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Aylesbury ( ) is the
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
, South East England. It is home to the
Roald Dahl Children's Gallery The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is a children's museum that uses characters and themes from the books of Roald Dahl to stimulate children's interest in science, history and literature. It is located on Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghams ...
, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the
Waterside Theatre The Waterside Theatre was an independent theatre/arts venue overlooking the Stratford Canal in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It was bankrupted after flood damage and the building has been taken over by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ...
. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
. Aylesbury was awarded
Garden Town The garden city movement was a 20th century urban planning movement promoting satellite communities surrounding the central city and separated with greenbelts. These Garden Cities would contain proportionate areas of residences, industry, and ...
status in 2017. The housing target for the town is set to grow with 16,000 homes set to be built by 2033.


History

The town name is of
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
origin. Its first recorded name ''Æglesburgh'' is thought to mean "Fort of Ægel", though who Ægel was is not recorded. It is also possible that ''Ægeles-burh'', the settlement's
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
name, means "church-burgh", from the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
word ''eglwys'' meaning "a church" (<
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''ecclesia''). Excavations in the town centre in 1985 found an
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
dating from the early 4th century BC. Aylesbury was one of the strongholds of the ancient Britons, from whom it was taken in the year 571 by Cutwulph, brother of Ceawlin,
King of the West Saxons This is a list of monarchs of Wessex until AD 886. For later monarchs, see the List of English monarchs. While the details of the later monarchs are confirmed by a number of sources, the earlier ones are in many cases obscure. The names are give ...
; and had a fortress or castle "of some importance, from which circumstance probably it derives its Saxon appellation". Aylesbury was a major
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
in
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
times, the burial place of Saint
Osgyth Osgyth (or Osyth; died 700 AD) was an English saint. She is primarily commemorated in the village of Saint Osyth, Essex, near Colchester. Alternative spellings of her name include Sythe, Othith and Ositha. Born of a noble family, she founded a ...
, whose
shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
attracted
pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...
s. The Early English parish church of
St. Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
(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 Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
, the king took the manor of Aylesbury for himself, and it is listed as a royal manor in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
, 1086. Some lands here were granted by
William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
to citizens upon the tenure that the owners should provide straw for the monarch's bed, sweet herbs for his chamber and two green geese and three eels for his table, whenever he should visit Aylesbury. In 1450, a religious institution called the Guild of St Mary was founded in Aylesbury by John Kemp,
Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
. 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 outcome of the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
. Its premises at the Chantry in Church Street, Aylesbury, are still there, though today the site is used mainly for retail. Aylesbury was declared the new county town of
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
in 1529 by
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...
: Aylesbury Manor was among the many properties belonging to Thomas Boleyn, the father of
Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...
, and it is rumoured that the change was made by the King to curry favour with the family. The
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
decimated the population in 1603/4. The town played a large part in the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
when it became a stronghold for the Parliamentarian forces, like many market towns a nursing-ground of
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
sentiment and in 1642 the
Battle of Aylesbury The Battle of Aylesbury was an engagement which took place on 1 November 1642, when Royalist forces, under the command of Prince Rupert, fought Aylesbury's Parliamentarian garrison at Holman's Bridge a few miles to the north of Aylesbury. Th ...
was fought and won by the Parliamentarians. Its proximity to
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. Great ...
, home of
John Hampden John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...
has made of Hampden a local hero: his silhouette was used on the emblem of
Aylesbury Vale District Council Aylesbury Vale District Council was the non-metropolitan second tier authority for Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire. It was responsible for housing, waste collection, council tax, local planning, licensing and cemeteries, while Buckinghamshire Co ...
and his statue stands prominently in the town centre. Aylesbury-born composer,
Rutland Boughton Rutland Boughton (23 January 187825 January 1960) was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. He was also an influential communist activist within the Communist Party of Gre ...
(1878–1960), possibly inspired by the statue of John Hampden, created a symphony based on
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
. On 18 March 1664,
Robert Bruce, 2nd Earl of Elgin Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury (later styled Aylesbury) and 2nd Earl of Elgin, PC, FRS (ca. March 1626 – 20 October 1685), was a Scottish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1663, when he inherited his father's ti ...
in the
Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...
was created 1st Earl of Ailesbury. The grade II* listed Jacobean mansion of
Hartwell Hartwell may refer to: Places * Hartwell, Victoria, a neighbourhood of Camberwell in Melbourne, Australia ** Hartwell railway station England * Hartwell, Buckinghamshire * Hartwell, Northamptonshire, a village * Hartwell, Staffordshire, a loca ...
adjoining the southwest of the town was the residence of
Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...
during his exile (1810–1814). Bourbon Street in Aylesbury is named after the king. Louis's wife,
Marie Josephine of Savoy Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tro ...
died at Hartwell in 1810 and is the only French queen to have died on English soil. After her death, her body was carried first to Westminster Abbey, and one year later to
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
, where the Savoy King of Sardinia had withdrawn during Napoleonic occupation of Turin and Piedmont; she is buried in the Cathedral of Cagliari. Aylebury's
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
crest displays the
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 ...
, which has been bred here since the birth of the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
, although only one breeder of true Aylesbury ducks, Richard Waller, remains today. The town also received international publicity in 1963 when the culprits responsible for the Great Train Robbery (1963) were tried at
Aylesbury Rural District Aylesbury was a rural district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It was named after but did not include Aylesbury, which was a separate municipal borough. History The district had its origins in the Ay ...
Council Offices in Walton Street and sentenced at
Aylesbury Crown Court Aylesbury Crown Court, also known as Old County Hall, is a former judicial facility and municipal building in Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, completed in 1740. The building served as the meeting place of Buckinghamshire County Counci ...
. The robbery took place at Bridego Bridge, a railway bridge at Ledburn, about six miles (10 km) from the town. 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 and has grade II* architecture; other grammar schools now include
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (SHFGS) is an 11–18 mixed, grammar school and sixth form with academy status in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. As a sele ...
and
Aylesbury High School Aylesbury High School (AHS) was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School (founded 1598) split to become two single-sex grammar schools. The two institutions remain on adjacent si ...
. Other notable buildings are the King's Head Inn, (which, with the Fleece Inn at
Bretforton Bretforton is a rural village in Worcestershire, England, east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. It is the largest farming village near Evesham. At the 2001 census, Bretforton had a population of 1,023 in 428 households. The area of the pari ...
, is one of the few
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s in the country owned by the
National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
and still run as a public house) and the
Queens Park Centre The Queens Park Arts Centre is an independent arts centre and theatre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Programme Queens Park Arts Centre offers more than 100 workshops on a weekly basis, covering artistic disciplines such as pottery, pain ...
.
James Henry Govier James Henry Govier (1 August 1910 – 21 December 1974) was a British painter and etcher, who worked in Swansea and East Anglia. Biography Govier was born on 1 August 1910, at Oakley, Buckinghamshire, the only son of Henry Govier and Mary Ann ...
, the British painter and
etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
, lived at Aylesbury and produced a number of works relating to the town including the church, canal, Walton,
Aylesbury Gaol His Majesty's Young Offender Institution (HMYOI) Aylesbury is a Young Offender Institution situated in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the north side of the town centre, on Bierton Road and is operated by His Majesty's Priso ...
, the King's Head Inn and views of the town during the 1940s and 1950s, examples of which can be seen in the
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. The m ...
in Aylesbury. The town is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games. During the
1948 Olympics 1948 Olympics may refer to: *The 1948 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an internation ...
in London, German-British neurologist
Sir Ludwig Guttmann Sir Ludwig Guttmann (3 July 1899 – 18 March 1980) was a German-British neurologist who established the Stoke Mandeville Games, the sporting event for people with disabilities (PWD) that evolved in England into the Paralympic Games. A Jewish ...
, set up a small sporting event for
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
veterans known as the
World Wheelchair and Amputee Games In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
(WWAG) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Rehabilitation Facility in Aylesbury. This eventually led to the growth of the phenomenon of the modern
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
that has been held immediately after every Summer
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
since 1988, and the WWAG was held most years at Stoke Mandeville until 1997, when it has been held in other countries and cities ever since. During the
2012 Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Game ...
, the official mascot was called 'Mandeville' after Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The
Rothschild Family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of F ...
acquired many large country estates and stately homes around and near the town, including Waddesdon Manor in nearby Waddesdon Village, Halton House near Wendover and
Tring Park Tring Park is a public open space in Tring, owned by Dacorum Borough Council and managed by the Woodland Trust. It is part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Half of the is undulating grassland, grazed by cattle. Part of the park ...
in Tring across the border in
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, although today most of these properties belong to the
National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
. They have brought in increased tourism to the town and the surrounding areas.


