Aylesbury
Encyclopedia
Aylesbury is the county town
of Buckinghamshire
in South East England
. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands
an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands. In the 2001 census
the Aylesbury Urban Area
, which includes Bierton
, Fairford Leys
, Stoke Mandeville
and Watermead
, had a population of 69,021, which included 56,392 for the Aylesbury civil parish.
origin. Its first recorded name Æglesburgh is thought to mean "Fort of Aegel", though who Aegel was is not recorded. Since earliest records there have been 57 variations of the name. Excavations in the town centre in 1985 found an Iron Age
hillfort dating from the early 4th century BC. The town is sited on an outcrop of Portlandian limestone
which accounts for its prominent position in the surrounding landscape, which is largely clay. Aylesbury was a major market town
in Anglo-Saxon
times, famous in addition as the burial place of Saint Osyth
, whose shrine
attracted pilgrim
s. The Early English parish church of St. Mary (which has many later additions) has a crypt beneath. Once thought to be Anglo-Saxon, it is now recognised as being of the same period as the medieval chapel above. At the Norman Conquest, the king took the manor of Aylesbury for himself, and it is listed as a royal manor in the Domesday Book
, 1086.
In 1450 a religious institution called the Guild of St Mary was founded in Aylesbury by John Kemp
, Archbishop of York
. Known popularly as the Guild of Our Lady it became a meeting place for local dignitaries and a hotbed of political intrigue. The Guild was influential in the final outcome of the Wars of the Roses
. Its premises at the Chantry in Church Street, Aylesbury, are still there, though today the site is occupied mainly by almshouse
s.
Aylesbury was declared the county town of Buckinghamshire
in 1529 by King Henry VIII
: Aylesbury Manor was among the many properties belonging to Thomas Boleyn
the father of Anne Boleyn
and it is rumoured that the change was made by the king in order to curry favour with the holders of the manor. (Previously the county town of Buckinghamshire was Buckingham
).
The town played a large part in the English Civil War
when it became a stronghold for the Parliamentarian
forces, like many market towns a nursing-ground of Puritan
sentiment and in 1642 the Battle of Aylesbury
was fought and won by the Parliamentarians. Its proximity to Great Hampden
, home of John Hampden
has made of Hampden a local hero: his silhouette is on the emblem used by Aylesbury Vale District Council and his statue stands prominently in the town centre. Aylesbury born composer, Rutland Boughton
(1878–1960), possibly inspired by the statue of John Hampden, created a symphony based on Oliver Cromwell
.
On 18 March 1664, Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin
in the Peerage of Scotland
was created 1st Earl of Ailesbury
, Viscount Bruce, of Ampthill in the County of Bedford, and Baron Bruce, of Skelton in the County of York, all in the Peerage of England
.
The Jacobean mansion of Hartwell
nearby was the residence of Louis XVIII
during his exile (1810–1814). Bourbon Street in Aylesbury is named after the king. Louis's wife, Marie Josephine of Savoy died at Hartwell in 1810 and is buried in the churchyard there. She is the only French Queen to be buried on English soil. The town's heraldic
crest is the Aylesbury duck
, which has been bred here since the birth of the Industrial Revolution
.
The town also received international publicity in the 1960s when the culprits responsible for the Great Train Robbery were tried at Aylesbury Crown Court. The robbery took place at Bridego Bridge, a railway bridge at Ledburn
, about six miles (10 km) from the town. The 7 July 2005
Piccadilly Line
bomber Germaine Lindsay
's home was in Aylesbury at the time of the bombings, though he was originally from Jamaica
.
A notable institution is Aylesbury Grammar School which was founded in 1598. The original building is now part of the County Museum buildings in Church Street; other grammar schools now include Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
and Aylesbury High School
. Other notable buildings are the King's Head Inn
, which with the Fleece Inn
at Bretforton is one of the few public house
s in the country owned by the National Trust
still run as a public house, and the Queens Park Centre
, the UK's largest independent arts centre.
Chequers
, the country residence of the Prime Minister
since 1921, is just four miles southeast of Aylesbury.
James Henry Govier
the British painter
and etcher resided at Aylesbury and produced a number of works relating to the town including the church, canal, Walton, Aylesbury Gaol, the King's Head
and views of the town during the 1940s and 1950s, examples of which can be seen in the Buckinghamshire County Museum
in Aylesbury. Govier was born at Oakley
, and was the etching demonstrator at the Royal College of Art
.
The town's population has doubled since the 1960s due to new housing developments, including many London overspill
housing estates, built to ease pressure on the capital, and to move people from crowded inner city slums to more favourable locations. Indeed Aylesbury, to a greater extent than many English market towns, saw substantial areas of its own heart demolished in the 1950s/1960s as 16th-18th century houses (many in good repair) were pulled down to make way for commercial developments.
Aylesbury's population was expected to increase between 2003 and 2005 with a new housing estate designed to cater for eight thousand people on the north side of the town, sandwiched between the A41
(Akeman Street
) and the A413
, and the expansion of Fairford Leys
village.
Housing estates in the modern Aylesbury include: Bedgrove
, Broughton
, Elm Farm
, Elmhurst
, Fairford Leys
, Haydon Hill
, Hawkslade Farm, Meadowcroft, Prebendal Farm
, Quarrendon
, Queens Park
, Southcourt, Stoke Grange, Walton Court
, Watermead and the Willows. Aylesbury has also been extended to completely surround the former hamlets
or farm
s at Bedgrove, California
, New Zealand
, Prebendal Farm, Quarrendon, Turnfurlong
and Walton. If plans to increase the size of the town by twenty thousand people go ahead, suburban Aylesbury could well meet up with the neighbouring villages of Bierton, Hartwell
, Stoke Mandeville, Stone
, Sedrup
and Weston Turville
. Areas most popular in the town are the Conservation Area around St. Mary's church and Queens Park
, particularly facing onto the canal. These anticipated developments are expected to raise the urban population of Aylesbury from its current approximation of 75,000 to around 100,000 within the next 15–20 years.
The town centre has many pubs and bars, along with some nightclubs, and Friday and Saturday nights can be lively.
The local newspaper is the Bucks Herald
. The local radio station
is Mix 96
.
One of the more prominent buildings in Aylesbury is the "Blue Leanie" office block, home to Halifax Bank of Scotland
(HBOS). When first built it was thought to be a potential hazard to passing motorists, due to the sun reflecting off its large mirrored surface. As a result a line of mature trees was planted alongside the main road to prevent dazzling.
The town is served by Aylesbury railway station
and Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
, the latter of which is the present terminus
of passenger services from London
Marylebone.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
, a new £42 million theatre, with 1,200 seat auditorium, opened in October 2010. In addition to this, the surrounding area is being redeveloped as part of the £100 million Waterside project. When this is completed, originally planned for June 2010, there will be 260000 sq ft (24,154.8 m²) of new retail floor space and 1,100 new jobs created, although when this will be completed now is unclear.
