Leckhampton is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Lechametone' and 'Lechantone', meaning 'homestead where garlic or leeks are grown'. The earliest recorded mention comes from the 8th century, as the home farm of the royal manor of Cheltenham. There are remnants of a moat at Church Farm that dates from Saxon times (
The Leckhampton Riots
In 1894, Henry J. Dale of the Leckhampton Quarry Company Limited bought of land on Leckhampton hill. To the outrage of local people, he fenced off the area, closing footpaths and warning that anyone found on the land would be treated as trespassers. He also built Tramway Cottage on Daisybank Road, a site that had been used to host a travelling funfair every Good Friday. In March 1902, about 10,000 protesters tore down the fences and converged on Daisybank Road where they destroyed the cottage. The ringleaders were arrested and sent to Gloucester Prison. Henry Dale rebuilt Tramway Cottage but in 1906 another large group of protesters demolished Dale's fences and gathered at Daisybank Road with the intention of demolishing it again. This time, they were met by the town magistrate and a number of policemen. The magistrate read the Riot Act and, once more, the ringleaders were sent to prison. The protesters' leaders had met at the Malvern Inn, a fact commemorated by a plaque on the wallof the house. The Inn ceased trading in the 1990s. It had a sign portraying a view of the Malverns with the Devil's Chimney in the foreground. In 1929, Cheltenham Town Council bought the land on the hillside, making it available once more for public access.
The Leckhampton community
Leckhampton Village Hall, formerly the Parish Hall of St Peter's Church, is a Grade II listed building in Church Road. It provides a base for community activities, amateur dramatics and dance classes. Following a major fundraising effort, the roof was replaced in 2009 at a cost of some £90,000. The village has a playing field for cricket, rugby, and football matches, with a play area and nursery nearby. The main shopping area for Leckhampton residents is the Bath Road, a mile or so north of the old village centre. The Wheatsheaf Pub was a favourite drinking spot of Brian Jones. The Old Patesians R.F.C. is based at the foot of the hill. The Sue Ryder organisation has a home in Leckhampton which was once used as a prisoner of war camp. The Leckhampton sub-Post Office was closed around 2000 and reverted to a general store, which itself closed in 2018. The premises were converted for residential use. The nearest offices are in Bath Rd and Charlton Kings. A newsagents shop on Old Bath Road was well known to be regularly used by the Queen Mother en route to Cheltenham Races, and was normally decorated with bunting in expectation of a visit.
Churches
The oldest church in Leckhampton is St Peter's. The expansion of Leckhampton towards Cheltenham resulted in the building of two more churches, the Victorian Gothic St Philip and St James and the mid-20th-century Emmanuel Church. St Peter's, St Philip & St James and Emmanuel are linked with St Christopher's and St Stephen's in the Anglican South Cheltenham Team – formally established in 2010. Leckhampton is also served by Bethesda Methodist Church, Leckhampton Baptist Church, Naunton Lane Chapel and Providence Chapel.
The Delancey Rehabilitation and Assessment Hospital was located on Charlton Lane. It closed in 2009, with the site built on in 2012. The original main building has been retained with internal alterations. The building and grounds were redeveloped into housing, completed in 2013. The Charlton Lane Centre is nearby, as well as a Leonard Cheshire home. Leckhampton Court, adjacent to St Peter's Church, is a Sue Ryder hospice.
Scouting
Scouting has been active in Leckhampton since 1907. It is based in the Leckhampton Scout Hut, on Leckhampton Road. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers all meet there and it is an occasional meeting place of Network. The Group actively organises its own camps and weekly meetings, as well as attending County level camps.
Geography
Near the top of Leckhampton Hill stands a noted limestone rock formation known as the Devil's Chimney. It is believed that the chimney was created by limestone quarrymen. In the south of Leckhampton lies the small residential area of Pilley. The former railway line at Pilley Bridge is now a Cheltenham Borough Council nature reserve.
