Leckhampton Yesteryear, by Eric Miller (£3 +p&p) – a vivid picture of everyday village life at the turn of the 20th century. Drawn from contemporary accounts in parish magazines, Leckhampton Yesteryear is full of curiosities, with something of interest for everyone. This new edition (2021) has been thoroughly revised and contains references to many businesses in the Upper Bath Road. Copies may be obtained by completing an order form which can be downloaded here.
Old Leckhampton, by David Bick (£8.95) – authoritative account of the building of the tramroad and its fate and also of the Leckhampton Hill Riots. This can be obtained direct from the publisher. Email runpast@btconnect.com or telephone (01242) 234646.
Laid out with taste and judgement – The Landscape, architecture and social history of The Park and its environs in Cheltenham, by Aylwin Sampson (£10). This valuable contribution to Cheltenham’s history is enlivened by maps, prints and many illustrations specially drawn for this work. ISBN 978-1-861740204-9.
Leckhampton 1894 – the End of an Era, Ed. Bruce Stait (£3.50). This may be obtained from Eric Miller (telephone 01242 526461, email ehmiller@talktalk.net). Please check beforehand for cost of postage and packing.
The History of Leckhampton Church, by Eric Miller (£2 – in aid of Leckhampton Church). This may be obtained from Eric Miller (telephone 01242 526461, email ehmiller@talktalk.net). Please check beforehand for cost of postage and packing.
Eminent Cheltonians and their Memorials at Leckhampton, by Eric Miller (£1.50). Lords of the Manor, military heroes, explorers, East India men, architects, doctors, rwo flamboyant women, musiacians, local worthies – and the murder of a young man near Nazareth. This may be obtained from Eric Miller (telephone 01242 526461, email ehmiller@talktalk.net). Please check beforehand for cost of postage and packing.
Leckhampton through the Ages, by Eve Andrew and Eric Brewin (£1.50 – in aid of Leckhampton Church)
The Leckhampton Local History Society website contains a wealth of information about the area, including details of their Research Bulletins, newsletter and free downloads. You can access it here.
Issue 1 (Autumn 1999): A brief history of Leckhampton; Liddington Lake Pleasure Ground; Early flying in Leckhampton; Its street names; The original field system.
Issue 2 (Autumn 2001): Pottery and brickmaking; The North Gloucestershire Golf Club; The Leckhampton Court foxhounds; Old roads and tracks.
Issue 3 (Autumn 2004): Houses called after Leckhampton; The meaning of the name; Mention in literature; Farms; Trowscoed Lodge and its occupants; The Moat; The Hargreaves of Leckhampton Court.
Issue 4 (Summer 2010): ‘Beneath the Devil’s Chimney’; Robert Cary Barnard; A link with Sherlock Holmes; Eminent Cheltonians buried at Leckhampton; Leckhampton’s Manors; Ornamental Woodwork on Local Houses
The Cheltenham Local History Society website contains a growing database of free to download items, including local newspapers, old street directories and record transcriptions. The Society publishes an annual Journal with new research articles, a series of Chronologies of aspects of life in Cheltenham and interesting newsletters. You can find out more here.
Cheltenham Local History Society Journal 35 (2019): Cheltenham’s Zoo Wars: Proposed Zoological Gardens in Pittville and The Park in the 1830s. Download here.
The following books are out of print, but a few used copies are sometimes available at second-hand bookshops or via the Cheltenham Local History Society donated books shop which you can find here.
- Cheltenham’s Upper Bath Road, by Marilyn West
- A Brief History of Naunton Park, by Ann Gibson
- Britain in Old Photographs: Leckhampton, by Alan Gill and Eric Miller
- Leckhampton in the Second World War, by Eric Miller, John Randall and Amy Woolacott
- Laid Out With Taste and Judgement, The landscape, architecture and social history of The Park and its environs in Cheltenham, by Aylwin Sampson