The Bourg Walk Bridge (also called the Southcourt Bridge or the Roberts Bridge after a local councillor) opened in March 2009 connecting Southcourt to Aylesbury town centre. The focus of the footbridge is a central concrete pillar with four suspension cables supporting the structure. This bridge forms a central part of the Aylesbury Hub project. Bourg Walk was nominated and won the Engineering Excellence Award 2009 awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers - South East England branch .
council within Aylesbury Vale
district for the town
. In 2010, it comprises 24 councillors, 19 of whom are Liberal Democrats
, the remaining 5 Conservative. The council represents only the constituents
of Aylesbury town itself. Surrounding villages and some recent developments on the outskirts of Aylesbury like Fairford Leys
& Watermead
have their own parish council. In 2010 the district council decided that the new developments of Berryfields
and Weedon Hill
, both to the north of Aylesbury, should also join to form a new parish as of May 2011.
The Town Council also elects the Town Mayor from the serving Town Councillors every year. The process culminates in a formal "Mayor Making" ceremony where the new Mayor takes over from the preceding Mayor. The role of mayor is mainly a ceremonial role representing the town at various events and acting as an ambassador for the town.
The Town Council is in a process of discussions to take over responsibility for some public services from Aylesbury Vale District Council.
The architecture of Aylesbury reflects the ordinary architecture
which can be found in many small towns in England.
John Vanbrugh
judged two sets of plans for the County Hall (now Aylesbury Crown Court);
however, the buildings of the town were designed by local architects.
Aylesbury retains some buildings from the medieval, Georgian and Victorian periods, as well as the 20th century.
Ceely House (part of the County Museum), Ardenham House, the Union Workhouse and the County Gaol are among the most notable buildings in the town.
St Mary's Church, sited upon a hill surrounded by narrow streets and squares of substantial 18th century town houses,
such as Castle Street, Temple Square and Parson's Fee give an indication of how Aylesbury may have appeared in the 18th century.
on Oxford Road), three grammar schools, two community upper schools
, an academy and a host of primary schools.
The secondary schools are:
There are also the following special schools, that teach secondary school age children with learning disabilities
:
The Aylesbury Vale Secondary Support Centre is a Pupil Referral Unit
(PRU), which caters for permanently excluded
students.
Another large educational establishment in Aylesbury is the Aylesbury Music Centre
, which has its own premises adjoining Aylesbury High School
.
is a large National Health Service
hospital
to the south of the town centre. Its National Spinal Injuries Centre is one of the largest specialist spinal units in the world, and the pioneering rehabilitation work carried out there by Sir Ludwig Guttmann led to the development of the Paralympic Games
. Stoke Mandeville Stadium
was developed alongside the hospital and is the National Centre for Disability Sport in the United Kingdom.
Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital
is a private hospital specialising in spinal cord injury
.
There is also a facility for mental health treatment at Tindal Centre
on Bierton Road with CMHT's based in Fairford Leys
Traditionally the town was a commercial centre with a market
dating back to the Saxon period. This is because it was established on the main Akeman Street which became an established trade route
linking London to the southwest
. In 1180 a gaol was established in the town (it is still there though has moved locations two or three times) which only really happened in main towns across the country.
By 1477 flour
was being ground in the town for surrounding parish
es. By the modern period this had grown into a huge established industry: the last mill in Aylesbury was closed in the 1990s (Hills & Partridge on the canal behind Tesco). By 1560 the manufacture of needles
had become a large industry in Long Crendon
, a village close to Aylesbury, which was an important production centre.
In 1672 poor children in Buckinghamshire were taught to make lace
as a way to make a living. Bucks lace as it became known quickly became very sought after and production boomed as the lace was mainly made by poor women and children. The lace-making industry had died out by Victorian times
, however, as new machine-made lace became preferable.
In 1764 Euclid Neale opened his clock making workshop in Aylesbury. In the 18th century he was one of the best clock makers in the country.
In 1814 the Aylesbury arm of the Grand Union Canal
from Marsworth
was opened bringing major industry to the town for the first time. At the same time the Wendover arm was built leading to nearby Wendover
.
By the late 19th century the printers and bookbinders, Hazell, Watson and Viney and the Nestlé
dairy
were the two main employers in the town, employing more than half the total population.
Today the town is still a major commercial centre and the market still meets on the cobbles of the old Market Square four days a week. Nestle and Hazell, Watson and Viney have both gone, as has the US Automotive parts producer TRW, who left the town in 2006. Although three major industrial centres make sure the town has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
, which runs from London to Birkenhead
. The A413
and A418
roads also run through the town. The M40 motorway
at junction 9 is 14.7 miles (23.7 km) away and the M25 motorway
is just over 21 miles (33.8 km) drive.
Aylesbury is well connected to local destinations by bus services. Run by Arriva
, these services run every 20–30 minutes to Milton Keynes
, Oxford
, High Wycombe
, Thame
, Tring
, Hemel Hempstead
and Watford
. Hourly services also run to Luton
and Leighton Buzzard
.
Aylesbury is served by Buckinghamshire's first 'Rainbow Routes' network of bus services. The colour-coded routes were set up by Buckinghamshire County Council
, and bus operators:
Other operators running to Aylesbury include Tiger Line (a name used by Woottens Luxury Travel
) and Red Rose Travel.
on Robert Stephenson
's London and Birmingham Railway
. The Wycombe Railway
(later GWR
) arrived via Princes Risborough
on 1 October 1863, and on 23 September 1868 the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway
(later Metropolitan Railway) was opened from , to make an end-on junction with the Wycombe Railway. The Metropolitan Railway
(MetR) from Baker Street
arrived via Amersham
in 1892. The Great Central Railway
(GCR) connected from Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone via the MetR in 1899. Between 1899 and 1953, Aylesbury had railway links to four London termini: Marylebone, Baker Street, Paddington, Euston. The Aylesbury Railway closed in 1953, The MetR, which later became the Metropolitan Line
of the London Underground
withdrew north of Aylesbury in 1936 and withdrew from the town in 1961. The GCR was dismantled north of Aylesbury in 1966. As a result, there were no regular passenger services north of Aylesbury until the opening of Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
in December 2008. Now only the GCR south of Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone is used for regular London services.
A rail scheme to extend passenger services northwestwards to a new station, Aylesbury Vale Parkway
, was completed in December 2008. This is sited on the formerly freight-only line towards Quainton at the point where the line crosses the A41 near Berryfields Farm, some 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of the main Aylesbury station. This area is to be known as the Berryfields Major Development Area, and will include Park and Ride facilities for Aylesbury.
A further expansion of rail services to Bletchley and Bedford (see East West Rail Link) is suggested in a consultants' report written to provide regional planning guidance to Bucks County Council concerning the development of Aylesbury Vale. Also the Great Central may be rebuilt in the future towards Rugby
as the railway is in need for expansion to ease capacity constraints.
s in England, which was match-funded by Buckinghamshire County Council
. This allows Buckinghamshire County Council to promote the use of cycling amongst the general public, as well as provide facilities for cyclists, such as bike lockers, bike stands as well as Tiger and Toucan
road crossings.
Cycle Aylesbury, the team created to undertake the Cycling Demonstration town work, recently opened the first of their Gemstone Cycleways, which are a network of routes running from Aylesbury Town Centre to various locations around the town, including Stone, Bierton
, Wendover
and Watermead. A second brochure/magazine was put out to accompany the routes, along with a redesigned website, CycleAylesbury.co.uk.
