Leckhampton Hill, Charlton Kings Common - Miles without Stiles

From the car park 1 turn right (east) along the road. Soon you will have views of Cleeve Hill to the north. Ignore drives off to the left and continue up thedeteriorating road following the restricted byway signs.

At the top of the rise, just after the last house (Shackleton) and outbuildings on the left, go through a gate and take the right fork uphill onto a smaller bridleway 2. Follow the waymarkers for the Cotswold Way Circular Walk, taking the path left uphill at first, then downhill past an information panel.

A few metres further on turn right at a path junction following the waymarkers for the Cotswold Way Circular Walk. 3 Continue on this flat, wide path along the bottom of the steep scarp slope for approximately 1/2 mile (0.8km). It is an old stage coach route from Cheltenham to Cirencester. Go straight on, following the waymarkers for the Cotswold Way Circular Walk through a metal field gate.

The path rises beyond the gate and passes a section of dry-stone wall on the left. By the end of the wall, turn right through a gate into a field following the Cotswold Way yellow arrow/ acorn waymarkers. 4 Follow the well used path across the field to a gate. Go through the gate, with a long stretch of dry-stone wall on the left, follow the waymarked path straight ahead as it climbs up to Charlton Kings Common. 5 Continue on following the top of the escarpment, ignoring paths downhill to the right. There are splendid views over Cheltenham to the right.

After about a mile (1.6km) look for three benches in line to your left and a Cotswold Way post and waymarkers straight ahead. 6 Bear right at the post, leaving the Cotswold Way, and take the well-defined path that leads down through trees and scrub on both sides. Go through a gate in fence and take the path straight ahead downhill through the wood, ignoring narrow paths to the left and right.

Continue to follow this main path steeply downhill, ignoring narrow side tracks, to come to a clearing 7. This clearing was the centre of the extensive Leckhampton Hill quarries and much of Cheltenham was built from their stone. There is an information panel here giving details about a project in the 1920s to produce lime.

Turn right as you reach the clearing down a wide path shortly passing a small concrete sign for Leckhampton Hill Walk 8. This leads down to Daisybank Road. The path follows the route of the old railway from the lime kilns. Turn left just before the road to reach the car park.

You can start the walk from the Leckhampton Road bus stop at the junction with Old Bath Road. To join the walk you will need to walk up Leckhampton Hill to Daisybank Road and turn left. This will add about 1/2 an hour to the walk.

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