| Pitstone | |
|---|---|
 Pitstone Windmill | |
  Pitstone Location withinBuckinghamshire | |
| Area | 6.65 km2 (2.57 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,952 (2011)[1] |
| • Density | 444/km2 (1,150/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP943150 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEIGHTON BUZZARD |
| Postcode district | LU7 |
| Dialling code | 01296 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Buckinghamshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
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Pitstone (formerlyPightelsthorn, with possible variationPychelesthorn in 1399[3]) is a village andcivil parish in eastBuckinghamshire, England. It is at the foot of the central range of theChiltern Hills, centred 6 miles (10 km) east ofAylesbury and 5 miles (8 km) south ofLeighton Buzzard. It directly adjoins the village ofIvinghoe, and the two villages share some facilities.
The village name isAnglo-Saxon in origin, and means 'Picel's thorn tree'. It was recorded in theDomesday Book of 1086 asPincelestorne.
Pitstone was given to theabbey atAshridge by theEarl of Cornwall in 1283. In 1290King Edward I spentChristmas in Pitstone at the estate that had been given to the abbey, and stayed for five weeks, during which time he heldparliament in Ashridge. His stay caused great inconvenience to the local inhabitants of the village who were legally obliged to keep the king and his court.
It was described in a Victorian gazetteer by John Marius Wilson as "7 miles in length and 1 in breadth. Post-town, Tring. Acres, 2,836 [2,836 acres (11.48 km2)] Real property, £3,692. Pop., 581. Houses, 109. The property is divided among a few.". Its area dropped between 1851 and 1891 from the said number acres to 1,644.[4] The number of houses rose most steeply in the 1950s, from 169 to 252.[5]
ItsCastlemead area of housing and business units was named after Castle Cement Company which was the last owner of the Pitstonecement works,[6] which operated from 1937 to 1991.
The area aroundSt Mary's Church is known asChurch End.
A notable building isPitstone Windmill, which is owned by theNational Trust. The windmill was formerly capable of rotating to face the prevailing wind, as evidenced by the wheel protruding from one side of the structure. Although it no longer can do so, the wheel remains and its pivot point is clearly visible.
Pitstone Green Museum provides working insights into agricultural history and various supporting trades. The museum is to the south of the village proper on a farm.
Pitstone Hill, above the village, is aSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), designated for its botanical interest. The hill is crossed by theRidgeway National Trail.[7] A former chalk quarry has been converted toCollege Lake nature reserve, a flagship reserve of theBerkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust,[8] and the area east of the lake within the nature reserve is a geological SSSI,Pitstone Quarry.[9][10]
The elongated civil parish is semi-urban in the extreme west north-west (WNW) and is otherwise rural and elevated, rising to the opposite direction. Approximately following the north-west border is theGrand Union Canal. Its population rose in the ten years to 1961 from 544 to 766.
Pitstone has aNon-League football teamPitstone & Ivinghoe United F.C. who play at The Recreation Ground on Vicarage Road. The village also has a cricket team, Ivinghoe & Pitstone United Cricket Club who play in the Mid Bucks Cricket League on Saturdays at the Recreation Ground; they also play friendly matches on Sundays and mid-week evening knock-outs. There are records of cricket being played at the Pitstone Recreation Ground since 1856, when the village took on (and beat) Luton.[Bucks Advertiser, 12 July 1856, p. 8 ‘Cricket: Pitstone v Luton’]
Pitstone is the home of cyclist Nick Clarke, who holds theRRAPembroke to Great Yarmouth "Side to Side" record.[11]
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