New development in Pittville

PITTVILLE

Pittville is the largest and most ambitious of Cheltenham’s new building estates of the early 19th century. It was created by Joseph Pitt MP (1759-1842), a real self-made man, who invested profits from his legal business into purchasing land throughout Gloucestershire. Although the project was never finished, Pittville remains one of England’s finest examples of a ‘Regency’ building estate.

Holst Birthplace Museum

Pittville is an attractive neigbbourhood, with large Regency houses built in variety of styles and architectural motifs. In its heart is Pittville Lawn, a roadway of fine houses with attractive parkland called Long Garden in the centre of it. Pittville Park offers recreational facilities and Pittville Pump Room provides a venue for concerts and exhibitions and fairs. Pittville is also the birthplace of the composer Gustav Holst. The house in Clarence Street where he was born is now a museum.

An important focus of this part of Cheltenham forms Pittville Circus, originally called Albert Circus, after the Prince Consort. It lies on the eastern boundary of the Pittville Estate and was laid out in 1839-1840 by a local builder Edward Cope, on land purchased from Joseph Pitt. Some of the most attractive houses of the Pittville Estate can be found here.

Pittville Park gates

Another striking piece of architecture, notable for its attractive ironwork, can be found in Winchcombe Street, where near the Pittville Gates is a terrace of 6 houses called Columbia Place. The houses date back to 1824-25 and were built by a former Army saddler Thomas Thompson, who had made his fortune supplying cavalry equipment to various South American states. In Colombia he obtained from General Bolivar a monopoly for the refining and sale of salt from the country’s various salt mines. He employed architect William Jay, who designed a number of houses in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States.

HISTORY

Although never finished Pittville Estate was supposed to be the largest development in Cheltenham in the 19th century. Ambition of Joseph Pitt was to create a brand new spa town in the northern part of Cheltenham.