Photo of Onyx Climbing Wall in North West1 / 2
Rock Climbing

Onyx Climbing Wall

📍 Blackburn, North West

★5.0(105 Google reviews)💰£8-£11.50👶7+

Dedicated bouldering centre in Blackburn with 150+ problems across two rooms, weekly route setting, and youth programmes. Routes mirror outdoor climbing styles — V0 through V8+. Ages 7+, indoor, cafe and parking on site.

✓ Natural outdoor-style routes✓ Expert route setting✓ Friendly owners✓ Good for beginners✓ Strength required✓ Coffee and milkshakes

🏆 Funzaroo Verdict

Best for families with children aged 8+ who have genuine interest in developing climbing skills. The V0–V2 range is accessible for strong beginners, and the natural route setting means skills transfer to outdoor climbing. Children who just want to play rather than climb will find it less engaging than a standard climbing wall.

ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go

💡Routes require real upper body strength — first-timers should start on V0 and V1 problems
⏰Ask staff for route recommendations based on your child's experience level
🎟️Milkshakes available at the cafe — a reliable post-climb reward
🚗Youth programmes run regularly — check the website for current schedule

💬 What Families Are Saying

View all reviews →
5.0
★★★★★

105 Google reviews

G Reviews from Google

N

Nina Moffett

2 years ago

★★★★★

“ONYX Climbing Wall is a real little gem! I have never seen a climbing gym set as versatile, earthy and as natural as this one is! The vibes are great and the staff that run the place (Ian and Gill) are the real gems behind it all! My little boy is just starting out his ONYX journey and he highly rates it too! It was at ONYX that he was able to bag his first ever v8 at just 10 years old! He says the milkshakes are good too!”

J

Jonathan Swanson

a year ago

★★★★★

“Absolutely lovely setting! If your an outdoor climber this place is an excellent place to train, good to see a gym not obsessed with dynamic toe hooks and stupid paddle moves! All the holds are sequenced with lovely moves and I never came across problems that I wouldn't find outdoors! The F7a+ to 7b+ stuff is so good! For all this to come from one setter is amazing stuff, I humbly request that they move to Glasgow please!”

D

Dave Etherington

3 months ago

★★★★★

“First visit, I'll be back. Perfect wall. All routes from V1 to V7 were "interesting". From someone with 43 years of worldwide climbing experience. Very friendly "northern folk." Another good wall to visit is Boulder Brighton if you are in the deep south.”

💬 What parents mention

Exceptional route variety and settingFriendly welcoming atmosphereGood value for quality

Overview

Onyx features over 150 bouldering problems set weekly across two rooms, graded from V0 to V8+. The earthy, natural aesthetic appeals to outdoor climbers training indoors. Warm-up areas include fingerboards and TRX rigs. A climbing shop, cafe with milkshakes and coffee, and structured youth programmes round out the offer. Owners Ian and Gill are hands-on and consistently praised.

🕐 Opening Hours

Monday10:00 – 22:00
Tuesday10:00 – 22:00
Wednesday10:00 – 22:00
Thursday10:00 – 22:00
Friday10:00 – 22:00
Saturday10:00 – 18:00
Sunday10:00 – 18:00

📍 Similar Activities Nearby

View more in North West →
Free to use

Find more Rock Climbing nearby

Explore 3,000+ family-friendly places across the UK — wherever the day takes you.

  • Nearby activities

    Find great places close to you

  • Directions in one tap

    Get there easily with maps & navigation

  • Free to use

    No sign up. No cost. Ever.

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store

Safe, secure and 100% free — no account, no ads. Learn more

Our app — venues near you, sorted by distance
Our app — venue detail with directions, website and call