Demography

The town's population has grown from 28,000 in the 1960s to almost 72,000 in 2011 due in the main to new housing developments, including many London overspill housing estates, built to ease pressure on the capital. 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 demolished to make way for new, particularly retail, development. Aylesbury's population in the ten-year period since 2001 has grown by two thousand primarily related to the development of new housing estates which will eventually cater for eight thousand people on the north side, between the A41 ( Akeman Street) and the
A413 The A413 is a major road in England that runs between Gerrards Cross (west of London) to Towcester (northwest of Milton Keynes). It passes through or near various towns and villages including (in northbound order) Amersham, Great Missenden, W ...
and the expansion of
Fairford Leys Fairford Leys is an estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, designed in the urban village style, with the street and block layout geared to pedestrians more than cars. The three main developers of the development were bound by a design c ...
estate. According to the 2011 Census, the religious groupings in Aylesbury were:
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
(55.7%), no religion (26.9%),
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
(8.3%),
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
(1.4%), other (0.4%). 6.7% of respondents did not state their religion.


Geography


Neighbourhoods

Housing estates in or neighbourhoods of the modern Aylesbury include: *
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 ...
*
Berryfields Berryfields is a Major Development Area (MDA) to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Weedon Hill, adjacent and to the east. It is intended that thes ...
* Broughton * Buckingham Park *Coppice *Crown Leys * Elm Farm * Elmhurst *
Fairford Leys Fairford Leys is an estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, designed in the urban village style, with the street and block layout geared to pedestrians more than cars. The three main developers of the development were bound by a design c ...
*
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. The estate was built during the 197 ...
*Hawkslade Farm * Kingsbrook *Mandeville Estate *Mandeville Park * Meadowcroft * Prebendal Farm *
Quarrendon Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument. Description Quarrendon's site is now a large area of field ...
* Queens Park *Shakespeare Estate *
Southcourt Southcourt is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Building commenced in the early 1920s through to the mid-1930s and only stopped because of the Second World War. It was turned into a post war housing estate during the ye ...
*Stoke Farm *Stoke Grange *
Walton Court Walton Court is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The Walton Court estate was built during the 1970s as part of a major council housing expansion. The land had formerly been Farmland (farming), farmland, and for some time ...
* Watermead *
The Willows The Willows may refer to: Places * The Willows, El Paso, Texas, USA * The Willows, Queensland, a town in Australia * The Willows, Salford, home of Salford Rugby League club in Salford, England, UK * The Willows, Saskatoon, a residential community ...


