Windmill admission. Online booking advised; groups by prior arrangement.
Free for members
Pitstone Windmill stands alone in farmland below the Chiltern escarpment near Ivinghoe and is one of the oldest post mills in Britain, the early type in which the whole body of the mill turns on a massive central post; its construction date is unknown. It ground flour for the village for almost three hundred years until a freak storm in the early 1900s damaged it beyond economic repair. Given to the National Trust in 1937 and restored by local volunteers, its workings can be explored, from the great post to the tail pole that swung the sails into the wind, with wide views over the Chilterns. Going inside is by pre-booked experience on limited open days, so check before travelling; the exterior is free to visit at any time. The 7.5-mile Bridgewater Monument to Pitstone Windmill circular walk links it with the Ashridge Estate, with dogs on a lead throughout as it crosses cattle and sheep grazing. Tips from visitors: the small free car park is 100 yards of rough track from the mill, unsuitable for wheelchairs, there are no toilets or cafe, and the stairs inside are steep and narrow with low beams.
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Dog friendly
7.5 miles (12km), moderate, 3 hours, circular from the Bridgewater Monument car park on the Ashridge Estate (grid ref SP97001310, HP4 1LX) to the windmill and back, through cattle and sheep grazing.
