Abbott Mount Travel Guide
A colonial-era hamlet near Lohaghat — old cottages, a hilltop church and a meadow cricket pitch.
- Altitude
- ~1,950 m
- Best season
- Year round
- From Dehradun
- ~530 km
- Category
- Offbeat
Why visit Abbott Mount
- The most improbable colonial-era hilltop in Uttarakhand — 17 stone cottages built between 1900 and 1929 by a single British businessman on a remote eastern Kumaon ridge
- St Anne's Church (1938) on the hilltop is still in use and still maintained — a remarkable survival given the complete absence of commercial tourism for decades
- The hilltop cricket ground — a flat meadow at the edge of a 1,000 m drop, with Himalayan views on the far side — is claimed to be one of India's most extraordinary pitches
- Abbott Mount Circuit (5 km loop through orchards and village paths) is a perfect half-day walk that covers the estate and its views
- Purnagiri temple (34 km), one of the 108 Shakti Peethas, draws enormous pilgrim crowds in spring — a sharp contrast to Abbott Mount's own stillness
Abbott Mount is a hamlet of colonial-era cottages above Lohaghat in Champawat — a hilltop church, deodar lanes and one of India's more improbable cricket grounds.
It is deep eastern Kumaon: come for stillness and valley views, not sightseeing.
Explore around
Places near Abbott Mount
Small town on the Lohawati river; market, ATMs, fuel; necessary stop for provisions before ascending to Abbott Mount
One of the 108 Shakti Peethas; perched on a cliff above the Sarda river; major pilgrimage site drawing lakhs of devotees in March–April
District headquarters; old Chand dynasty capital; Baleshwar temple (11th century) and Nagnath temple in the town
Mayawati Ashram9 kmAdvaita Ashrama founded 1899; Vivekananda-associated; publishing house for Prabuddha Bharata journal; set in dense forest above Lohaghat
5 km loop through orchards, colonial structures and forest paths; the best way to see the entire estate on foot
What to do
Activities at Abbott Mount
Abbott Mount Circuit walk
A 5 km loop from the main cottage cluster covers the key points of the estate: St Anne's Church, the cricket meadow, the orchard paths and the estate road with valley views. The circuit takes about 2 hours at a relaxed pace. No guide is needed — the paths are clear and the estate is small enough to navigate without a map.
Cricket ground visit
The hilltop meadow that serves as the Abbott Mount cricket ground is at the eastern edge of the estate, where the hill drops away steeply. Standing on the pitch, the eastern face drops nearly 1,000 m and the view extends across the Sarda river valley into Nepal. The field is used by local villages; matches are occasionally played on weekends.
St Anne's Church
Built in 1938 by the remaining colonial families, the small stone church holds services (infrequently) and remains the best-maintained structure on the estate. The interior has original wooden pews and a simple altar. The churchyard view looks south across the valley.
Purnagiri temple excursion
The 34 km drive to Purnagiri passes through the Sarda river valley and ascends a forested ridge to the temple above the gorge. The pilgrimage peak is March–April (Navaratri); outside this season the temple is accessible and far quieter. The valley gorge below the temple is dramatic even from the road.
Before you go
Abbott Mount travel tips
- Lohaghat (7 km) is the last point for fuel, ATMs and provisions — sort everything before driving up to Abbott Mount
- The 17 colonial cottages are in varying states of repair; several are now heritage guesthouses but confirm current operational status before arriving, as not all are consistently maintained
- The road from Lohaghat to Abbott Mount is narrow and steep for the last 2 km; manageable in a standard car
- October–November and February–March offer the clearest Himalayan views from the estate
- Tanakpur (70 km) is the nearest railhead; most travellers arrive via Pithoragarh (65 km) or Champawat (45 km)
- Abbott Mount sees almost no tourist traffic on weekdays — the estate paths and church can be entirely to yourself
- The Mayawati Ashram (9 km) is worth visiting for its century-old forest setting and the Advaita Ashrama library, which holds original Vivekananda-era publications
Getting there
How to reach Abbott Mount
Pantnagar Airport (~200 km via Champawat, 5.5 hrs). Jolly Grant, Dehradun (530 km) for those approaching from the west. No close airport.
