was bypassed by the new A1(M), with access limited to the A15 intersection at Norman Cross. Stilton is twinned with Saint-Christol-lès-Alès, a community in Gard in the south of France. Demography Between 1801 and 1901, the censuses recorded populations for Stilton in the range of 509 (the lowest in 1801) and 817 (the highest in 1841). From 1901, a census was taken every ten years with the exception of 1941, due to the Second World War. All population census figures are from the report Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011 by Cambridgeshire Insight. In 2011, the parish covered an area of , including Folksworth. Cheese The village gave its name to Stilton cheese. The most widely accepted explanation is that the cheese came down to be sold at the coaching inns in Stilton. Daniel Defoe in 1722 described the village as famous for its cheese. Traditionally it was thought that supplies were obtained from the housekeeper at Quenby Hall, Hungarton, Leicestershire, near Melton Mowbray, and were sold via her brother-in-law to travellers in Stilton's coaching inns, namely the Bell Inn or the Angel Inn. Today Stilton is not licensed to make the cheese since it is not located in one of the three counties licensed to do so: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The manufacturers of Stilton cheese in these counties applied for and received Protected Geographical Status (PGS) in 1996, so that production is currently limited to these three counties and must use pasteurised milk, which can be drawn from many counties within the central belt of England. Recent evidence indicates that it is unlikely that the village would have been a centre for selling of cheese unless cheese was also made in the area. Furthermore, the original 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. The Parish of Stilton applied to Defra for an amendment to the Stilton PDO to be included into the Protected area but was unsuccessful. Further attempts to achieve this have been made, supported by Shailesh Vara MP, the Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire, but have so far been unsuccessful. Church There is no record of a church in Stilton before the 13th century. The earliest parts of the present