Welly walks. Image Credit Becky Meadows
Walking & Running
Walkers and runners are welcome to explore over 1000 acres of splendid scenery, although please take care on the Golf Course, over ancient monuments and on loose soils and stones to avoid erosion. The Common is best avoided in fog or cloud: even regular visitors can easily become disorientated.
The Cotswold Way runs across Cleeve Common. This National Trail follows over 100 miles of the Cotswold escarpment between Chipping Campden and Bath. For more information see the Cotswold Way website. Another long-distance route is the Isbourne Way which starts here at the Sheep Wash. There are also several circular walks based on the Cotswold Way that you can download from this site, including The Cleeve Hill Common Ring, a 6 or 4 mile walk starting and ending at the Quarry car park by the Golf Club.
We have also created our own downloadable walks. Details can be found here.
In Warden’s Wood you can follow a way-marked trail in a short loop. This is best undertaken in late April or early May when the bluebells are in bloom.
You may also be interested in walks based in the nearby town of Winchcombe. See Winchcombe Welcomes Walkers for details.
Dogs must be kept under close control at all times and not allowed to chase sheep, cattle or horses. Please follow the Canine Code. There are sheep and lambs on the Common from late April to late November: see the ‘grazing status’ message on this website for the current situation. We also keep Facebook and Instagram up to date with our sheep status. If you see a dog worrying sheep, please contact the Duty Ranger immediately.
For more information about walking your dog, please see the section below.
Picnic time at the Washpool
Picnicking & barbecuing
You are welcome to picnic on the Common, but please take all litter home with you.
Barbecues and fires are not permitted as they can pose a serious fire risk and damage plant and invertebrate life.
Flynn’s on the Hill restaurant at Cleeve Hill Golf Club is open to the public and serves brunch, lunch and daily specials, including a kids menu. Or if you prefer a light bite, pizza, coffee or ice cream, The Cotswold Way Café offers both takeaway or eat-in options.
Short eared owl. Image credit Duncan Dine.
Bird watching
Many bird watchers visit the Common to see the species regularly associated with limestone grassland, such as the skylark, and the rarer visitors. A local ornithologist carries out monthly surveys and produces a comprehensive annual report. Please contact us if you would like copies.
We are lucky to be visited by some rare birds including the globally threatened Ring Ouzel. Skylarks are commonplace, and they can be found throughout summer high in the sky singing. For more detail on our birds and wildlife in general please look at the Wildlife section on our Things to see page.
Golf club view. Image Credit Kevin Thomasson
Golf
Golf has been played on Cleeve Hill since 1891 when the Cheltenham Golf Club was formed and the first course was set out on the lower slopes of the Common. The first clubhouse was the house now named Stonefield, the grey chalet (and former Youth Hostel) not far from Rising Sun Lane. Since then there have been successive courses, the latest one being the current Cleeve Hill Golf Course that is home to the Cleeve Cloud Golf Club.
This challenging heathland 18-hole course is operated on behalf of Tewkesbury Borough Council and is open to the public on a pay-and-play basis.
Whether playing golf or not, you are welcome to call in at Flynn’s on the Hill restaurant based at the Clubhouse, which offers a range of meals, snacks and hot and cold drinks. Dogs are welcome in the bar area.
Golfers are asked to take care to avoid injury to walkers, horses and riders, or grazing animals when playing. Please remember to use wooden over plastic tees.
For more information, see the Cleeve Hill Golf Club website or phone 01242 672025.
Cycling on Cleeve Common. Image credit Nicole Daw
Cycling
Note that motor bikes or scooters are NOT allowed on the Common. All cyclists may use the byways along the edges of the Common (refer to local Ordnance Survey map).
Elsewhere on the Common, permissive access is granted to cyclists who sign up and adhere to the Cyclists’ Code. Cyclists must keep to established tracks, avoiding environmentally sensitive areas such as scree slopes and quarries, and the Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
Local groups such as the Cheltenham & Country Cycling Club and Winchcombe Cycling Club support our work and organise group rides in this area.
Cleeve Common is also part of a long-distance charity route called the Kemble Round.
To sign up to our cyclists mailing list just complete the form here.
Riding at sunrise. Image credit Michael Bates
Horse riding
Cleeve Common is a wonderful place to ride. It offers wide open grassland, good going all year round, numerous and varied tracks and, of course, magnificent views. You should however be aware that the fragile habitats of the Common are protected by law as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A full guide to riding a horse on Cleeve Common can be found here.
All riders may use the byways along the edges of the Common (refer to local Ordnance Survey map). A hacking licence is required to ride a horse or pony elsewhere on the Common. Licences are available from Cleeve Common Trust and cost just £40 per year. There are occasional spot checks to ensure all riders are properly licensed. Riders must sign up to the Riders' Code as a condition of being granted a licence. This Code is designed to give horseriders wide access to the Common while at the same time protecting the SSSI and taking account of other users of the Common.
