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| Cleeve Hill |
From the east Cheltenham is surrounded by Cleeve Hill. It is the highest point both in the Cotswolds and in the county of Gloucestershire, at 330 metres (1083 feet) above sea level, which means that it is the highest point south of the Pennines. It is also the largest area of open and unenclosed 'high wold' existing within the Cotswold area.
Cleeve Hill provides wonderful views over Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury and Battledown. On a clear day you can see the Severn Vale and even as far as the Malvern Hills. Close to the summit is the Neolithic long barrow, Belas Knap. On its western scarp is an Iron Age hill fort. The Cotswold Way leads across Cleeve Hill providing walkers with well marked footpath along the edge of the hill.
The adjoining common is designated as a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) based on its outstanding geological and geomorphological interest as well as the limestone grassland value of the Common. The Hill represents the thickest development of Inferior Oolite rocks (Middle Jurassic, Bajocian) in the country, reaching a thickness of approximately 100 meters.
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