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You are here: Things To Do > Attractions > Animals, Outdoor & Nature
Animals, Outdoor & Nature in Cheltenham
Not only is Cheltenham home to an extensive number of Parks and Gardens, but we’re also lucky enough to have some stunning open spaces and nature reserves which make the most of our stunning Cotswold location. The borough of Cheltenham borders the Cotswold AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty).
Cheltenham sits in a valley, flanked by Cleeve Hill, Leckhampton Hill and Crickley Hill, with views stretching across South Wales and The Malvern hills. Cheltenham is blessed with a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), many nature and wildlife reserves, and a number of sites which are managed and maintained by The National Trust and The Woodland Trust.
We are also within access of a number of outdoor landscapes of national and international acclaim, including The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust at Slimbridge, which comprises more than 800 hectares of specialist habitats, and also features welly land for those visiting with kids. Crickley Hill is managed by The National Trust and has outstanding views over Cheltenham and Gloucester. It also features a café, picnic area and on-site car park. It is a prominent Cotswold Escarpment and also boasts evidence of an Iron Age Hill Fort.
Meanwhile, just along the escarpment, and the next stop on The Cotswold Way from Crickley is Leckhampton Hill, a rural, Limestone landscape which is home to rocky outcrop The Devil’s Chimney and all its spooky myths, and the remains of a number of limestone quarries. Some of the hill is turned over to downhill mountain bikes trails, while much has been categorised as an AONB and SSSI.
Next stop is Cleeve Hill, which towers over Cheltenham and affords exceptional views too. Cleeve is home to the highest point in the Cotswolds, which is worth a trip if you are up for a bit of a climb. Cleeve Hill is also home to a rustic golf course which proves a challenge for keen golfers, and during the summer the grassland is maintained by a flock of sheep who roam free.
Worth a mention, and if possible a visit, are our numerous nature reserves and landscaped areas. Cox’s Meadow near the Sandford Lido was created as a space for flood water to overflow, but has been extensively landscaped as a centre for wildlife and although small, has an accessible path on a loop through it.
Griffiths Avenue Nature Reserve includes two meadows of wildflowers which support fifteen species of butterfly along with a number of large mammals su\ch as badgers and foxes. The former railway line between Cheltenham and Banbury has been designated as the Pilley Bridge nature reserve and is a 1km stretch which is home to British flora and fauna including traditional Hawthorne hedges.
The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust manage more than 60 nature reserves throughout the County, including one at Badgeworth and one at the University of Gloucestershire’s Park Campus in Cheltenham. On the outskirts, they have reserves at Kilkenny and Coopers Hill, as well as a couple of sites near Crickley.
Beyond Cheltenham and we have easy access to fantastic sites including Arboretums at Westonbirt and Batsford, The Rococo Gardens at Painswick and many more.
Cheltenham is a great place for walking and cycling and you are never far from a green space within the town or a country space on the outskirts. Happy exploring!
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