Farms and hamlets

Aylesbury has also been extended to completely surround the hamlets and former farms at: *
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 ...
*
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
*
Fairford Leys Fairford Leys is an estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, designed in the urban village style, with the street and block layout geared to pedestrians more than cars. The three main developers of the development were bound by a design c ...
*
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
* Prebendal Farm *
Quarrendon Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument. Description Quarrendon's site is now a large area of field ...
*
Turnfurlong Turnfurlong (also known historically as Turn Furlong) is an area of Aylesbury (where at the 2011 Census the population was included) in Buckinghamshire, England. It is roughly defined as the area of housing that adjoins the two roads, Turnfurlong ...
* Walton


Future developments

Distinct whole areas that have a notably high property price in the town are
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 ...
, the
conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
around St. Mary's Church and Queens Park, particularly facing onto the canal. Anticipated developments are expected to raise the urban population of Aylesbury from its current approximation of 75,000 to over 100,000 between 2018 and 2023. London is centred southeast, over the Chilterns.


Elevations, soil and geology

Aylesbury is immediately southeast of the upper
River Thame The River Thame is a river in Southern England. A tributary of the River Thames, the river runs generally south-westward for about from its source above the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury to the Thames in south-east Oxfordshire. Course Thr ...
that flows past
Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...
to Dorchester on Thames and is partly sited on the two northernmost outcrops of Portland (lime)stone in England bisected by a small stream, Bear Brook which gives a relatively prominent position in relation to the terrain of all near, lower, fields and suburbs, which have largely slowly permeable Oxford Clay and Kimmeridge Clay soils. Elevations range from 72.5m
above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
to 95m AOD in contiguous parts of the town, however nearest villages range from 85m-90m to the north or from 85m to 115m on a narrow ridge to the southwest at Stone and towards the Chilterns to the southeast (Weston Turville, Stoke Mandeville and North Lee). The town centre's higher terrain is accurately described by Samuel Lewis in 1848 as a "gentle eminence". The county's oldest rocks of Jurassic age cover the whole of the northern half of Buckinghamshire, succeeded continuously by younger rocks to the south of the Chilterns.


Culture and community

The town centre is home to many pubs and bars. The
Queens Park Centre The Queens Park Arts Centre is an independent arts centre and theatre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Programme Queens Park Arts Centre offers more than 100 workshops on a weekly basis, covering artistic disciplines such as pottery, pain ...
, which is the UK's largest independent arts centre is also based in the town centre. The local newspaper is the '' Bucks Herald'', which started publishing in January 1832. The local radio station is Mix 96, which first broadcast in April 1994. One of the more prominent buildings in Aylesbury is the "Blue Leanie" office block, home to Lloyds Bank. 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.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is a £47 million theatre in Aylesbury, England, presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime. History In 2003, Aylesbury Vale D ...
, a new £42 million theatre, with 1,200-seat auditorium, opened in October 2010. In addition to this, the surrounding area has been redeveloped a £100 million project known as the 'Waterside project'. When this is completed, there will be of new retail floor space and 1,100 new jobs created, although when this will be completed now is unclear. A
Waitrose Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...
supermarket opened opposite the theatre in August 2013, along with a Travelodge Hotel. Branches of Wagamama and
Nando's Nando's (; ) is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries. Their logo (also seen as a sort of ...
restaurants opened on 'The Exchange' in February 2014, next to the
Odeon Odeon may refer to: Ancient Greek and Roman buildings * Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions * Odeon of Agrippa, Athens * Odeon of Athens * Odeon of Domitian, Rome ...
cinema on Exchange Street. This included luxury and high-end studio apartments, new restaurants including Zizzi, The Grill Steakhouse and Rococo Lounge, as well as a new public square including metal statues that represent Aylesbury as the home of the Paralympics, as well as poetry covering the ground. Prior to this a Wagamama Japanese restaurant &
Nando's Nando's (; ) is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries. Their logo (also seen as a sort of ...
have also opened on the site of the new square at the Exchange, known officially as 'Festival Square'. Also, a new campus of the ucks New Universityopened on the Waterside site next to the Waterside Theatre. 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 .


Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering the town, at parish and unitary authority level: Aylesbury Town Council, based at
Aylesbury Town Hall Aylesbury Town Hall is a name which has been used for two different buildings in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Since 2007 the name has been used for an office building at 5 Church Street, which serves as the headquarters of Aylesbury Tow ...
at 5 Church Street, and Buckinghamshire Council, which is also based in Aylesbury, having its headquarters at The Gateway on Gatehouse Road. Aylesbury Town Council is the parish council for the town. As at May 2021 it comprises 25
councillors A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
, 20 of whom are Liberal Democrats and 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 Fairford Leys is an estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, designed in the urban village style, with the street and block layout geared to pedestrians more than cars. The three main developers of the development were bound by a design c ...
& Watermead have their own parish council. In 2010 the district council decided that the new developments of
Berryfields Berryfields is a Major Development Area (MDA) to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Weedon Hill, adjacent and to the east. It is intended that thes ...
and
Weedon Hill Weedon is a village and civil parish north of Aylesbury and south of Hardwick in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. The toponym is derived from the Old English for "hill with a heathen temple". In records dated 1066 the vi ...
, 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.