; hence a large number of people were born in Aylesbury who may not have had any other association with the town. For a full list see People from Aylesbury. In alphabetic order of surname those who live or have lived in Aylesbury include:
There used to be a club in Aylesbury in the 1970s and 1980s called the Friars' Club where a lot of the top bands of the time played, including The Clash
, Hawkwind
, Queen
, Genesis
, U2
, David Bowie
, Marillion
& The Ramones. Friars' Club celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, by holding three special concerts that reflected the various phases of the club's musical history. The first concert in June featured the Edgar Broughton Band, the Groundhogs and the Pretty Things. In October, Stiff Little Fingers, Penetration and the Disco Students appeared to celebrates the punk/new wave era. In November, Kid Creole & the Coconuts and China Crisis played. The band Marillion
originally formed here, with the band's first single, 1982's Market Square Heroes
taking its title inspiration from Aylesbury's Market Square.
It is believed that the scene in the opening of the film A Clockwork Orange
when the droogs beat up the elderly Irish man was filmed in Aylesbury, in the underpass linking Friars' Square Shopping Centre with the railway station. Even Christiane Kubrick's book Stanley Kubrick — A Life In Pictures states this. Another scene from the film was shot in Friars' Square itself but never made it to the final cut. This is the 'Librarian Scene' where outtakes from the shoot and rehearsal can be seen in Alison Castle's The Stanley Kubrick Archives published by Taschen.
According to Malcolm McDowell
on Camera 2 in the summer of 2002: "We did a sequence in Aylesbury. The town square was decorated with giant rubber ducks, weird animals, they were huge, and we accosted an old guy from the library. I ripped out these priceless books that he had and I threw them up. I remember my line, it was taken from the book, it was: 'There's a mackerel of a cornflake for you.' The pages from the ripped books fall like confetti. The retribution was that Alex goes to the library when he is cured and all the old codgers in the library go: 'You were the one!'"
The County Court building and Aylesbury Market Square regularly feature in the BBC Television series Judge John Deed
.
Aylesbury Methodist Church holds an annual organ recital, which has become very popular and attracts prominent organists from throughout the UK.
The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery
in Church Street, Aylesbury, is a children's museum in honour of novelist Roald Dahl
that opened on 23 November 1996. Aylesbury hosts the Roald Dahl Festival, a procession of giant puppets based on his characters, on July 2.
Comedian and actor Ronnie Barker
(1929–2005) began his acting career in the town in the late 1940s
and in September 2010, almost five years after his death, a bronze statue of him was unveiled by actor David Jason
and Barker's one time co-star Ronnie Corbett
(the other half of The Two Ronnies
) on a new public place in Exchange Street.
-0.8333)1.
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands
South Midlands
The South Midlands is a notional area of England. According to one definition, it is the southern portion of the East Midlands together with the northern portion of South East England and the western portion of the East of England, and just as there is no agreed definition for these areas,...
an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands. In the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the Aylesbury Urban Area
Aylesbury Urban Area
The Aylesbury Urban Area is defined by the Office for National Statistics as a conurbation in central Buckinghamshire, England. It had a population of 69,021 . The largest population centre is Aylesbury itself at 56,392.-Pre 20th Century:...
, which includes Bierton
Bierton
Bierton is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, about half a mile northeast of the town of Aylesbury. It is a mainly farming parish, 10 km² in size....
, Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
, Stoke Mandeville
Stoke Mandeville
Stoke Mandeville is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district to the south-east of Aylesbury in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. Although a separate civil parish, the village falls within the Aylesbury Urban Area...
and Watermead
Watermead, Buckinghamshire
Watermead is a housing estate, situated less than half a mile north of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, however, the spine road entrance is situated within Aylesbury. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district. It is a very popular place to live for young couples and city...
, had a population of 69,021, which included 56,392 for the Aylesbury civil parish.
History
The town name is of Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
origin. Its first recorded name Æglesburgh is thought to mean "Fort of Aegel", though who Aegel was is not recorded. Since earliest records there have been 57 variations of the name. Excavations in the town centre in 1985 found an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort dating from the early 4th century BC. The town is sited on an outcrop of Portlandian limestone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
which accounts for its prominent position in the surrounding landscape, which is largely clay. Aylesbury was a major market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, famous in addition as the burial place of Saint Osyth
Osyth
Osgyth was an English saint. She is primarily commemorated in the village of Saint Osyth, Essex, near Colchester...
, whose shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
attracted pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s. The Early English parish church of St. Mary (which has many later additions) has a crypt beneath. Once thought to be Anglo-Saxon, it is now recognised as being of the same period as the medieval chapel above. At the Norman Conquest, the king took the manor of Aylesbury for himself, and it is listed as a royal manor in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, 1086.
In 1450 a religious institution called the Guild of St Mary was founded in Aylesbury by John Kemp
John Kemp
John Kemp was a medieval English cardinal, archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England.-Biography:Kemp was son of Thomas Kempe, a gentleman of Ollantigh, in the parish of Wye near Ashford, Kent...
, Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. Known popularly as the Guild of Our Lady it became a meeting place for local dignitaries and a hotbed of political intrigue. The Guild was influential in the final outcome of the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. Its premises at the Chantry in Church Street, Aylesbury, are still there, though today the site is occupied mainly by almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s.
Aylesbury was declared the county town of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
in 1529 by King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
: Aylesbury Manor was among the many properties belonging to Thomas Boleyn
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, KG was an English diplomat and politician in the Tudor era. He was born at the family home, Hever Castle, Kent, which had been purchased by his grandfather Geoffrey Boleyn, who was a wealthy mercer. He was buried at St. Peter's parish church in the village of...
the father of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
and it is rumoured that the change was made by the king in order to curry favour with the holders of the manor. (Previously the county town of Buckinghamshire was Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
).
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
when it became a stronghold for the Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
forces, like many market towns a nursing-ground of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
sentiment and in 1642 the Battle of Aylesbury
Battle of Aylesbury
On the 1 November 1642, Royalist forces, under the command of Prince Rupert engaged Aylesbury's Parliamentarian garrison, at Holman's Bridge a few miles to the north of Aylesbury town...
was fought and won by the Parliamentarians. Its proximity to Great Hampden
Great Hampden
Great and Little Hampden is a civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about three miles south-east of Princes Risborough. It incorporates the villages of Great Hampden and Little Hampden, and the hamlets of Green Hailey and Hampden Row...
, home of John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
has made of Hampden a local hero: his silhouette is on the emblem used by Aylesbury Vale District Council and his statue stands prominently in the town centre. Aylesbury born composer, Rutland Boughton
Rutland Boughton
Rutland Boughton was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music....
(1878–1960), possibly inspired by the statue of John Hampden, created a symphony based on Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
.
On 18 March 1664, Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin
Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury
Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury and 2nd Earl of Elgin, PC, FRS was the son of Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin....
in the Peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
was created 1st Earl of Ailesbury
Marquess of Ailesbury
Marquess of Ailesbury is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 17 July 1821 for Charles Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury....
, Viscount Bruce, of Ampthill in the County of Bedford, and Baron Bruce, of Skelton in the County of York, all in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
.
