A slender limestone pillar on the scarp above Cheltenham, left standing in an old quarry on Leckhampton Hill and passed on Stages 6 and 7 of the Cotswold Way with wide Severn Vale views.
The Devil's Chimney is a crooked limestone pillar on the western edge of Leckhampton Hill, south of Cheltenham. It stands above the remains of Victorian quarries that supplied the honey-coloured stone for much of Georgian Cheltenham. The most likely explanation is that quarrymen cutting a rope-worked incline through the rock face left this isolated block standing; weathering and local legend have done the rest. Folk tales speak of the devil hurling stones at churchgoers from the hilltop - the name stuck even after the quarries fell quiet.
Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common are now cared for by Cheltenham Borough Council as open access land with calcareous grassland, wildflowers, and butterflies including the rare Duke of Burgundy. Iron Age earthworks, old tramway routes, and kiln remains still show through the turf. The escarpment was declared part of the King's Series of National Nature Reserves in 2026, recognising its geology and wildlife.
The Cotswold Way crosses the hill on Stages 6 and 7, passing the Chimney on the scarp edge with wide views over Cheltenham, the Severn Vale, and on clear days the Welsh hills. There is no charge to visit. Parking is available at Daisybank Road and at the top near Hartley Lane. Path notes and reserve information are on the Cheltenham Borough Council Leckhampton Hill page.