Administrative history

Aylesbury was made a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
by a charter from Mary I in 1554, which gave the town the right to elect two
members of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
and to establish a council to govern itself. The right to establish a council was opposed by the prominent local landowner
Thomas Pakington Sir Thomas Pakington (–1571) of Hampton, Worcestershire, was knighted by Queen Mary on 2 October 1553 and was Sheriff of Worcester in 1561. Biography Thomas Pakington was the son of Robert Pakington, a London mercer and an M.P. for the City in ...
, and it seems likely that this element of the charter was not put into effect at that time. In 1650, following the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, the town did establish a degree of self-government under the auspices of the 1554 charter. However, in 1664, in the aftermath of the
Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...
, the town's short-lived council was abolished and the rights it had held reverted to the Pakington family which had exercised them prior to the civil war. Thereafter the town was governed by its
vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...
in the same way as most rural areas, although it remained a
parliamentary constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
. In 1849 a local board of health was established to govern the town. This board was replaced by Aylesbury Urban District Council in 1894, which was subsequently given
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
status on 1 January 1917, becoming Aylesbury Borough Council. The borough council was awarded a
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
in 1964. In 1974 Aylesbury Borough Council merged with several neighbouring districts to become Aylesbury Vale. No successor parish was initially created for Aylesbury, and it became an unparished area, directly administered by
Aylesbury Vale District Council Aylesbury Vale District Council was the non-metropolitan second tier authority for Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire. It was responsible for housing, waste collection, council tax, local planning, licensing and cemeteries, while Buckinghamshire Co ...
. The civil parish of Aylesbury was re-established in 2001, with its parish council taking the name Aylesbury Town Council. From 2001 to 2020 there were therefore three tiers of local government covering the town, at parish, district, and county level. Aylesbury Vale District Council was abolished in 2020, merging with Buckinghamshire County Council and other district councils to become a unitary authority called Buckinghamshire Council. Since 1 April 2020, when Buckinghamshire Council came into being, it has been responsible for almost all statutory local government functions across the county.


Education

Aylesbury is home to one college of general further education (
Aylesbury 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 C ...
on Oxford Road), three grammar schools, two community upper schools, an academy, a
university technical college A university technical college (UTC) is a type of specialist secondary school in England that is led by a sponsor university and has close ties to local business and industry. These university and industry partners support the curriculum developm ...
and a host of
primary schools A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
. The
secondary schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
are: * Aylesbury Grammar School (boys only) *
Aylesbury High School Aylesbury High School (AHS) was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School (founded 1598) split to become two single-sex grammar schools. The two institutions remain on adjacent si ...
(girls only) * The Aylesbury Vale Academy *
Buckinghamshire University Technical College Aylesbury UTC is a university technical college (UTC) which opened in September 2013 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. In November 2021, the college joined a Multi-Academy Trust. In 2022, the school underwent a rebrand and name-change from ...
* The Grange School *
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (SHFGS) is an 11–18 mixed, grammar school and sixth form with academy status in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after Sir Henry Floyd, a former Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. As a sele ...
* Mandeville School There are also the following
special school Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
s: *
The PACE Centre The PACE Centre is a UK-registered charity and special school based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK. It helps children and young people with motor disorders, such as cerebral palsy. Background PACE was founded by Heather Last in 1990 based on ...
*
Pebble Brook School Pebble 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 19. The school has approximately 152 pupils. The school caters for se ...
*
Stocklake Park Community School Stocklake Park Community School, (''formerly known as Park 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 a ...
, formerly Park School The Aylesbury Vale Secondary Support Centre is a
Pupil referral unit In the UK, a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) (previously known as Pupil Re-integration Unit by some Local Education Authorities) is an alternative education provision which is specifically organised to provide education for children who are not able to a ...
(PRU), which caters for permanently excluded pupils. Aylesbury Music Centre is a large educational establishment, which has its own premises adjoining
Aylesbury High School Aylesbury High School (AHS) was founded in 1959, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, when the previously co-educational Aylesbury Grammar School (founded 1598) split to become two single-sex grammar schools. The two institutions remain on adjacent si ...
and rivals the
Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...
, having produced members of national orchestras.


Health

Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
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 Sir Ludwig Guttmann (3 July 1899 – 18 March 1980) was a German-British neurologist who established the Stoke Mandeville Games, the sporting event for people with disabilities (PWD) that evolved in England into the Paralympic Games. A Jewish ...
led to the development of the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
.
Stoke Mandeville Stadium Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the National Centre for Disability Sport in England. It is sited alongside Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Stoke Mandeville Stadium is owned by WheelPower, the national organisation for whee ...
was developed alongside the hospital and is the National Centre for Disability Sport in the United Kingdom.
Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital (colloquially called the Royal Bucks) is a private hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is a Grade II listed building. History The hospital was established, by adding new wings to an 18th-century country ...
is a private hospital specialising in
spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...
. Aylesbury has for mental health therapy and treatments the
Tindal Centre The Tindal Centre (formerly Tindal Hospital) was a centre for the treatment of mental disorders in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It was managed by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. History The facility had its origins in a workhouse in ...
on Bierton Road. The Tindal Centre closed in early 2014 and Mental Health therapy and treatments along with Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Team's moved across the road to the new purpose-built hospital the Whiteleaf Centre. The former site of Tindal Centre has been transformed into a new housing development Bierton Place which has maintained the architecture of the original building and enhanced its beauty


Trade and industry

Traditionally the town was a commercial centre with a
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: * Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand * Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, a ...
dating back to the Saxon period. This is because it was established on the main Akeman Street which became an established
trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...
linking London to the southwest. In 1180 a gaol was established in the town .


15th century

By 1477 flour was being ground in the town for surrounding parishes. 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 Long Crendon is a village and civil parish in west 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.Birch, 197 ...
a village close by which was an important production centre.


17th century – lace making

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 cheaper. In 1764 Euclid Neale opened his clockmaking workshop in Aylesbury. In the 18th century, he was one of the best clock makers in the country.


19th century – canals

In 1814, the Aylesbury arm of the
Grand Union Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter st ...
from
Marsworth Marsworth is a village and a civil parish within the unitary authority area of Buckinghamshire, England. It is about north of Tring, Hertfordshire and east of Aylesbury. Early history The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, ''Mæssanwyrth' ...
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.


