Troopers Hill Local Nature Reserve

The hill is within the area of the former King's Wood, a royal hunting forest, which was present here until at least the 17th century. Industrial use began in the late 18th century when copper smelting works were established on the riverside; the tall, slightly leaning brick chimney near the summit, built in the 1790s, vented the furnaces below. In the 19th century the hill was mined for coal and fireclay, and a second square chimney at the foot of the slope served an engine house working the coal seams. The volunteer group Friends of Troopers Hill was founded in 2003 to organise monthly conservation work parties, wildlife surveys and public events, operating under a management plan agreed…

The hill is open at all times and reached via four pedestrian entrances on Troopers Hill Road or through Troopers Hill Field from Summerhill Terrace and Malvern Road. Way-marked paths allow for circular walks.