Devil's Chimney

Devil's Chimney is a limestone pillar standing on Leckhampton Hill, just south of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. The lone spike of rock juts out from the edge of the slope and has been one of the best-known landmarks in the area for centuries.

What is Devil's Chimney?

It is a limestone formation that stands slightly apart from the main hillside. By most accounts it is largely man-made: when an incline serving a quarry was cut behind the pillar, the rock was left isolated from the rest of the slope. Its exact origins remain uncertain. By the time Cheltenham grew into a popular resort, the chimney was already a familiar landmark, and the true story of how it came to be had long been forgotten.

What is its history?

Leckhampton Hill was once a hub of limestone quarrying. Traces of the final phase of extraction, which ran from the late 18th century until the mid-1920s, can still be seen across the slopes. A history of Cheltenham published in 1803 described the pillar as a chimney raised by preternatural hands, while another writer suggested shepherds built it for fun during an idle hour.

In 1926 the formation survived an earthquake, though it picked up a few cracks. In 1985 it was repaired and protected against further erosion.

What is the legend?

Local folklore says the Devil, angered by the churches in the area, hurled stones down at churchgoers from the hill. In the end the rocks turned on him and drove him beneath the ground. Visitors still often leave a coin among the stones at the foot of the pillar.

Where is it and what else is nearby?

The coordinates are roughly 51.864 N, 2.079 W. Although the location is sometimes listed under Tewkesbury, the pillar sits on the hill above Cheltenham, on the edge of the Cotswolds. In June 2026 Natural England designated the area known as the Cheltenham Escarpment, meaning Leckhampton Hill together with Charlton Kings Common, as a new National Nature Reserve. Devil's Chimney lies within it.

Frequently asked questions

Is Devil's Chimney natural? Only partly. The pillar is largely the result of a quarry incline being cut behind it, which cut the rock off from the hillside, but its origins are not fully settled.

Where is Devil's Chimney? On Leckhampton Hill, south of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It should not be confused with other places of the same name, such as those on the Isle of Wight or at Beachy Head.

Is the pillar stable? It was repaired and protected from erosion in 1985, and earlier it survived the 1926 earthquake, though with some cracks.

Where does the name come from? From a local legend about the Devil, who threw stones at churches and worshippers until the rocks drove him underground.

Is it a nature reserve? Yes. Since June 2026 the hill has held National Nature Reserve status.