20th century – motor manufacture

From 1919 until 1925 the Cubit Engineering Works on Bicester Road was a volume manufacturer of motor vehicles. Approximately 3,000 cars were built, but a somewhat slow and heavy design could not survive the onslaught from cheap American competition. Their robust design and high ground clearance made them popular in less developed parts of the British Empire which lacked paved roads like Australia and South Africa. The works have been demolished for a domestic housing development. The marque is commemorated by Cubitt Street (and Edge Street) which traverses the old works. By the late 20th century, the printers and bookbinders,
Hazell, Watson and Viney Hazell, Watson and Viney was an English printing and publishing firm with works in Aylesbury that operated from 1839 to c. 1991. History The company started as a printing business established by a certain William Paul in Kirby Street, Hatton Gar ...
and the
Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...
dairy were the two main employers in the town, employing more than half the total population. These factories have long since been demolished and replaced by a
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
supermarket which opened in 1994, and a housing development, respectively.


21st century

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 and US automotive parts producer TRW have gone – the last left the town in 2006. However three major industrial and commercial centres make sure the town has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. A £150 million Arla Foods 'megadairy' opened just off the A41 in nearby Aston Clinton in November 2013, roughly from the town centre and is a major employer in the area. Traffic improvement measures were paid for by Arla in order to reduce the impact of congestion and pollution.


Sport and leisure

Aylesbury has two local semi-professional football teams,
Aylesbury Vale Dynamos F.C. Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Football Club is a football club based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Haywood Way. History The club was established in the 1930s as Negretti and Zambra, a works tea ...
which plays at Haywood Way and Aylesbury United F.C. which currently shares a ground with Chesham United. There is a strong cricket club in the town, that was formed in 1837 with success in the 1950s and 1980s and is again emerging as one of the strong clubs in mid- to north Buckinghamshire. Since 2013, Aylesbury has been host to a free 5 km run called the Aylesbury Parkrun. Aylesbury is represented in Rugby Union by Aylesbury Rugby Football Club, situated at Ostler's Field in the nearby village of Weston Turville; 'The Ducks' play in the 7th tier of English Rugby. Aylesbury's recent sporting success comes in Gymnastics with the Aylesbury Gymnastics Academy, training out of the lynx gym centre, producing two Olympians and both coming away with bronze medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for Great Britain.


Transport

;Rail The town is served by
Aylesbury railway station Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, on the London–Aylesbury line from via Amersham. It is from Aylesbury to Marylebone. A branch line from on the Chiltern Main Line terminates at the sta ...
and Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station; the latter is terminus of passenger services of the London to Aylesbury Line from
London Marylebone Marylebone station ( ) is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network it is also known as London Marylebone an ...
.
Stoke Mandeville Stoke Mandeville is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located three miles (4.9 km) from Aylesbury and 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from the market town of Wendover. Although a separate civil p ...
also lies in the town's urban area. Railways came to Aylesbury early, in 1839 when the
Aylesbury Railway The Cheddington to Aylesbury Line was an early railway branch line, opening in 1839. It was promoted by local people who formed the Aylesbury Railway to construct it, and it made a junction with the London and Birmingham Railway at Cheddington. ...
opened from Cheddington on Robert Stephenson's London and Birmingham Railway. The
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. The act ...
(later
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
) arrived via
Princes Risborough Princes Risborough () is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England, about south of Aylesbury and north west of High Wycombe. It lies at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, at the north end of a gap or pass through the Chilterns, the south end ...
on 1 October 1863, and on 23 September 1868 the
Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway (A&BR) was an English railway located in Buckinghamshire, England operating between Aylesbury and Verney Junction. History The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway Company was incorporated on 6 August 1860, and ...
(later Metropolitan Railway) was opened from to almost connect a loop with the Wycombe Railway. The
Metropolitan Railway The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...
(MetR) from
Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...
arrived via
Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, from Aylesbury and from High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. ...
in 1892. The Great Central Railway (GCR) connected from Nottingham Victoria to
London Marylebone Marylebone station ( ) is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network it is also known as London Marylebone an ...
via the MetR in 1899. Between 1899 and 1953, Aylesbury had railway links to four London termini: Marylebone, Baker Street,
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
and Euston. The Aylesbury Railway closed in 1953, the MetR, which later became the
Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...
of the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
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 goods-only line towards Quainton at the point where the line crosses the A41 near Berryfields Farm on the north-west outskirts of the town, some north of the main Aylesbury station. This area is to be known as Berryfields, a major development area and will include park and ride facilities for Aylesbury. A further expansion of rail services to a new Winslow railway station, ,
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
and
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
via the
