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Leckhampton Hill

3.73 miles (6 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This circular walk takes you along a particularly beautiful section of the Cotswold Way National Trail visiting Leckhampton Hill and Hartley Hill. The walk starts at a parking area next to the A435 about three miles south of the centre of Cheltenham. From here you can pick up the Cotswold Way and follow the track to Charlton Kings Common and Hartley Hill. You cross the hill to to the Devil’s Chimney, an iconic Cotswold landmark. This unusual limestone rock formation stands above a disused quarry in Leckhampton. It's a picturesque spot with fabulous countryside views providing a wonderful backdrop to the chimney. The area of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Key Wildlife Site. Look out for a variety of interesting flora and fauna such as meadow pipit and grasshopper warbler. Rare plants include fly orchid, musk orchid and purple milk-vetch.
The walk finishes with a stroll along a country lane which leads back to the start point.
If you would like to extend your walk then you could continue along the Cotswold Way to the delightful Crickley Hill Country Park.

Postcode

GL53 9NG - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

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Leckhampton Hill OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Leckhampton Hill Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Wheatsheaf is located just to the north of the hill in a convenient spot. It's a very decent pub with good food, a nice large beer garden and an attractive oak pannelled interior with a cosy real fire. The pub has a parking area and is also dog friendly. It's a stones throw from the hill at 283 Old Bath Road with a postcode of GL53 9AJ for your sat navs.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the south of the hill you can visit the little village of Birdlip and try the circular Birdlip Walk. This will take you to the nearby Witcombe Reservoirs, the interesting Great Witcombe Roman Villa and then up to the fine viewpoint at Barrow Wake.

Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby

Photos

Earthworks on Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 654099

Earthworks on Leckhampton Hill. On the hill like many places on the Cotswold hills there are earthworks, most are irregular in shape, however, these earthworks beside the trig point have a more regular shape.

Trig point on Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 654088

The trig point on Leckhampton Hill is 293m above sea level.

Toposcope on Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 654244

A toposcope on the hill. Cheltenham dominates the Severn vale below with the Malvern Hills on the horizon. The toposcope is sponsored by the Nixon family in memory of Roger Nixon.

Path on the top of Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 480135

Path on the top of Leckhampton Hill.

Earthworks on Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 654216

Additional earthworks

Cliff at Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1191524

Cliff at the hill. Looking north-east across the old quarry face to Cheltenham.

Nature Reserve, Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 976765

Nature Reserve at the hill. This reserve is in the disused Brownstone Quarry on the less-visited side of Leckhampton Hill, away from the Cotswold scarp. Trees like this larch are maturing alongside areas of more open land. Brownstone Quarry was "a relatively shallow quarry used primarily for the Ragstones which lay on the surface. This type of material was popular for walling in Cheltenham and a small number of buildings. The total area worked over the years extended over more than 10 hectares (25 acres). It was served by a network of tramroads

Former Brownstone Quarry, Leckhampton Hill - geograph.org.uk - 976785

Former Brownstone Quarry. A view across the northern part of the quarry housing the nature reserve. The quarry has now been filled in and there are no visible remains for the most part. However the eastern face of the quarry remains exposed at a height of about 2 m (6 ft)

GPS Files

GPX File

Leckhampton Hill.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Leckhampton Hill.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)