Aylesbury -
The county town of Buckinghamshire, England, Aylesbury has a population of around 70,000 a figure which has doubled since the 1960's. Situated about 41 miles from London and to the north-west of that city, Aylesbury expanded mostly due to the need for housing to cater for the London overspill during the 1960's and early 1970's.
Aylesbury has a long and interesting history and the name is thought to originate from Anglo-Saxon times, the earliest evidence of settlement in Aylesbury is the remains of an Iron Age hill-fort dating from around 650 BC. Aylesbury was a significant market town way back in the days of the Anglo Saxons when it was known as 'Aegel's Burg' and it remained so right up until the cattle market closed in 1987, which really marked the end of its days as a rural market town. In Saxon times Aylesbury would have just been a small settlement and it remained a small village for many centuries.
Aylesbury is also notable as being the resting place of Saint Osyth and the grave attracted pilgrims from wide and far. By the eleventh century Aylesbury boasted its own mint and two annual fairs were held attracting visitors from all over the region. Aylesbury was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a 'royal manor'.
Henry VIII declared Aylesbury as the county town of Buckinghamshire in 1529 and at this time Aylesbury Manor belonged to Ann Boleyn's father Thomas. During the Civil War Aylesbury sided with parliament and in the Battle of Aylesbury at Holman's Bridge the royalists were defeated and forced to retreat. A local hero John Hampden became prominent during this period after refusing to pay ship-money - his statue still stands in the market square. By 1831 the population of Aylesbury had almost reached 5,000 and in 1863 the railway arrived with a line opening to High Wycombe.
Aylesbury is renowned world -wide for the Aylesbury Duck and the town's name has become synonomous with the bird, the duck breeding business in Aylesbury is thought to have started in the early 18th century, when by selective breeding a unique variety of pure white duck was created that was favoured by the major market at the time - London, the ducks were traditionally walked the 40 miles to London. The Aylesbury Duck as a breed had mostly disappeared by the Second World War.
In 1951 the population of the town had reached just over 20,000 and it was shortly after this that the London 'overspill' began to increase the population of the town.
Modern day Aylesbury has changed immensely during the past 40 years and most of the old town is now gone although there are still some old parts remaining around the area of Saint Mary's church and Temple Street. Most of the booming light-industry which still remained in the 1960's and 1970's has now gone and the town now mostly provides service industries. One of the last to go was the Nestles factory, recently replaced by canal-side housing.
The county town of Buckinghamshire, England, Aylesbury has a population of around 70,000 a figure which has doubled since the 1960's. Situated about 41 miles from London and to the north-west of that city, Aylesbury expanded mostly due to the need for housing to cater for the London overspill during the 1960's and early 1970's.
Aylesbury has a long and interesting history and the name is thought to originate from Anglo-Saxon times, the earliest evidence of settlement in Aylesbury is the remains of an Iron Age hill-fort dating from around 650 BC. Aylesbury was a significant market town way back in the days of the Anglo Saxons when it was known as 'Aegel's Burg' and it remained so right up until the cattle market closed in 1987, which really marked the end of its days as a rural market town. In Saxon times Aylesbury would have just been a small settlement and it remained a small village for many centuries.
Aylesbury is also notable as being the resting place of Saint Osyth and the grave attracted pilgrims from wide and far. By the eleventh century Aylesbury boasted its own mint and two annual fairs were held attracting visitors from all over the region. Aylesbury was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a 'royal manor'.
Henry VIII declared Aylesbury as the county town of Buckinghamshire in 1529 and at this time Aylesbury Manor belonged to Ann Boleyn's father Thomas. During the Civil War Aylesbury sided with parliament and in the Battle of Aylesbury at Holman's Bridge the royalists were defeated and forced to retreat. A local hero John Hampden became prominent during this period after refusing to pay ship-money - his statue still stands in the market square. By 1831 the population of Aylesbury had almost reached 5,000 and in 1863 the railway arrived with a line opening to High Wycombe.
Aylesbury is renowned world -wide for the Aylesbury Duck and the town's name has become synonomous with the bird, the duck breeding business in Aylesbury is thought to have started in the early 18th century, when by selective breeding a unique variety of pure white duck was created that was favoured by the major market at the time - London, the ducks were traditionally walked the 40 miles to London. The Aylesbury Duck as a breed had mostly disappeared by the Second World War.
In 1951 the population of the town had reached just over 20,000 and it was shortly after this that the London 'overspill' began to increase the population of the town.
Modern day Aylesbury has changed immensely during the past 40 years and most of the old town is now gone although there are still some old parts remaining around the area of Saint Mary's church and Temple Street. Most of the booming light-industry which still remained in the 1960's and 1970's has now gone and the town now mostly provides service industries. One of the last to go was the Nestles factory, recently replaced by canal-side housing.
Aylesbury
English Towns - Aylesbury
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