Claydon LNE Junction Claydon railway station is a former railway station on the 'Varsity Line' (former Oxford  Cambridge line), that served the village of Steeple Claydon in Buckinghamshire. History Claydon was opened by the Buckinghamshire Railway on 1 May ...
(see East West Rail) is due to be opened by 2030.Transport Secretary officially launches East West Railway Company at Bletchley Park
East West Rail, 22 November 2017
} Until then connections are available to Oxford and Birmingham by changing at Princes Risborough. ;Roads Aylesbury is served by the A41 from London to
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
, which becomes the M40 however at Bicester west (by north) of Aylesbury. The
A413 The A413 is a major road in England that runs between Gerrards Cross (west of London) to Towcester (northwest of Milton Keynes). It passes through or near various towns and villages including (in northbound order) Amersham, Great Missenden, W ...
and A418 roads also run through the town. The
M40 motorway The M40 motorway links London, Oxford and Birmingham in England, a distance of approximately . The motorway is dual three lanes except for junction 1A to junction 3 (which is dual four lanes) a short section in-between the exit and entry slip-r ...
at junction 9 is away and the
M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...
is just over 's drive. ;Buses Aylesbury is served by
Aylesbury bus station Aylesbury bus station is a bus station in Aylesbury. The bus station has been noted for its unwelcoming environment, being situated under Friars Square shopping centre A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth E ...
. 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 Shires & Essex Arriva Shires & Essex is a bus operator providing services in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, with services extending to Oxfordshire and Greater London. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester. It is a subsidiary o ...
, these services run every 20–30 minutes to
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
(150),
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
(280), High Wycombe (300),
Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...
(110/280), Tring (500),
Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a ne ...
(500) and
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
(500). Hourly services also run to
Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
(61) and
Leighton Buzzard Leighton Buzzard ( ) is a market town in Bedfordshire, England, in the southwest of the county and close to the Buckinghamshire border. It lies between Aylesbury, Tring, Luton/Dunstable and Milton Keynes, near the Chiltern Hills. It is northwes ...
(150/164). Arriva also runs services to RAF Halton via
Weston Turville Weston Turville is a historic village and civil parish in the Vale of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, 3 miles (4.9 km) from the market town of Wendover and 3.5 miles (5.7 km) fro ...
and Wendover (50); Chesham via Wendover, Great Missenden and
Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, from Aylesbury and from High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. ...
(55); Steeple Claydon via Waddesdon and Quainton (with some services to Twyford and
Marsh Gibbon Marsh Gibbon is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is close to the A41 and the border with Oxfordshire about east of Bicester. History The village name comes from the English word 'marsh', describing the typical state o ...
) (16); Thame via Cuddington,
Long Crendon Long Crendon is a village and civil parish in west 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.Birch, 197 ...
and Worminghall (110);
Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...
and Maids Moreton via Whitchurch,
North Marston North Marston is a village and also a civil parish in the Buckinghamshire district in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about three miles south of Winslow, and four miles north of Waddesdon Waddesdon is a vill ...
,
Winslow Winslow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish * Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974 United States and Canada * Rural Municipality of Winslow ...
and Padbury (60). 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: * Orange Route 3 – Star Travel, every 20 minutes to Elmhurst,
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. The estate was built during the 197 ...
and
Quarrendon Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument. Description Quarrendon's site is now a large area of field ...
(Monday-Saturday); * Green Route 4 – Redline Buses, every 20 minutes to the Coppice, Elmhurst,
Berryfields Berryfields is a Major Development Area (MDA) to the north-west of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is one of two new major housing projects in Aylesbury, the other being Weedon Hill, adjacent and to the east. It is intended that thes ...
and Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station (Monday-Saturday); * Water Rider 6 – Redline Buses, every 15 minutes to Elmhurst and Watermead (Monday-Saturday); * Pink Route 8 –
Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Shires & Essex is a bus operator providing services in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, with services extending to Oxfordshire and Greater London. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester. It is a subsidiary o ...
, every 20 minutes to Broughton and
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 ...
(Monday-Saturday); * Red Route 9 – Arriva Shires & Essex, every 12 minutes to Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Hawkslade Farm,
Walton Court Walton Court is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The Walton Court estate was built during the 1970s as part of a major council housing expansion. The land had formerly been Farmland (farming), farmland, and for some time ...
and
Southcourt Southcourt is a housing estate in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Building commenced in the early 1920s through to the mid-1930s and only stopped because of the Second World War. It was turned into a post war housing estate during the ye ...
(daily). Also unofficially but on the Rainbow Routes website: * Route 2 – Redline Buses, every 30 minutes to
Quarrendon Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument. Description Quarrendon's site is now a large area of field ...
and Meadowcroft (Monday-Saturday); * Route 5 – Star Travel, every 15 minutes to
Quarrendon Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument. Description Quarrendon's site is now a large area of field ...
and Meadowcroft (daily).


