Pirton is a village and civil parish in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It lies north-west of the town of Hitchin, and adjoins the border with Bedfordshire. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 1,452.
History
Pirton first appeared in official records in the Domesday Book in 1086 within the hundred of Hitchin. The village was then recorded as Peritone, meaning 'homestead of pears'.
The parish church of St Mary was rebuilt in 1877, but with the remains of its 12th-century tower. It stands within the bailey of a former castle, Toot Hill. There is also a Methodist church.
Pirton Grange, which was remodelled in the 18th century, is in the north of the parish, and is a particularly interesting, moated Elizabethan house with a timber-framed gatehouse. Hammonds Farm and Rectory Farm, with its tithe barn, are also Elizabethan.
Geography
The designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of the Chiltern Hills covers the western part of the parish, reaching the edge of the village.
The Icknield Way Path passes through the village on its journey from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk. The Icknield Way Trail, a multi-user route for walkers, horse riders and off-road cyclists also passes through the village.
Governance
thumb|Village Hall, High Street
There are three tiers of local government covering Pirton, at parish, district and county level: Pirton Parish Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, and Hertfordshire County Council. The parish council meets at the village hall on High Street, which was built in 1933.
Population
At the 2021 census, the population of the parish was 1,452.
Education
There is a village school which teaches children from reception to Year 6. Many students continue to The Priory School, Hitchin for secondary education.