The Jacobean mansion of Hartwell
Hartwell
Hartwell is a village in central Buckinghamshire, England. It is to the south of Aylesbury, by the village of Stone.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "spring frequented by deer". In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as Herdeuuelle and Herdewelle.The ruined Hartwell...
nearby was the residence of Louis XVIII
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
during his exile (1810–1814). Bourbon Street in Aylesbury is named after the king. Louis's wife, Marie Josephine of Savoy died at Hartwell in 1810 and is buried in the churchyard there. She is the only French Queen to be buried on English soil. The town's heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
crest is the Aylesbury duck
Aylesbury duck
The Aylesbury duck is a breed of domesticated duck, bred mainly for its meat and appearance. It is a large duck with pure white plumage, a pink bill, orange legs and feet, an unusually large keel, and a horizontal stance with its body parallel to the ground...
, which has been bred here since the birth of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
The town also received international publicity in the 1960s when the culprits responsible for the Great Train Robbery were tried at Aylesbury Crown Court. The robbery took place at Bridego Bridge, a railway bridge at Ledburn
Ledburn
Ledburn is a hamlet in the parish of Mentmore, in Buckinghamshire, England. The name Ledburn is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "stream with a conduit". In manorial records of 1212 it was recorded as "Leteburn"....
, about six miles (10 km) from the town. The 7 July 2005
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
bomber Germaine Lindsay
Germaine Lindsay
Germaine Maurice Lindsay , also known as Abdullah Shaheed Jamal, was one of the four homegrown terrorists who detonated bombs on three trains on the London Underground and one bus in central London during the 7 July 2005 London bombings, killing 56 people , and injuring more than 700...
's home was in Aylesbury at the time of the bombings, though he was originally from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School with Specialisms in Science and Performing Arts is a co-educational grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. It is one of three Grammar Schools in Aylesbury Town. The others are...
and Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School became boys-only. The two schools remain on adjacent sites. The current headteacher is Alan Rosen....
. Other notable buildings are the King's Head Inn
King's Head Inn, Aylesbury
The King's Head Inn is notable as being one of the oldest public houses with a coaching yard in the south of England. It is located in the Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire....
, which with the Fleece Inn
The Fleece Inn
The Fleece Inn is a public house in Bretforton, Worcestershire in the Vale of Evesham: the half-timbered building, over six hundred years old, has been a pub since 1848, and is now owned by the National Trust. The inn was extensively damaged by fire on 27 February 2004 — repairs and...
at Bretforton is one of the few public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in the country owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
still run as a public house, and the Queens Park Centre
Queens Park Centre
The Queens Park Centre is an arts centre and theatre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Based in a former Edwardian primary school and receiving no funding from local government it is the largest independent arts centre in the UK....
, the UK's largest independent arts centre.
Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
, the country residence of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
since 1921, is just four miles southeast of Aylesbury.
James Henry Govier
James Henry Govier
James Henry Govier was an English painter born at Oakley, Buckinghamshire.He was the only son of Henry Govier and Mary Ann Measey. In 1914 the family moved to the small town of Gorseinon in Gower near Swansea, where James was educated at the local school. At the age of fourteen he left school to...
the British painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and etcher resided at Aylesbury and produced a number of works relating to the town including the church, canal, Walton, Aylesbury Gaol, the King's Head
King's Head Inn, Aylesbury
The King's Head Inn is notable as being one of the oldest public houses with a coaching yard in the south of England. It is located in the Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire....
and views of the town during the 1940s and 1950s, examples of which can be seen in the Buckinghamshire County Museum
Buckinghamshire County Museum
The Buckinghamshire County Museum is a museum in the centre of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, England. It displays artefacts pertinent to the history of Buckinghamshire including geological displays, costume, agriculture and industry...
in Aylesbury. Govier was born at Oakley
Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England of about 400 households with a population of 1,059 people and an area of...
, and was the etching demonstrator at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
.
Modern Aylesbury
London overspill
London overspill is the term given to the communities created - largely consisting of publicly provided housing - as a result of the Government policy of moving residents out of Greater London, England into other towns around the South East, East Anglia and beyond.-Policy development:The policy...
housing estates, built to ease pressure on the capital, and to move people from crowded inner city slums to more favourable locations. Indeed Aylesbury, to a greater extent than many English market towns, saw substantial areas of its own heart demolished in the 1950s/1960s as 16th-18th century houses (many in good repair) were pulled down to make way for commercial developments.
Aylesbury's population was expected to increase between 2003 and 2005 with a new housing estate designed to cater for eight thousand people on the north side of the town, sandwiched between the A41
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
(Akeman Street
Akeman Street
Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked Watling Street with the Fosse Way. Its junction with Watling Steet was just north of Verulamium and that with the Fosse Way was at Corinium Dobunnorum...
) and the A413
A413 road
The A413 is a major road in England that links Gerrards Cross to Towcester. It passes through various towns and villages including Buckingham, Aylesbury, Wendover, Winslow, Great Missenden and Amersham....
, and the expansion of Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
village.
Housing estates in the modern Aylesbury include: Bedgrove
Bedgrove
Bedgrove is one of the housing estates of the modern town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, though it takes its name from a farm and hamlet that stood in the area until the area was cleared for building in the late 1950s. At the time it was built it was the largest housing estate of its kind in the...
, Broughton
Broughton, Aylesbury
Broughton is a hamlet to the east of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England and together with Bierton and other neighbouring hamlets forms part of the civil parish of Bierton with Broughton. Broughton is also the name of a nearby housing estate in Aylesbury itself.Broughton was first recorded as...
, Elm Farm
Elm Farm, Aylesbury
Elm Farm is a modern housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and one of the last new estates to be built within the parish boundary of Aylesbury....
, Elmhurst
Elmhurst, Aylesbury
Elmhurst is a neighbourhood in north Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It occupies the area to the north and south of Elmhurst Road, now a section of the town's ring road....
, Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
, Haydon Hill
Haydon Hill
Haydon Hill is part of the town of Aylesbury, England. The neighbourhood is to the north of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It occupies the area to the north of the town and to the west of the A41, Bicester Road....
, Hawkslade Farm, Meadowcroft, Prebendal Farm
Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury
Prebendal Farm is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located to the south of the town, bordered by the Oxford Road, the railway and the Bearbrook ....
, Quarrendon
Quarrendon (estate)
Quarrendon is a large housing estate on the north west side of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The estate is named after the nearby ancient village of Quarrendon....
, Queens Park
Queens Park, Aylesbury
Queens Park is a late Victorian / early Edwardian area of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It was one of the first developments outside the historic centre of the town, lying just south of the Aylesbury branch of the Grand Union Canal. Queens Park is mainly made up of terraced cottages with...
, Southcourt, Stoke Grange, Walton Court
Walton Court
Walton Court is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.Through the 1990s the estate became well known as an area with a very moderate crime rate and parts of the estate have had to have been redesigned or rebuilt to overcome some of the difficulties...
, Watermead and the Willows. Aylesbury has also been extended to completely surround the former hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
or farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s at Bedgrove, California
California, Buckinghamshire
California is a hamlet to the south side of Aylesbury town centre in Buckinghamshire in England, although today it has been completely swallowed up by the urban growth of Aylesbury....
, New Zealand
New Zealand, Buckinghamshire
New Zealand is a hamlet in the civil parish of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, on the A413 heading out to the north of Aylesbury town centre. It has been swallowed up by the urban growth of Aylesbury, but the public house of the same name remains today. It gained its name from a breed of cow...