Cycling demonstration town

In 2005, the town won £1million funding to be one of six
Cycling Demonstration town Cycling demonstration towns were part of a UK policy initiative to promote cycling that ran from 2005-2011. 2005: launch In 2005, 6 towns in England were chosen to be cycling demonstration towns to promote the use of cycling as a means of transp ...
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, and
Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
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 Bierton is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, about half a mile northeast of the town of Aylesbury. It is mainly a farming parish. Together with the hamlets of Broughton, Kingsbrook, Broughton Crossing and Burcott it hi ...
, Wendover and Watermead. A second brochure/magazine was published to accompany the routes, along with a redesigned website, CycleAylesbury.co.uk.


Notable people

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 Hospital The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital (colloquially called the Royal Bucks) is a private hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It is a Grade II listed building. History The hospital was established, by adding new wings to an 18th-century country ...
; 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 A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of propert ...
. In alphabetic order of surname those who live or have lived in Aylesbury include: *
Barns Courtney Barnaby George Courtney (born 17 November 1990) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Early life Courtney was born in England then moved with his family to Seattle, Washington when he was 4. He returned to the United Kingdom when 1 ...
, singer and songwriter was born in Aylesbury in 1990 *Sir David Jason, Actor, Lives in a hamlet on the outskirts of Aylesbury. * Michael Apted, film director and producer was born in Aylesbury in 1941 *
Benjamin Bates Benjamin Edward Bates II (13 March 1716 – 12 May 1790) was a British physician, art connoisseur, and socialite. Born into wealth, he was a prominent member of society and was selected to become a member of the Sir Francis Dashwood's Hellfire ...
, physician *
Lynda Bellingham Lynda Bellingham, OBE ( ; 31 May 194819 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as '' All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Doctor Who'', '' Second Thoughts'' and '' Faith in the Future''. Sh ...
, actress and television presenter *
Rutland Boughton Rutland Boughton (23 January 187825 January 1960) was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. He was also an influential communist activist within the Communist Party of Gre ...
, English composer was born in the town *
Emmerson Boyce Emmerson Orlando Boyce (born 24 September 1979) is a professional footballer who currently plays for Ashton Town A.F.C.. He usually plays as a right back, but could also be deployed in the centre of defence or at right wingback. Born in Ayl ...
, footballer, born in Aylesbury *
Ernest Bullock Sir Ernest Bullock (1890–1979) was an English organist, composer, and teacher. He was organist of Exeter Cathedral from 1917 to 1928 and of Westminster Abbey from 1928 to 1941. In the latter post he was jointly responsible for the music at the ...
, organist and composer, died in Aylesbury * Brendan Cole, professional dancer *
Mathilde Carré Mathilde Carré (30 June 1908 –30 May 2007), née Mathilde Lucie Bélard and known as "La Chatte", was a French Resistance agent during World War II who betrayed and turned double agent. Early life Carré was born in Le Creusot, Saône-et- ...
, French double agent, was once a detainee at
Aylesbury Prison His Majesty's Young Offender Institution (HMYOI) Aylesbury is a Young Offender Institution situated in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the north side of the town centre, on Bierton Road and is operated by Her Majesty's Priso ...
* Sir
Alexander Croke Sir Alexander Croke (July 22, 1758 – December 27, 1842) was a British judge, colonial administrator and author influential in Nova Scotia of the early nineteenth century. Life Croke was born in Aylesbury, England, to a wealthy family and ...
, British judge and Colonial Administrator in Nova Scotia, born in Aylesbury 1758 *
Jennifer Gadirova Jennifer Gadirova (born 3 October 2004) is an English artistic gymnast of Irish birth and Azerbaijani descent, representing Great Britain internationally. She represented Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the ...
Team GB gymnast who won Bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and twin sister of Jessica.], *
Jessica Gadirova Jessica Gadirova (born 3 October 2004) is an English artistic gymnast of Irish birth and Azerbaijani descent, representing Great Britain internationally. She represented Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the ...
Team GB gymnast who won Bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. *
Liam Gillick Liam Gillick (born 1964, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire) is a British artist who lives and works in New York City.
artist, born in Aylesbury, 1964 *
Martin Grech Martin Grech (born 14 November 1982) is an English singer, songwriter and musician from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Career Grech released his debut album ''Open Heart Zoo'', produced by Andy Ross, in June 2002. He achieved critical acclaim f ...
, singer-songwriter * Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Stoke Mandeville Games, later to become the
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
, lived and died in the town *
John Hampden John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...
, politician and Parliamentarian during the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, lived in Hartwell House. *
John Junkin John Francis Junkin (29 January 1930 – 7 March 2006) was an English actor and scriptwriter who had a long career in radio, television and film, specialising in comedy. Early life Born in Ealing, Middlesex, the son of a policeman, he and hi ...
, television performer and scriptwriter, died in Aylesbury *
Andrea Leadsom Dame Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (; ' Salmon; born 13 May 1963) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Northamptonshire since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Environme ...
, Conservative
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for South Northamptonshire; Minister of State for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change; candidate for the leadership of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
in 2016 *
Samantha Lewthwaite Samantha Louise Lewthwaite (; born 5 December 1983), also known as Sherafiyah Lewthwaite or the White Widow, is a British terrorist who is one of the Western world's most wanted terrorism suspects. Lewthwaite, the widow of 7/7 London terrorist ...
, terrorist, grew up in Aylesbury *
Constance Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( pl, Markiewicz ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the fir ...
, Irish politician, revolutionary nationalist,
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
and
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
was an inmate of the prison in Aylesbury in
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...
. * John Otway, singer-songwriter *
Nicholas Parsons Christopher Nicholas Parsons (10 October 1923 – 28 January 2020) was an English actor, straight man and radio and television presenter. He was the long-running presenter of the comedy radio show '' Just a Minute'' and hosted the game show '' ...
, TV presenter and actor (1923-2020) lived in Aylesbury and died at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. *
Charles William Pearson Charles William Pearson (1847–1917) was a pioneer Anglican missionary in Uganda, and thus was one of the pioneers of the Church of Uganda. In his journey to Uganda, he was also a significant early traveler in the Sudan. He was later a parish pri ...
, missionary *
Matt Phillips Matthew Phillips (born 13 March 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Championship club West Bromwich Albion and the Scotland national team. Born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to British born father of Barbadian desc ...
, footballer, born in Aylesbury * James Clark Ross, naval explorer, died in Aylesbury * Vernon Scannell, poet *
William of Sherwood William of Sherwood or William Sherwood (Latin: ''Guillielmus de Shireswode''; ), with numerous variant spellings, was a medieval English scholastic philosopher, logician, and teacher. Little is known of his life, but he is thought to have studied ...
, logician and teacher * Mike Smith, musician, of
the Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964 they had their first UK top ten sin ...
lived in Aylesbury * Pete Trewavas, musician, member of
Marillion Marillion are a British rock music, rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becomin ...
* Mark Webber, former
Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
driver who raced for Red Bull Racing,
Jaguar Racing Jaguar Racing is the name given to Jaguar Land Rover's racing interests. It currently competes in Formula E under the name Jaguar TCS Racing as a result of the partnership with Tata Consultancy Services. It was previously a Formula One construc ...
and
Williams F1 Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams and automotive engineer Patrick Head ...
, with nine career wins. Born in
Queanbeyan Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...
, Australia; resides in Aston Clinton (among other places) * Ellen White, England women's national football team, former
Chelsea Ladies Chelsea Football Club Women, formerly known as Chelsea Ladies Football Club, are an English women's football club based in Norbiton that competes in the Women's Super League, the top flight of women's football in England. Since 2004, the clu ...
,
Arsenal Ladies Arsenal Women Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is an English professional women's football club based in Islington, London, England. The club plays in the Women's Super League, the top tier of English women's football. Arse ...
,
Notts County Ladies Notts County Ladies Football Club was a women's football club based in Nottingham, England. Like the club's male affiliate Notts County FC, they played their home games at Meadow Lane. Notts County Ladies were created in 2014 when Lincoln L ...
,
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
, and current
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
football player was born and brought up in Aylesbury *
John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fo ...
, radical MP for Aylesbury 1757 & 1761, lived at Prebendal House in the town * The Anchoress grew up in Aylesbury from the age of four.


