Leckhampton: Site update June 1999

Bryan Hindle's report of his meeting with the Leckhampton Hill warden, following concern over the arrival of a new park bench close to take off.

Chris Sturdy and I met Geoffrey Jenkins on Leckhampton Hill on 13 May 1999. He is the warden for this area and works for Cheltenham Borough Council Parks Department. He was extremely helpful and interesting.

There are 52 'interest groups" that use Leckhampton Hill, so it is hard for him to keep in touch with them all when things change.

The bench which has appeared on the 'East end" take off site. is a memorial.   A gentleman died and his wife scattered his ashes there.  Hence the siting of the bench.  We all felt that it would be pretty insensitive to move it.   I have flown there since the bench has arrived; take-off is OK, but top landings have to be well judged. So it has not completely ruined this take off area.  However Mr. Jenkins was very amenable to creating an alternative take off area, so we went looking.

In the centre of the hill, there is a bit of a clearing with an old bench in the middle, near the lip of the hill. To the right are some bushes and a fir tree and to the left a little coppice. The flat area behind here (which goes back to the line of trees and extends along a lot of the length of the hill) was getting overgrown, but has been cut and it is intended to keep this short. Mr. Jenkins has agreed to remove the old bench and clear the scrub and trees on either side. This should create an excellent take-off area right in the middle of the hill, with plenty of area for canopy laying out and hang-glider rigging. This clearance work will be done this winter. I have flown from here a few years ago and with the edge of the hill cleared of scrub, I think that it will make an excellent take off area. Roll on next year so that we can try it out.