Pittville’s History
The Friends Of Pittville are committed to preserving Pittville’s history and heritage for future generations.
The Pleasure Grounds
Founded by Joseph Pitt, the pleasure grounds that were opened in the 1820s and crowned by the magnificent Pump Room, were the forerunner of today’s Pittville Park.
The largest park in Cheltenham, Pittville Park has a grade 2 listing under the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens. In 2016 it was awarded Green Flag and Green Heritage Site status and is the only park in Gloucestershire to hold the prestigious Green Heritage award.
The vision of Joseph Pitt
Pittville is the largest and most ambitious of the new building estates which sprang up in Cheltenham in the early nineteenth century. It was created by Joseph Pitt MP (1759-1842), who invested the profits from his legal practice into property development. Although the project was never finished, Pittville remains one of the finest examples of a Regency building estate.
Pitt envisaged Pittville as a completely separate spa town to rival Cheltenham. He acquired much of the land at the beginning of the nineteenth century and started to build on it in the early 1820s, when demand for land and houses in Cheltenham was at its peak. His vision was for a 100-acre private estate of up to 600 houses, with its own Pump Room, walks, rides, and gardens.
Pittville Park: Then And Now
The East Side
The eastern section of the Park was created in the 1820s by Joseph Pitt as the centrepiece of his Pittville estate, providing a private area of “walks and rides” for residents of the estate and visitors to the Pump Room. The Park contains 44 acres of parkland, including an ornamental lake with elegant bridges and a wide variety of trees.
The Park was originally a private facility until the 1890s when ownership was transferred to Cheltenham Borough Council.
The building situated on Central Cross Drive, dates from 1903 and was originally the entrance lodge to the park. This was where visitors had to pay for their admission until charges were abolished in 1954. It now houses the award-winning Central Cross Café and retains many original features, including the spa tap from a small spa called Essex Lodge which occupied an adjacent site in the 1820s.
The West Side
The west side of the present-day park was not part of the original Pittville Estate but was opened as a public pleasure ground in 1894. It has a more informal layout with some areas of woodland, and includes the Boating (or Lower) Lake and the Boathouse Café. Boats can be hired, and angling, golf, tennis and skateboarding are available.
Pittville’s Historic Landmarks
The Pump Rooms
Pittville Pump Room was the last and largest of the spa buildings to be constructed in Cheltenham. It was built by the architect John Forbes between 1825 and 1830 as a focal point of the new estate of Pittville and stands at the northern end of Pittville Park.
Pittville Gates
Pittville Gates were built in 1833 as the grand entrance to the Pittville Estate and were designed by Robert Stokes. The ornamental arch was added in 1897. Between 2011 and 2015, Friends of Pittville undertook a project to restore the gates and improve the surrounding area.
Holst Victorian House
At 4 Clarence Road, opposite Pittville Gates, you can explore the Victorian home and birthplace of composer Gustav Holst. The house is a time capsule of 19th century life with a working Victorian kitchen, Victorian bedroom, scullery and nursery.
