From the late 1700s to the early 1900s, Leckhampton Hill was the main source of building stone for the rapidly growing spa town of Cheltenham below. The quarrymen cut deep into the hillside, leaving dramatic cliff faces that are now popular with rock climbers. An inclined tramway once carried stone blocks down to the town. Working conditions were dangerous — several quarrymen were killed in rockfalls. The Devil's Chimney pillar was left standing as the quarry was cut around it, either deliberately as a landmark or simply because the stone was too fractured to use.
“An inclined tramway once carried stone blocks down to the town.”
