extraction that minimized shattering of the working face, in order to reduce wastage. On closure the majority of quarry faces were in an ideal condition to be utilized by climbers. However they had to wait until the late 60's, before they were adopted by the local climbing community on mass. Thanks to the industrious efforts of a dedicated few, armed with fettling sticks and wire brushes, by the late 70's the faces were cleaned and in condition. Copious new routes have been established over the last two decades, and there is plenty of classic lines to test the abilities of both Seasoned Rock Jocks and Junior Stone Monkeys.
Unfortunately due to the close proximity of the Lakes, North Wales and Derbyshire, the man-made rock faces of Lancashire have not received the notoriety they deserve, and rarely receive visitors from outside of the region. This is a shame because the nature and texture of the rock is unique to the area and the quality of the climbing found at the venues list below justifies a visit from afar. So next time you and your mates are down the local planning a weekend away, and you want to avoid the cattle market at LLamberis. Be adventurous and give Lancashire a whirl, you will not be disappointed; and if it already sounds to good to be true, the local brews justify the journey alone !
I recommended you treat yourself to a copy of the guide entitled 'Rock Climbs, Lancashire and the North West' by Phil Kelly & Dave Cronshaw. However other guide books are available but they may not contain all the venues list above.