Honeybourne Line

Footpath and cycle route along the old Honeybourne railway line

The ‘hidden gem’ of Cheltenham known as the Honeybourne Line runs from Cheltenham railway station and Queens Road to Tommy Taylors Lane, Pittville Park and Wymans Brook as well as branching off towards the town centre following the river Chelt.

A series of improvements to the area has seen the installation of play equipment to the north in Winston Churchill Memorial Garden and the South towards Queens Road, outdoor keep-fit equipment and further access points with the latest pedestrian access point at the Lower High Street to encourage everyone to enjoy the traffic free 3km stretch. There is a 2km running route from Queens Road bridge to the southern edge of the Prince of Wales Stadium. This is marked by a finish and start map sign, a running routes map is available to download or you can view the running route on our Honeybourne Line interactive Google map.

All the paths and access points for pedestrians and cyclists along this leafy line are available to view on our Honeybourne Line interactive Google map or available to download and print.

It is an important wildlife corridor and small mammals and foxes are frequent visitors. Many species of butterfly including a Small Blue colony have been seen along the line and it has a selection of common native plants usually associated with disused railway lines. The pathway will continue to see bio-diversity investment with ongoing council projects which aims to benefit the wildlife and those using the trail for a stroll, cycle-ride or skating.

In 2017 renowned urban street artists from Cheltenham Paint Festival contributed to a series of art installations to the freewalls and designated tunnels.

History of the Honeybourne Line

Conifer trees were removed in 2015 and a new planting scheme has been implemented in partnership with Taylor Wimpey housing developers which aims to make the area lighter, more inviting, improve the security for adjacent properties, enable better CCTV coverage, prevent further root damage to the footpath and reduce annual maintenance costs. The developer continues to work with the council to improve access onto the line and funding improvements to the boundary.

Improvement works along the Honeybourne Line were completed in 2005 when lighting was installed and resurfacing carried out. Overgrown vegetation was also removed or cut back from the footpath and cycleway as part of a ten year management plan to encourage nature conservation along the line and also to make it more appealing and attractive to walkers and cyclists. Works to extend the path into the railway station was completed in Spring 2006.

The work was undertaken by Cheltenham Borough Council and was funded from the county council's transport budget and also partly from contributions made by GCHQ as part of their development at Benhall.