, Prebendal Farm, Quarrendon, Turnfurlong
Turnfurlong
Turnfurlong is an area of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It is roughly defined as the area of housing that adjoins the two roads, Turnfurlong and Turnfurlong Lane ....
and Walton. If plans to increase the size of the town by twenty thousand people go ahead, suburban Aylesbury could well meet up with the neighbouring villages of Bierton, Hartwell
Hartwell
Hartwell is a village in central Buckinghamshire, England. It is to the south of Aylesbury, by the village of Stone.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "spring frequented by deer". In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as Herdeuuelle and Herdewelle.The ruined Hartwell...
, Stoke Mandeville, Stone
Stone, Buckinghamshire
Stone is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located southwest of the town of Aylesbury, on the A418 road that links Aylesbury to Thame...
, Sedrup
Sedrup
Sedrup is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located south west of the town of Aylesbury, close to the villages of Stone, Bishopstone and Hartwell which also provide the name of the civil parish within which Sedrup lies....
and Weston Turville
Weston Turville
Weston Turville is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about a mile and a half south east of Aylesbury and the parish is bisected across the top by Akeman Street....
. Areas most popular in the town are the Conservation Area around St. Mary's church and Queens Park
Queens Park, Aylesbury
Queens Park is a late Victorian / early Edwardian area of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It was one of the first developments outside the historic centre of the town, lying just south of the Aylesbury branch of the Grand Union Canal. Queens Park is mainly made up of terraced cottages with...
, particularly facing onto the canal. These anticipated developments are expected to raise the urban population of Aylesbury from its current approximation of 75,000 to around 100,000 within the next 15–20 years.
The town centre has many pubs and bars, along with some nightclubs, and Friday and Saturday nights can be lively.
The local newspaper is the Bucks Herald
Bucks Herald
The Bucks Herald is a weekly newspaper, published every Wednesday and covering Aylesbury and its surrounding villages in the Aylesbury Vale area of Buckinghamshire, England. It was first published on January 7, 1832....
. The local radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
is Mix 96
Mix 96 (Aylesbury)
Mix 96 is the Independent Local Radio station for the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England.- History :First airing in 1994, it was the first radio station to gain a permanent licence to broadcast from Aylesbury...
.
One of the more prominent buildings in Aylesbury is the "Blue Leanie" office block, home to Halifax Bank of Scotland
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
(HBOS). When first built it was thought to be a potential hazard to passing motorists, due to the sun reflecting off its large mirrored surface. As a result a line of mature trees was planted alongside the main road to prevent dazzling.
The town is served by Aylesbury railway station
Aylesbury railway station
Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station...
and Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station is a railway station serving villages to the northwest of Aylesbury. It will also serve the Berryfields and Weedon Hill housing developments to the north of the town when these are completed. The station is served by Chiltern Railways and opened on 14 December...
, the latter of which is the present terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
of passenger services from London
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
Marylebone.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is a £42million theatre in Aylesbury, England, United Kingdom presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime.-History:...
, a new £42 million theatre, with 1,200 seat auditorium, opened in October 2010. In addition to this, the surrounding area is being redeveloped as part of the £100 million Waterside project. When this is completed, originally planned for June 2010, there will be 260000 sq ft (24,154.8 m²) of new retail floor space and 1,100 new jobs created, although when this will be completed now is unclear.
The Bourg Walk Bridge (also called the Southcourt Bridge or the Roberts Bridge after a local councillor) opened in March 2009 connecting Southcourt to Aylesbury town centre. The focus of the footbridge is a central concrete pillar with four suspension cables supporting the structure. This bridge forms a central part of the Aylesbury Hub project. Bourg Walk was nominated and won the Engineering Excellence Award 2009 awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers - South East England branch .
Administration
Aylesbury Town Council is the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
council within Aylesbury Vale
Aylesbury Vale
The Aylesbury Vale is a large area of flat land mostly in Buckinghamshire, England. Its boundary is marked by Milton Keynes to the north, Leighton Buzzard and the Chiltern Hills to the east and south, Thame to the south and Bicester and Brackley to the west.The vale is named after Aylesbury, the...
district for the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. In 2010, it comprises 24 councillors, 19 of whom are Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, the remaining 5 Conservative. The council represents only the constituents
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of Aylesbury town itself. Surrounding villages and some recent developments on the outskirts of Aylesbury like Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
& Watermead
Watermead, Buckinghamshire
Watermead is a housing estate, situated less than half a mile north of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, however, the spine road entrance is situated within Aylesbury. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district. It is a very popular place to live for young couples and city...
have their own parish council. In 2010 the district council decided that the new developments of Berryfields
Berryfields
Berryfields is a Major Development Area to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Weedon Hill, to the east. The aim is that by 2021 these two areas will provide 3,000 new homes between them...
and Weedon Hill
Weedon Hill
Weedon Hill is a Major Development Area to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Berryfields, to the west. The aim is that by 2021 these two areas will provide 3,000 new homes between them...
, both to the north of Aylesbury, should also join to form a new parish as of May 2011.
The Town Council also elects the Town Mayor from the serving Town Councillors every year. The process culminates in a formal "Mayor Making" ceremony where the new Mayor takes over from the preceding Mayor. The role of mayor is mainly a ceremonial role representing the town at various events and acting as an ambassador for the town.
The Town Council is in a process of discussions to take over responsibility for some public services from Aylesbury Vale District Council.
Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
which can be found in many small towns in England.
John Vanbrugh
John Vanbrugh
Sir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites...
judged two sets of plans for the County Hall (now Aylesbury Crown Court);
however, the buildings of the town were designed by local architects.
Aylesbury retains some buildings from the medieval, Georgian and Victorian periods, as well as the 20th century.
Ceely House (part of the County Museum), Ardenham House, the Union Workhouse and the County Gaol are among the most notable buildings in the town.
St Mary's Church, sited upon a hill surrounded by narrow streets and squares of substantial 18th century town houses,
such as Castle Street, Temple Square and Parson's Fee give an indication of how Aylesbury may have appeared in the 18th century.
Education
Aylesbury is home to one College of General Further Education (Aylesbury CollegeAylesbury College
Aylesbury College is a general further education college in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It educates students in a broad range of vocational fields, including Creative Arts, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Hospitality and Catering, Construction, Business and IT in addition to A...
on Oxford Road), three grammar schools, two community upper schools
Community school
The term "community school" refers to types of publicly funded school in England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to a school that serves as both an educational institution and a centre of community life. A community school is both a place and a...
, an academy and a host of primary schools.
The secondary schools are:
- Aylesbury Grammar SchoolAylesbury Grammar SchoolAylesbury Grammar School is a single-sex male grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, which educates 1,250 pupils.-Admissions:As a selective state school, its entry requirements are dictated by the exam taken at the age of 10-11...
(boys only) - Aylesbury High SchoolAylesbury High SchoolAylesbury High School was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School became boys-only. The two schools remain on adjacent sites. The current headteacher is Alan Rosen....
(girls only) - The Aylesbury Vale Academy
- The Grange SchoolThe Grange School, AylesburyThe Grange School is a co-educational secondary school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1250 pupils....
- Sir Henry Floyd Grammar SchoolSir Henry Floyd Grammar SchoolSir Henry Floyd Grammar School with Specialisms in Science and Performing Arts is a co-educational grammar school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. It is one of three Grammar Schools in Aylesbury Town. The others are...
- Mandeville Upper SchoolMandeville Upper SchoolMandeville Upper School is a secondary school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, built in the 1960s. There are approximately 1000 students currently attending Mandeville, aged between 11 and 18 years....
