Pitstone Guide 2014/15 What to do in and around the village CONTENTS Page 3 Welcome to the Pitstone Guide 4 Pitstone’s History 5 Pitstone Today 6-11 Places of Interest to Visit 12-15 Churches and Church Services 16-19 Activity Venues 20-23 Eating and Drinking—cafes, pubs, restaurants and take aways 24-26 Charities Benefitting Parishioners 27 Help with Transport 28-29, 32-33 Biographies of Famous Pitstone Residents 30-31 Village Map 34-44 A-Z of Sports, Activities and Clubs 45-49 Local Walks 50-51 Easy Cycle Routes 52-53 Volunteering Opportunities 54-57 General Information 58 Pitstone Parish Council Services and Key Projects 59 Your Local Council Published October 2013 2 WELCOME TO THE PITSTONE GUIDE Welcome to the second edition of the Pitstone Guide. The parish council is very proud of our rural parish, set within some of the most beautiful countryside in England and we hope you are too. We have a dynamic and growing community of approximately 3,000 residents, with lots for everyone to get involved in and plenty of opportunities for you to broaden your skills or volunteer some time. Inside this guide, you will find details of all the local venues, clubs and associations - you will probably be surprised at the extent of activities available within our community, or just a short distance away. There are also local walks and cycle rides that will let you take in some of the breathtaking views. The parish and the surrounding area is steeped in fascinating history and there are plenty of opportunities for you to experience this. More details about our origins can be found overleaf. We hope that the information will be particularly helpful to those joining our community but also as a handy guide for everyone to keep, full of useful contact information. The first parish council in Pitstone was established at the end of 1894 and consisted of just five seats. Today our council is comprised of ten elected members of the village, who give their time voluntarily because they are passionate about Pitstone and enhancing the lives of those who live within it. We are there to represent you, and drive forward the initiatives that you identify as being important to our community. We welcome all your views and encourage you to attend our meetings or become involved in our committees, working parties and community groups. You are welcome to contact any member of the parish council, or our clerk, about local issues, and you will find all our contact details at the back of this guide. This is an exciting time for the community, and the parish council, as we strive to ensure the delivery of new leisure facilities and work with landowners about future development. It is important that the village develops in the way that you wish and we thank all of you that have taken the time to complete our surveys and attend our consultations. The future of your village is in the making. Bob Saintey, Chairman of Pitstone Parish Council Distance in Miles: Tring – 3.5 Berkhamsted – 7.5 Aylesbury – 9.5 Dunstable – 7 Leighton Buzzard – 8 Hemel Hempstead – 11.5 3 PITSTONE’S HISTORY In ancient times, herds of red deer, giant deer and oxen roamed the area. Their fossilised bones were found during excavation for cement production at Quarry 3, which is now College Lake, along with hippopotamus, rhinoceros and mammoth bones. Evidence of a settlement in Pitstone (formerly Pightlesthorn) dates back to as early as the 6th Century. There have been findings of Iron Age and Roman material, indicating this area was extensively inhabited. Several ancient track ways linking the Chilterns to the Vale have been found. In addition several moated sites and Scheduled Ancient Monuments have also been identified. 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 (right) spent Christmas in Pitstone at the estate that had been given to the abbey. He 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. Pitstone was originally a farming community, including Pitstone Green Farm which is now our museum. This farm was once an important employer within the village. Farming included seasonal fruit picking such as the local plum, often known as the Aylesbury Prune, which was very popular up until the Second World War. Cereals were the most important crops (hence the windmill and old watermill and bakery located in The Mill House and Brook End Mill on the Whistlebrook and parish boundary). Although thousands of Aylesbury Ducks were fattened each year for the London market, the most important livestock was sheep. In 1866, there were 534 sheep on Pitstone Green Farm. Pitstone was also an important supplier of straw plait to the thriving hat industry in Luton, and plait schools existed in cottages where children as young as 4 were sent to learn to plait. In the 1930’s Pitstone cement works opened, which was run by The Tunnel Portland Cement Co Ltd and operated until 1991. During this time village life was dominated by the cement works, which gave work to local people. However there was a constant battle with dust and other negative environmental impacts. The site has now been demolished and has been redeveloped for housing and business use. The new housing district is named 'Castlemead' (after the Castle Cement Company who were the last operators of the site) and the business area contains numerous units, offering new opportunities for local employment. A comprehensive illustrated history of Pitstone can be found in “Pitstone 2000”. If you don’t have a copy of this book, please contact the parish clerk who will be happy to supply one free-of-charge. 4 PITSTONE TODAY Only a few of the buildings built before 1800 still exist. These include Sparrow Thatch and Robin Cottage in Chequers Lane, Moat Farm in Vicarage Road, Whitefriars in Old Farm, Cocksparrow Cottage on Marsworth Road and 4 thatched cottages at The Green. Over the years, many housing developments have been created, the most recent and extensive being the Castlemead estate which is shortly due to finish construction. Plans are still being formed for a new village centre which will lie around the existing recreation ground and provide a focal point for Pitstone, joining the old with the new. We are lucky enough to live in a village where our landscape is characterised by gently undulating hills lying before the Chiltern foothills. The area is crossed by numerous streams and brooks fed by local springs. The Grand Union Canal wraps around the west and north, and you can still see extensive arable farming. In the wetter areas you will find willow trees and on the higher ground, plenty of oak and ash. The village benefits from several employment opportunities with the introduction of the business park and several well established firms such as Safran Power UK, Colbree Engineering, White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors and Grebe Canal Cruises. Pitstone also has excellent education provision for 2-12 year olds, with Windmill Pre-School awarded “outstanding” status by OFSTED and Brookmead Primary School one of the best performing primary school in the local area. The early census in 1801 recorded just 275 residents. Our last census in 2011 showed that Pitstone has grown to almost 3,000 residents, one third of which are under 18 years, so we have a large young population to cater for. Our population has grown steeply over the last 10 years and although this may slow, we can expect another 120-140 houses over the next 20 years. Housing development in the parish has already funded (or part funded) many community benefits such as the extension to the Memorial Hall, cycle paths, the sports pavilion and football pitches, children’s play equipment, the provision of open space and the allotments. All your feedback at various consultation events is now helping to shape the development plans for further recreational facilities that will commence with an exciting new play space, skate park and multi-use ball games court on the recreation ground. So this is a very exciting time for our parish, as our future begins to unfold. 5 PLACES OF INTEREST TO VISIT - PITSTONE Pitstone Green Museum, Pitstone (map ref 2) Located in Vicarage Road, opposite the Memorial Hall. The Collection is housed in farm buildings, many of which have remained unaltered since the farm was built. Indeed many of the implements and machinery exhibited are those that were used during the working lifetime of this farm. The farm, was largely built by the Countess of Bridgewater and is unusual in that it has been occupied by the Hawkins family since 1808. It was built on the site of earlier farms and some of the old buildings survive to this day. Most prominent of these is the Big Barn, a section of which dates from the 17th century. The museum also contains many items and photographs of people and places that are part of the history of Pitstone, Ivinghoe and the surrounding villages. The museum is run by the Pitstone & Ivinghoe Museum Society and is open to the public on the second Sunday of the month from June to September and all Bank Holiday Mondays. There is ample free parking and refreshments are available.