Tanakpur station (70 km) is the nearest railhead. Trains from Delhi (Tanakpur Express). Taxi from Tanakpur via Champawat and Lohaghat to Abbott Mount (2.5 hrs).
Delhi → Haldwani → Champawat → Lohaghat → Abbott Mount (approx. 460 km from Delhi, 11 hrs; typically 2 days with a night at Almora or Pithoragarh). From Pithoragarh (65 km via Champawat) it is 2.5 hours.
Where to stay in Abbott Mount
- Several of the 17 heritage cottages have been converted into guesthouses (Abbott Mount Club, Crestwood Cottage); these are the most atmospheric options available in any Uttarakhand hill station
- The cottages are private properties; book directly or through heritage stay aggregators
- Lohaghat (7 km) has standard mid-range hotels if the heritage cottages are full
- Mayawati Ashram (9 km) accepts guests (prior permission from the Ashrama required) for those wanting a retreat context
Food & dining
- Heritage cottage guesthouses include meals and this is essentially the only option — there are no restaurants or dhabas on Abbott Mount itself
- Lohaghat (7 km) has a market and dhabas for provisions and meals outside the cottage arrangements
- Orchards on the estate produce apples; in season, cottage hosts typically provide fresh fruit
- Carry packed snacks and water for the full Circuit walk and cricket-ground visit
Background
History of Abbott Mount
John Harold Abbott was a British tea planter who arrived in the Champawat district around 1900 and, finding the hilltop above Lohaghat exceptionally suited to the climate he required, began acquiring land and constructing stone cottages for himself and other British families seeking a private hill retreat. Between 1900 and 1929 he built 17 cottages, a church (St Anne's, completed 1938 after his initiative) and the estate roads. Abbott was not a government administrator or military officer; he was a private businessman who essentially created a personal hill station.
The Abbott Mount settlement attracted a small community of British planters, administrators and their families through the 1920s and 1930s, and for two decades it functioned as a self-contained colonial enclave in a part of eastern Kumaon that saw almost no other development. After Indian independence, the British families departed and the estate passed to Indian ownership in pieces, with some cottages becoming guesthouses and others falling into disrepair. St Anne's Church was maintained by the local Christian community.
Jim Corbett, whose famous maneating leopard and tiger accounts were set in the nearby Champawat and Kumaon forests, would have been familiar with the Abbott Mount area — his Champawat maneater (a tigress shot in 1907) operated in the forests between Champawat town and the Sarda river valley that Abbott Mount overlooks. The estate's hilltop position would have provided the same views of the hunting country that Corbett described in his dispatches.
Plan your trip
Suggested Abbott Mount itinerary
- Day 1Drive from Pithoragarh (65 km) or Champawat (45 km). Check into heritage cottage. Evening walk to St Anne's Church and cricket meadow. Sunset from the eastern edge. Night at Abbott Mount.
- Day 2Morning Abbott Mount Circuit walk (5 km, 2 hrs). Return for breakfast. Drive to Mayawati Ashram (9 km) for an hour. Afternoon Purnagiri temple excursion (34 km) — outside the March–April pilgrim season for tranquillity.
- Day 3Final morning walk or rest at the cottage. Depart for Lohaghat and onward to Tanakpur (70 km) or Pithoragarh (65 km).
Common questions
Abbott Mount FAQ
- Who was John Harold Abbott?
- A British tea planter who built 17 stone cottages on this ridge above Lohaghat between 1900 and 1929, creating a private hill retreat for himself and fellow expatriates. He is not a famous historical figure outside of this context — the entire estate is his legacy.
- Are the colonial cottages still standing?
- Most of the 17 cottages survive in varying condition. Several have been renovated as heritage guesthouses; others are privately owned residences; a few are derelict. The core cluster and the church are the most intact.
- Is Abbott Mount worth the long drive from Delhi?
- As a standalone destination from Delhi (530 km, 2 days), it requires commitment. As part of an eastern Kumaon circuit — Pithoragarh, Abbott Mount, Champawat, Purnagiri — it adds considerable character without adding more than a few kilometres to the circuit.
- Is Purnagiri temple safe and accessible in October?
- Yes — outside the March–April Navaratri period, Purnagiri is accessible and pleasant, with manageable crowds. The 3 km stairway climb to the temple is steep; allow 1.5 hours each way.
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