Stilton

Stilton
Huntingdonshire
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Location
Grid reference:	TL162893
Location:	52°29’21"N, 0°17’33"W
Data
Post town:	Peterborough
Postcode:	PE7
Local Government
Council:	Huntingdonshire
Parliamentary constituency:	North West Cambridgeshire

Stilton is a village in Huntingdonshire, standing on the old Great North Road, which drove its prosperity in days past. Since 1998 Stilton has been bypassed by the road's successor, the A1M, from which it can be found a little south of the Norman Cross junction with the A15, access to the main A1M being limited. Stilton is 14 miles north of Huntingdon and 8 miles south of the city of Peterborough.

Stilton cheese

Stilton cheese

The village's name is world-famous for giving a name to Stilton cheese, "the Queen of Cheeses". Nevertheless, Stilton has never been made in Stilton.

The name of Stilton cheese came from its being sold at the coaching inns in Stilton. In 1722 Daniel Defoe ate some cheese in the village and mentioned that the place was already famous for its cheese. Some say that supplies were obtained from the housekeeper at Quenby Hall at Hungarton in Leicestershire, near Melton Mowbray, and were sold by her brother-in-law to travellers in Stilton's coaching inns, namely The Bell or The Angel.

Signpost in Stilton

Today Stilton cheese is made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The manufacturers of Stilton cheese in these counties received "Protected Geographical Status" in 1996 so that production is limited to these three counties and must use pasteurised milk, and consequently Stilton cheese cannot now be made in Stilton itself.

Defying conventional wisdom about the origins of Stilton, a recipe for a cream cheese made in Stilton in the early 18th century has since been discovered and since more than one type of cheese was usually made, it is possible that a blue cheese was also made in the area.

Outside links

• The Bell Inn
• Stilton Village Website.
• Junction-hub
• Stilton Cheese Rolling Championships.
• About the Time Team excavation