The Castle

Betwixt Finsbury Park and Clissold Park in Londinium, in the once hamlet of Stoke Newington there's a fairytale place - the UK's largest indoor climbing playground, Castle Climbing Centre.

It's much much bigger than anywhere else. Sure there are taller walls, walls with more of this or that - but nowhere packs in as much as the Castle. And for 20 years they've not just been a climbing centre - they've been their own, truly eclectic and individual centre. The land around them is community run organic garden (with the odd free standing outdoor climbing boulder), the café is vegetarian using the produce, they operate as a mutual. And whilst all that seems idyllic - they've been a leading voice in improving safety standards, developing best practice and sharing their experience with newer walls. In every sense it's an inspirational place and I'm always glad when work or play takes me there as I always leave inspired.

Oh - and it's a castle* - I mean, how cool is that!

* the building started life as the water pumping and processing station for the East & West reservoirs.