Regular riders provide a valuable service in keeping the Rangers informed of incidents or problems around the Common. To apply for a hacking licence, please complete the Application Form.
Dogs on leads on Cleeve Common. Image Credit Becky Meadows
Dog walking
Responsible dog walkers are very welcome on Cleeve Common. All dog walkers must respect the Canine Code which can be found in full here and is outlined briefly below.
Livestock
Grazing is an essential tool for managing the biodiversity of the grassland and maintaining the SSSI, and the sheep are a livelihood for their owners. There are sheep on the Common between April and November inclusive, and cattle live on the Common all year round. Please keep your dog on a lead around all livestock, and if you have any doubts please use a muzzle. Last season over 20 sheep were killed or injured on Cleeve Common by dogs. Please don’t let it be your dog.
If you witness livestock worrying or a dog attack, please call the Duty Ranger immediately. If you lose control of your dog and it attacks a sheep or cow please call us - do not leave an injured animal to suffer.
Dog mess
Increasing amounts are being left both bagged and unbagged. Dog mess takes years to break down. It is acidic and changes the composition of the grassland, it poses a health risk to livestock, wildlife and children, and it is very unpleasant for other visitors. Please pick up after your dog – put dog waste in the bins provided.
Dogs and adders
Be aware that we have adders living on the Common. These rare animals are legally protected. They are timid creatures and will not bite unless they feel threatened. Most adder encounters occur between March and October. To prevent your dog from being bitten, keep it under close control and stick to main paths. If your dog gets bitten, get it to a vet immediately. Try to keep your dog calm and if possible carry your dog rather than letting it walk. This will help to slow the spread of venom around its body.
Thank you
As regular visitors to the Common, dog walkers are a really important extension to our team! Let us know if you see anything problematic or if you get into difficulties.
Professional dog walking
Whilst you are permitted to walk anywhere on the Common with your own dog, the access granted under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) does not extend to carrying out commercial activities on the Common. We therefore offer a licence for professional dog walking, similar to permits for horse riding (both pleasure and commercial). Click here for further information.
Looking for someone to walk your dog?
You might like to refer to our list of Responsible Professional Dog Walkers who are licensed to use the Common.
Grassland monitoring on Cleeve Common.
Field studies
The Trust and other local natural environment groups carry out regular monitoring of plant, invertebrate and reptile life. If you are interested in learning more about this and would like to help, please contact our Conservation Officer.
Limestone cliffs on Cleeve Common. Image credit Nicole Daw
Rock climbing
Rock climbers can practise their skills on the limestone cliffs of Castle Rock, situated along the escarpment half way between Rising Sun Lane and Nutterswood. Near vertical faces approximately 10m high offer challenging top-roped climbs. Details of the climbs can be found on the UKC Logbook website. Beware of loose rocks on faces elsewhere along the escarpment.
Please note that no parking is allowed along the track to Nutterswood: you must leave your car at the Rising Sun entrance or one of the other car parks and walk to the climbs.
Flying a home made kite on Cleeve Common. Image Credit Nicole Daw.
Other activities, sports and games
Kites, boards and buggies
Kite flying has been a popular pastime on Cleeve Common for well over 100 years – and there is usually no shortage of wind!
Large power kites, kite boards and buggies are permitted only in the Activity Area near the radio masts, though please give the pylons a wide berth. Please note that this is a permissive activity on Cleeve Common and we ask that all participants sign and adhere to the Kite Boarders’/ Kite Flyers’ Code.
Small family kites may be flown anywhere on the Common, except the Golf Course, but please keep clear of entrances and main routes used by walkers and horse riders. All kite flyers and boarders must keep off the Golf Course and not disturb sheep or cattle.
Mountain boarding
Mountain boarding is allowed on the steep front slopes of the Common, above the Cleeve Hill settlement and main road. There is a particularly popular section between the Racing Stables and Rising Sun Lane, with easy access from the parking area at the top of Stockwell Lane. Boarding is not permitted elsewhere on the Common. All riders should follow the Boarders Code of Conduct.
Tobogganing
The slopes of Cleeve Common are popular with children and adults alike when there is snowfall. A favourite area for tobogganing is the wide slope to the right of the Golf Club.
Sadly, after every snowfall our rangers and volunteer wardens collect huge amounts of litter when the snow melts – we find broken sledges, tea trays, dinghies, bin liners – all left by tobogganers. As a small charity, this costs us money in staff time and disposal.
Please leave the Common for others to enjoy after you. Take all your litter – including broken sledges – home with you!
Drones and model aircraft
Drones and motor-powered model aircraft may disturb wildlife, frighten livestock and horses and pose a risk or cause nuisance to other visitors. They are therefore not permitted on Cleeve Common. Model gliders may be flown anywhere on the Common, as long as this does not cause nuisance to other visitors or livestock and the pylons are avoided.