There are also the following special schools, that teach secondary school age children with learning disabilities
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
:
- Pebble Brook SchoolPebble Brook SchoolPebble Brook School is a co-educational special school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 16. The school has approximately 52 pupils....
- Stocklake Park Community SchoolStocklake Park Community SchoolStocklake Park Community School, , is a co-educational special school in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is a community school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 19. The school has approximately 65 pupils.The school caters for children with severe and multiple learning...
, formerly Park School
The Aylesbury Vale Secondary Support Centre is a Pupil Referral Unit
Pupil referral unit
In the UK, a Pupil Referral Unit is a centre for children who are not able to attend a mainstream or special school. Each local education authority has a duty to make arrangements for the provision of education in or out of school for all children of compulsory school age...
(PRU), which caters for permanently excluded
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
students.
Another large educational establishment in Aylesbury is the Aylesbury Music Centre
Aylesbury Music Centre
is an arm of the Buckinghamshire Music Service, based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.Aylesbury Music Centre comprises a team of 47 teachers who provide specialist music education to 64 schools across Aylesbury Vale...
, which has its own premises adjoining Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School became boys-only. The two schools remain on adjacent sites. The current headteacher is Alan Rosen....
.
Health
Stoke Mandeville HospitalStoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service hospital within Aylesbury Urban Area to the south of the town of Aylesbury, near the village of Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire...
is a large National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
to the south of the town centre. Its National Spinal Injuries Centre is one of the largest specialist spinal units in the world, and the pioneering rehabilitation work carried out there by Sir Ludwig Guttmann led to the development of the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
. Stoke Mandeville Stadium
Stoke Mandeville Stadium
Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the National Centre for Disability Sport in the United Kingdom. It is sited alongside Stoke Mandeville Hospital near Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire...
was developed alongside the hospital and is the National Centre for Disability Sport in the United Kingdom.
Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital
Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital
The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital was founded in 1832 in response to the cholera epidemic that swept across England at that time. It is situated in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire...
is a private hospital specialising in spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
.
There is also a facility for mental health treatment at Tindal Centre
Tindal Centre
The Tindal Centre is a centre for the treatment of mental illnesses in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It includes a residential hospital for people with profound mental health difficulties and also counselling/therapy outpatient services...
on Bierton Road with CMHT's based in Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys
Fairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
Trade and industry
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
dating back to the Saxon period. This is because it was established on the main Akeman Street which became an established trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
linking London to the southwest
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
. In 1180 a gaol was established in the town (it is still there though has moved locations two or three times) which only really happened in main towns across the country.
By 1477 flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
was being ground in the town for surrounding parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. By the modern period this had grown into a huge established industry: the last mill in Aylesbury was closed in the 1990s (Hills & Partridge on the canal behind Tesco). By 1560 the manufacture of needles
Sewing needle
A sewing needle is a long slender tool with a pointed tip. The first needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or 18K gold plated for corrosion resistance. The highest quality embroidery needles are plated with two-thirds platinum and...
had become a large industry in Long Crendon
Long Crendon
Long Crendon is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, about west of Haddenham and north-west of Thame in neighbouring Oxfordshire.The village has been called Long Crendon only since the English Civil War...
, a village close to Aylesbury, which was an important production centre.
In 1672 poor children in Buckinghamshire were taught to make lace
Needle lace
Needle lace is a type of lace created using a needle and thread to stitch up hundreds of small stitches to form the lace itself....
as a way to make a living. Bucks lace as it became known quickly became very sought after and production boomed as the lace was mainly made by poor women and children. The lace-making industry had died out by Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, however, as new machine-made lace became preferable.
In 1764 Euclid Neale opened his clock making workshop in Aylesbury. In the 18th century he was one of the best clock makers in the country.
In 1814 the Aylesbury arm of the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
from Marsworth
Marsworth
Marsworth is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is about two miles north of Tring, in Hertfordshire and six miles east of Aylesbury.-Early history:...
was opened bringing major industry to the town for the first time. At the same time the Wendover arm was built leading to nearby Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
.
By the late 19th century the printers and bookbinders, Hazell, Watson and Viney and the Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
were the two main employers in the town, employing more than half the total population.
Today the town is still a major commercial centre and the market still meets on the cobbles of the old Market Square four days a week. Nestle and Hazell, Watson and Viney have both gone, as has the US Automotive parts producer TRW, who left the town in 2006. Although three major industrial centres make sure the town has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
Road
Aylesbury is served by the A41A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
, which runs from London to Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. The A413
A413 road
The A413 is a major road in England that links Gerrards Cross to Towcester. It passes through various towns and villages including Buckingham, Aylesbury, Wendover, Winslow, Great Missenden and Amersham....
and A418
A418 road
The A418 road is a main trunk road in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England. It begins at a roundabout with the A4146 just north of Ascott, near Leighton Buzzard. It then runs south as a single carriageway through Wing to Aylesbury. This stretch is proposed for a dual carriageway bypass. After...
roads also run through the town. The M40 motorway
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
at junction 9 is 14.7 miles (23.7 km) away and the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
is just over 21 miles (33.8 km) drive.
Bus
In 2006, work commenced on the public transport hub, a scheme comprising a one-way loop of bus lanes around the town's inner ring road, which includes improvements to the connectivity between bus and rail services. The first two phases of this scheme were completed in 2007, providing new bus lanes on Exchange Street, New Street, Friarage Road and White Hill, and also opened up High Street to buses. The final two phases, including the Bourg Walk Bridge and Station Boulevard were officially opened in April 2009.Aylesbury is well connected to local destinations by bus services. Run by Arriva
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, these services run every 20–30 minutes to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Thame
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
, Tring
Tring
Tring is a small market town and also a civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, England. Situated north-west of London and linked to London by the old Roman road of Akeman Street, by the modern A41, by the Grand Union Canal and by rail lines to Euston Station, Tring is now largely a...
, Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
and Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
. Hourly services also run to Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
.
Aylesbury is served by Buckinghamshire's first 'Rainbow Routes' network of bus services. The colour-coded routes were set up by Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
, and bus operators:
- Silver Rider 1Silver Rider (bus route)Silver Rider is a frequent bus service and railway station shuttle forming part ofAylesbury's rainbowroutes network of bus services,currently operated by local independent operator Z&S Buses and previously by...
- Z&S Buses, every 15 minutes to Fairford LeysFairford LeysFairford Leys is a new high density housing estate of 1,900 homes west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It has its own village centre with a number of traditionally fronted shops, a small supermarket, two restaurants, a nursery, an ecumenical church and a community centre. It also has a...
;
- Blue Route 2 - ArrivaArriva Shires & EssexArriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, every 15 minutes to Haydon HillHaydon HillHaydon Hill is part of the town of Aylesbury, England. The neighbourhood is to the north of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It occupies the area to the north of the town and to the west of the A41, Bicester Road....
and QuarrendonQuarrendon (estate)Quarrendon is a large housing estate on the north west side of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The estate is named after the nearby ancient village of Quarrendon....
;
- Orange Route 3 - Star Travel, every 20 minutes to ElmhurstElmhurst, AylesburyElmhurst is a neighbourhood in north Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It occupies the area to the north and south of Elmhurst Road, now a section of the town's ring road....
