The Heritage Park - Pitstone Green Museum
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The farm, as you see it today, was largely built by the Countess of Bridgewater and is unusual in that it has been occupied by the Hawkins family since 1808, before most of the farm was built in 1830. It was built close to the site of earlier farms one of the old buildings still remain to this day. Most prominent of these is the Big Barn, a section of which dates from the 17th century and was transported to the site when the farm was built in the first half of the 19th century.
The Pitstone Local History Society was formed in 1963, later to become the Pitstone & Ivinghoe Museum Society. Inspired by David Wray, they began collecting almost anything associated with farming and rural life in the locality. The collection was initially housed at Don Levy's Vicarage Farm, Ivinghoe but then moved to Pitstone Green Farm when further space was needed.
In 1991 a 99 year lease on the 1831 farm was granted to the Pitstone Local History Society (now Pitstone & Ivinghoe Museum Society) by Jeff Hawkins, the then owner of the farm. On the death of Jeff Hawkins in 2001, Pitstone Green Farm was gifted to the National Trust and forms part of the Ashridge Estate. The Ashridge Estate comprises 5000 acres of beautiful countryside ranging from magnificent woods, commons, downland and farmland which support a rich variety of wildlife, including carpets of bluebells in spring, rare butterflies in summer and the fallow deer rut in autumn.
The Bridgewater Monument, Pitstone Windmill and Pitstone Green Museum provide insights into the people connected with the Estates past. For more information about what is on at Ashridge and places to see and visit, please see the National Trust website: