Pitstone
| Pitstone | |
|---|---|
 Pitstone Windmill |
|
 Pitstone
|
|
| Pitstone shown within Buckinghamshire | |
| Area | 6.65 km2 (2.57 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,952 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 444/km2 (1,150/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP943150 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire 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 |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Pitstone (formerly Pightelsthorn, with possible variation Pychelesthorn in 1399 ) is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is at the foot of the central range of the Chiltern Hills, centred 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Aylesbury and 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Leighton Buzzard. It directly adjoins the village of Ivinghoe, and the two villages some facilities.
The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Picel's thorn tree'. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Pincelestorne.
Pitstone was given to the abbey at Ashridge by the Earl of Cornwall in 1283. In 1290 King Edward I spent Christmas in Pitstone at the estate that had been given to the abbey, and stayed for five weeks, during which time he held parliament 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. The number of houses rose most steeply in the 1950s, from 169 to 252.
Its Castlemead area of housing and business units was named after Castle Cement Company which in the 20th century was a cement works, closed in the 1990s.
A notable building is Pitstone Windmill, which is owned by the National 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.
...
Wikipedia