, Haydon HillHaydon HillHaydon Hill is part of the town of Aylesbury, England. The neighbourhood is to the north of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It occupies the area to the north of the town and to the west of the A41, Bicester Road....
and QuarrendonQuarrendon (estate)Quarrendon is a large housing estate on the north west side of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The estate is named after the nearby ancient village of Quarrendon....
;
- Green Route 4 - ArrivaArriva Shires & EssexArriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, every 15 minutes to The Coppice, Hawkslade Farm, Walton CourtWalton CourtWalton Court is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.Through the 1990s the estate became well known as an area with a very moderate crime rate and parts of the estate have had to have been redesigned or rebuilt to overcome some of the difficulties...
and Southcourt;
- Water Rider 6 - Redline Buses, every 20 minutes to ElmhurstElmhurst, AylesburyElmhurst is a neighbourhood in north Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It occupies the area to the north and south of Elmhurst Road, now a section of the town's ring road....
and WatermeadWatermead, BuckinghamshireWatermead is a housing estate, situated less than half a mile north of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, however, the spine road entrance is situated within Aylesbury. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district. It is a very popular place to live for young couples and city...
;
- Purple Route 7 - Z&S Buses, every 20 minutes to Southcourt, The Willows and Buckingham ParkWeedon HillWeedon Hill is a Major Development Area to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Berryfields, to the west. The aim is that by 2021 these two areas will provide 3,000 new homes between them...
;
- Red Route 9 - ArrivaArriva Shires & EssexArriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, every 15 minutes to Stoke Mandeville HospitalStoke Mandeville HospitalStoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service hospital within Aylesbury Urban Area to the south of the town of Aylesbury, near the village of Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire...
, Hawkslade Farm, Walton CourtWalton CourtWalton Court is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.Through the 1990s the estate became well known as an area with a very moderate crime rate and parts of the estate have had to have been redesigned or rebuilt to overcome some of the difficulties...
, Southcourt and BedgroveBedgroveBedgrove is one of the housing estates of the modern town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, though it takes its name from a farm and hamlet that stood in the area until the area was cleared for building in the late 1950s. At the time it was built it was the largest housing estate of its kind in the...
.
Other operators running to Aylesbury include Tiger Line (a name used by Woottens Luxury Travel
Woottens Luxury Travel
Woottens Luxury Travel are a coach company in Buckinghamshire, England and the surrounding counties. They run local bus services under the name Tiger Line.-History:...
) and Red Rose Travel.
Rail
The railways came to Aylesbury in 1839 when the Aylesbury Railway opened from CheddingtonCheddington
Cheddington is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire. The parish has an area of . The village is about 5 miles north-east of Aylesbury and three miles north of Tring in Hertfordshire...
on Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
's London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
. The Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
(later GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
) arrived via Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough is a small town in Buckinghamshire, England, about 9 miles south of Aylesbury and 8 miles north west of High Wycombe. Bledlow lies to the west and Monks Risborough to the east. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns,...
on 1 October 1863, and on 23 September 1868 the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway
Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway
The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway was an English railway located in Buckinghamshire, England operating between Aylesbury and Verney Junction.-History:...
(later Metropolitan Railway) was opened from , to make an end-on junction with the Wycombe Railway. The Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
(MetR) from Baker Street
Baker Street tube station
Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 1 and is served by five different lines...
arrived via Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
in 1892. The Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
(GCR) connected from Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone via the MetR in 1899. Between 1899 and 1953, Aylesbury had railway links to four London termini: Marylebone, Baker Street, Paddington, Euston. The Aylesbury Railway closed in 1953, The MetR, which later became the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
withdrew north of Aylesbury in 1936 and withdrew from the town in 1961. The GCR was dismantled north of Aylesbury in 1966. As a result, there were no regular passenger services north of Aylesbury until the opening of Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station is a railway station serving villages to the northwest of Aylesbury. It will also serve the Berryfields and Weedon Hill housing developments to the north of the town when these are completed. The station is served by Chiltern Railways and opened on 14 December...
in December 2008. Now only the GCR south of Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone is used for regular London services.
A rail scheme to extend passenger services northwestwards to a new station, Aylesbury Vale Parkway
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station is a railway station serving villages to the northwest of Aylesbury. It will also serve the Berryfields and Weedon Hill housing developments to the north of the town when these are completed. The station is served by Chiltern Railways and opened on 14 December...
, was completed in December 2008. This is sited on the formerly freight-only line towards Quainton at the point where the line crosses the A41 near Berryfields Farm, some 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of the main Aylesbury station. This area is to be known as the Berryfields Major Development Area, and will include Park and Ride facilities for Aylesbury.
A further expansion of rail services to Bletchley and Bedford (see East West Rail Link) is suggested in a consultants' report written to provide regional planning guidance to Bucks County Council concerning the development of Aylesbury Vale. Also the Great Central may be rebuilt in the future towards Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
as the railway is in need for expansion to ease capacity constraints.
Cycling demonstration town
In 2005 the town won £1million funding to be one of six Cycling Demonstration townCycling Demonstration town
In 2005, six English towns were chosen to be cycling demonstration towns to promote the use of cycling as a means of transport.The decision was made by Cycling England, a body set up by the Department for Transport...
s in England, which was match-funded by Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
. This allows Buckinghamshire County Council to promote the use of cycling amongst the general public, as well as provide facilities for cyclists, such as bike lockers, bike stands as well as Tiger and Toucan
Toucan crossing
A toucan crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing found in the United Kingdom that also allows bicycles to be ridden across. Since two-can, both pedestrians and cyclists, cross together, the name toucan was chosen....
road crossings.
Cycle Aylesbury, the team created to undertake the Cycling Demonstration town work, recently opened the first of their Gemstone Cycleways, which are a network of routes running from Aylesbury Town Centre to various locations around the town, including Stone, Bierton
Bierton
Bierton is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, about half a mile northeast of the town of Aylesbury. It is a mainly farming parish, 10 km² in size....
, Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
and Watermead. A second brochure/magazine was put out to accompany the routes, along with a redesigned website, CycleAylesbury.co.uk.
Notable residents
Aylesbury is or has been home to a whole range of notable people. In the latter part of the 20th century the main maternity unit in the district was located in Aylesbury at the Royal Buckinghamshire HospitalRoyal Buckinghamshire Hospital
The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital was founded in 1832 in response to the cholera epidemic that swept across England at that time. It is situated in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire...
; hence a large number of people were born in Aylesbury who may not have had any other association with the town. For a full list see People from Aylesbury. In alphabetic order of surname those who live or have lived in Aylesbury include:
- Benjamin BatesBenjamin BatesDr. Benjamin Bates was a physician, art connoisseur, and a member of the Sir Francis Dashwood's Hellfire Club, The Monks of Medmenham.-Biography:Details of Bates early life are sketchy...
, physician - Lynda BellinghamLynda BellinghamLynda Bellingham is a Canadian-born English actress, broadcaster and author, who is known for her distinctive husky voice.-Early life:...
, actress and television presenter - Ernest BullockErnest BullockSir Ernest Bullock was an English organist, composer, and educator.-Education:...
, organist and composer, died in Aylesbury - Brendan CarrBrendan Carr (actor)Brendan Carr in is a British actor and film producer.-Life:Born in Great Yarmouth, England, Carr trained at Stagecoach School of Performing Arts while attending regular school at The Grange in his home town of Aylesbury....