Popular culture

A live music nightclub in Aylesbury was prominent in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and renamed the Friars' Club in 1969. The venue hosted many of the top artists of the time, including
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
, the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
,
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
, Otis Redding,
the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...
, Hawkwind,
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
,
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, U2,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...
,
Marillion Marillion are a British rock music, rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becomin ...
&
the Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
. 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 Edgar Broughton Band, founded in Warwick in 1968, were an English rock band. Career The band started their career as a blues group under the name of The Edgar Broughton Blues Band, playing to a small following in the region around the ...
, the Groundhogs and the
Pretty Things The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unite ...
. The rock band
Marillion Marillion are a British rock music, rock band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becomin ...
have a close association with Aylesbury. They originally formed there, with the band's first single, 1982's " Market Square Heroes", taking its title inspiration from Aylesbury's Market Square. The band continue to be based in the area, with their Racket Records studio still close to Aylesbury, and in 2007 the band performed together with their original lead singer,
Fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
, for the first time in 19 years at Aylesbury. Aylesbury Methodist Church holds an annual organ recital, which attracts prominent national organists. The
Roald Dahl Children's Gallery The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is a children's museum that uses characters and themes from the books of Roald Dahl to stimulate children's interest in science, history and literature. It is located on Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghams ...
in Church Street, Aylesbury, is a children's museum in honour of novelist
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
that opened on 23 November 1996.Sharron L. McElmeel (199
100 most popular children's authors: biographical sketches and bibliographies
Libraries Unlimited, 1999
Aylesbury hosts the Roald Dahl Festival, a procession of giant puppets based on his characters, on 2 July. 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 ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
) on a new public place in Exchange Street.


Shown in productions

Scenes from the film ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' were filmed in
Friars Square Friars Square is a shopping centre located in the town centre of Aylesbury. The landlord is the Buckinghamshire Council, and managed by Montagu Evans. The shopping centre is a mixed-use development, incorporating elements of a previous shopping ce ...
in Aylesbury but did not make 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. The opening scene, in which the droogs beat up an elderly Irishman, is mistakenly cited as being filmed in the underpass linking Friars Square Shopping Centre with the railway station. However, Christiane Kubrick's book ''Stanley Kubrick – A Life in Pictures'' states that the underpass in the film has a different shape to the one in Aylesbury and these sequences were actually filmed in Wandsworth. The County Court building and Aylesbury Market Square regularly feature in the BBC Television series ''
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 Mr Justice Deed, a High Court of Justice, High Court judge wh ...
''.


Twin town

Aylesbury is twinned with the French town of Bourg-en-Bresse, which is in the east of the country, from Paris.


Places of interest with established encyclopaedia entries

*
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. The m ...
*
St. Mary the Virgin, Aylesbury The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Aylesbury, is an Anglican church of the Diocese of Oxford, in the centre of the town of Aylesbury. There is evidence of a church from Saxon times, but the present building was built sometime between 1200 and 1 ...
* King's Head Inn *
Roald Dahl Children's Gallery The Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is a children's museum that uses characters and themes from the books of Roald Dahl to stimulate children's interest in science, history and literature. It is located on Church Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghams ...
*
Waterside Theatre The Waterside Theatre was an independent theatre/arts venue overlooking the Stratford Canal in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It was bankrupted after flood damage and the building has been taken over by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ...
, opened October 2010.


Closest cities, towns and villages


Gallery

File:Church of St Mary, Aylesbury - geograph.org.uk - 4572.jpg, Church of St Mary, Aylesbury – Grade I listed church File:Aylesbury Church Street.jpg, The Old Grammar School, now museum and other buildings, Church Street, Aylesbury File:Church Street, Aylesbury (2).jpg, Church Street – detail File:Ayles00205A.jpg, Bucks 'New' County offices File:BlueLeany2008.jpg, Blue Leanie, office block of Lloyds Bank. File:Aylesbury KingsHeadInn02.JPG, 15th century King's Head Inn File:Aylesbury KingsHeadInn01.JPG, Beer garden of King's Head Inn File:Aylesbury's Hobgoblin - geograph.org.uk - 752699.jpg, Hobgoblin Inn File:Aylesbury railway station.JPG,
Aylesbury railway station Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, on the London–Aylesbury line from via Amersham. It is from Aylesbury to Marylebone. A branch line from on the Chiltern Main Line terminates at the sta ...
File:Aylesbury Vale 1.jpg, Part of Aylesbury Vale taken from the top of Coombe Hill, looking towards Aylesbury – the town's shape is visible.


Freedom of the Town

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Aylesbury.


Individuals

* Mrs. Freda Roberts : 25 April 2016. * Miss Ellen White : 25 April 2016.


See also

*
Architecture of Aylesbury The architecture of Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire, reflects that which can be found in many small towns the length and breadth of England. The architecture contained in many of the country's great cities is well recorded and d ...
*
Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency) Aylesbury is a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency created in 1553 — created as a single-member seat in 1885 — represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 2019 by Rob Butler (politician), Rob Butler of the Conse ...


Notes and references

Notes References


External links


Aylesbury Town CouncilAylesbury Vale District Council
*
Aylesbury.info Regional Website
{{Authority control County towns in England Hill forts in Buckinghamshire Local government in Buckinghamshire Towns in Buckinghamshire Market towns in Buckinghamshire Civil parishes in Buckinghamshire