https://gloucestershiredaily.co.uk/tags/butterflies/Recent content in butterflies on Gloucestershire DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usThu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000https://gloucestershiredaily.co.uk/gloucestershires-cheltenham-escarpment-declared-englands-newest-national-nature-reserve/Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000https://gloucestershiredaily.co.uk/gloucestershires-cheltenham-escarpment-declared-englands-newest-national-nature-reserve/A stunning and historically rich landscape in Gloucestershire has been officially designated as England’s newest national nature reserve. Known nationally as the Cheltenham Escarpment, this newly recognized site encompasses Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common, offering a unique blend of Jurassic geology, distinctive limestone grasslands, and vital wildlife habitats. Overlooking the famous Regency spa town of Cheltenham, the Cheltenham Escarpment reveals a natural heritage shaped over millions of years. Its shelly fossils, studied by geologists for more than 200 years, testify to an era around 170 million years ago when the area was submerged beneath a subtropical sea.