, actor, lives in Aylesbury - Mathilde CarréMathilde CarréMathilde Carré , known as "La Chatte", was a French Resistance agent during World War II who turned double agent....
, French double agent, was once a detainee at Aylesbury PrisonAylesbury (HM Prison)HM Prison Aylesbury is a Young Offender Institution situated in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The prison is located on the north side of the town centre, on Bierton Road... - Martin GrechMartin GrechMartin Grech is a Maltese-English singer, songwriter and musician from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.-Career:He first achieved critical acclaim after his falsetto track, "Open Heart Zoo" was featured on a Lexus advert on British television in 2002...
, singer-songwriter - John JunkinJohn JunkinJohn Francis Junkin was an English radio, television and film performer and scriptwriter.In 1960 Junkin joined Joan Littlewood's Stratford East Theatre Workshop, and played the lead in the original production of Sparrows Can't Sing...
, television performer and scriptwriter, died in Aylesbury - Germaine LindsayGermaine LindsayGermaine Maurice Lindsay , also known as Abdullah Shaheed Jamal, was one of the four homegrown terrorists who detonated bombs on three trains on the London Underground and one bus in central London during the 7 July 2005 London bombings, killing 56 people , and injuring more than 700...
, terrorist, was living in Aylesbury when he detonated a suicide bomb in London - John OtwayJohn OtwayJohn Otway, is an English singer-songwriter, who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.-Biography:...
, singer-songwriter - Charles William PearsonCharles William PearsonCharles William Pearson was a pioneer Anglican missionary in Uganda, and thus was one of the pioneers of the Church of Uganda. He was later a parish priest in England.-Early life:...
, missionary - James Clark RossJames Clark RossSir James Clark Ross , was a British naval officer and explorer. He explored the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry, and later led his own expedition to Antarctica.-Arctic explorer:...
, naval explorer, died in Aylesbury - Vernon ScannellVernon ScannellVernon Scannell was a British poet and author. He was at one time a professional boxer, and wrote novels about the sport.-Personal life:Vernon Scannell was born in 1922 in Spilsby, Lincolnshire...
, poet - William of SherwoodWilliam of SherwoodWilliam of Sherwood was a medieval English Scholastic philosopher, logician and teacher.Little is known of his life, but he is thought to have studied in Paris, as a master at Oxford in 1252, treasurer of Lincoln from 1254/8 onwards, and a rector of Aylesbury.He was the author of two books which...
, logician and teacher - Mike SmithMike Smith (Dave Clark Five)Michael George Smith ,was an English singer, songwriter, and music producer.In the 1960s, Smith was the lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Dave Clark Five...
of The Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
lived in Aylesbury - Mark WebberMark WebberMark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career...
, Formula 1 Driver with Red Bull Racing, born in Australia - John WilkesJohn WilkesJohn Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
, radical, MP for Aylesbury 1757 & 1761, lived at Prebendal House in the town - The Great Train Robbers stood trial at Aylesbury Crown Court
Popular culture
Aylesbury has several notable entries in modern popular culture.The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
& The Ramones. Friars' Club celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, by holding three special concerts that reflected the various phases of the club's musical history. The first concert in June featured the Edgar Broughton Band, the Groundhogs and the Pretty Things. In October, Stiff Little Fingers, Penetration and the Disco Students appeared to celebrates the punk/new wave era. In November, Kid Creole & the Coconuts and China Crisis played. The band Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
originally formed here, with the band's first single, 1982's Market Square Heroes
Market Square Heroes
"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single of neo-progressive rock band Marillion, released in 1982 with "Three Boats Down From The Candy" as the B-side...
taking its title inspiration from Aylesbury's Market Square.
It is believed that the scene in the opening of the film A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
when the droogs beat up the elderly Irish man was filmed in Aylesbury, in the underpass linking Friars' Square Shopping Centre with the railway station. Even Christiane Kubrick's book Stanley Kubrick — A Life In Pictures states this. Another scene from the film was shot in Friars' Square itself but never made it to the final cut. This is the 'Librarian Scene' where outtakes from the shoot and rehearsal can be seen in Alison Castle's The Stanley Kubrick Archives published by Taschen.
According to Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
on Camera 2 in the summer of 2002: "We did a sequence in Aylesbury. The town square was decorated with giant rubber ducks, weird animals, they were huge, and we accosted an old guy from the library. I ripped out these priceless books that he had and I threw them up. I remember my line, it was taken from the book, it was: 'There's a mackerel of a cornflake for you.' The pages from the ripped books fall like confetti. The retribution was that Alex goes to the library when he is cured and all the old codgers in the library go: 'You were the one!'"
The County Court building and Aylesbury Market Square regularly feature in the BBC Television series Judge John Deed
Judge John Deed
Judge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove...
.
Aylesbury Methodist Church holds an annual organ recital, which has become very popular and attracts prominent organists from throughout the UK.
The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery
Roald Dahl Children's Gallery
The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is in Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. A children's museum in honour of Roald Dahl, it was opened on 23 November 1996 by Terence Hardiman, an actor popular with children due to his role as the titular role in The Demon Headmaster...
in Church Street, Aylesbury, is a children's museum in honour of novelist Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
that opened on 23 November 1996. Aylesbury hosts the Roald Dahl Festival, a procession of giant puppets based on his characters, on July 2.
Comedian and actor Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
(1929–2005) began his acting career in the town in the late 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
and in September 2010, almost five years after his death, a bronze statue of him was unveiled by actor David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
and Barker's one time co-star Ronnie Corbett
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
(the other half of The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
) on a new public place in Exchange Street.
Geography
Aylesbury is located at 51°50′00"N 00°50′00"W (51.8333,-0.8333)1.
Places of interest
- Buckinghamshire County MuseumBuckinghamshire County MuseumThe Buckinghamshire County Museum is a museum in the centre of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, England. It displays artefacts pertinent to the history of Buckinghamshire including geological displays, costume, agriculture and industry...
- King's Head InnKing's Head Inn, AylesburyThe King's Head Inn is notable as being one of the oldest public houses with a coaching yard in the south of England. It is located in the Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire....
- Roald Dahl Children's GalleryRoald Dahl Children's GalleryThe Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is in Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. A children's museum in honour of Roald Dahl, it was opened on 23 November 1996 by Terence Hardiman, an actor popular with children due to his role as the titular role in The Demon Headmaster...
- Waterside Theatre, opened October 2010.
Closest cities, towns and villages
See also
- Aylesbury CollegeAylesbury CollegeAylesbury College is a general further education college in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It educates students in a broad range of vocational fields, including Creative Arts, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Hospitality and Catering, Construction, Business and IT in addition to A...
- Aylesbury (HM Prison)Aylesbury (HM Prison)HM Prison Aylesbury is a Young Offender Institution situated in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The prison is located on the north side of the town centre, on Bierton Road...
- Aylesbury railway stationAylesbury railway stationAylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station...
External links
- Aylesbury Town Council
- Aylesbury Vale District Council
- Buckinghamshire County Council
- Aylesbury Town Guide
- Information on the growth and regeneration of Aylesbury
- Information about Aylesbury schools entrance exams
- St Mary's Church Aylesbury
- The Bucks Herald
- Friars Club Aylesbury
- Aylesbury links in wiki format
- Rainbow Routes network