King's Head Inn

The King's Head, one of the town's most impressive listed buildings, once fronted the Market Square but today is reached by a quaint cobbled passage. The Great Hall of this ancient inn dates from the 15th Century, and features a window displaying the arms of Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou. Henry VIII reputedly wooed Ann Boleyn at the inn, and it is thought that Oliver Cromwell stayed here whilst on a visit to Aylesbury, which was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the English Civil War. Visitors are welcome to the King's Head.

John Hampden

The town of Aylesbury played a significant role during the Civil War. John Hampden, MP for Wendover, was partly responsible for the outbreak of conflict through his refusal to pay ship tax to Charles I. He went on to successfully lead the defence of Aylesbury at the Battle of Holman's Bridge in 1642, and was a key figure in the defeat of the Royalists. John Hampden's important role in the Civil War is reflected in many local place names and public amenities - AVDC's logo being a case in point! There is also an imposing statue of John Hampden in the cobbled market square.

John Wilkes MP

Radical MP for Aylesbury John Wilkes was a controversial and well-known figure during the 18th Century. He was particularly renowned for womanising and his membership of the 'Hellfire Club'. In 1748 aged 22 he married Miss Mead who was 10 years his senior and they lived together in Prebandal House near the Parish Church of St Mary. A daughter was born, but shortly afterwards the marriage failed and he threw his energies into politics. He was elected to Parliament as member for Aylesbury in 1757.

Wilkes started a radical newspaper called the North Briton, the 45th issue of which launched a damning attack on King George III. Wilkes was accused of seditious libel and taken to the Kings Bench Prison. On 10 May 1768, 15,000 people amassed outside the prison chanting 'Wilkes and liberty'. Troops opened fire on the crowds killing seven people. Anger at the massacre led to disturbances all over London. However, the courts subsequently found Wilkes's arrest to be illegal and released him. His career took a turbulent turn following these events but after a period of exile overseas he returned to England, became MP for Middlesex, and ultimately Lord Mayor of London from 1774-75. He died at his beloved daughter's home in London in 1797. He is buried at the Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, where a tablet marks the burial place with the inscription 'John Wilkes: a friend to liberty'.

Industry & Commerce

During the 17th and 18th Centuries the staple cottage industries had been bone lace making and duck rearing, largely undertaken by an influx of poorer residents at this time. Throughout the 19th Century Aylesbury achieved widespread fame as the source of Aylesbury Duck, and visitors flocked to purchase the delicacy from local traders.

However, a number of significant events during the 19th Century began to slowly but surely change the character of the town. During the 1820s the canal opened, and then in 1839 Aylesbury acquired its own branch line of the main London and Birmingham railway. Small businesses began to flourish, and from 1850 onwards larger industries started to develop. In 1870, the Aylesbury Condensed Milk Company - a new company with a new product - built a factory on Tring Road next to the canal with its own wharf. A large London printing firm called Hazell, Watson and Viney set up a branch in Aylesbury, and by the 1880s there were around 400 employees at the expanding printing works. Various other printing firms were also located around the town.

By the 1950s and 60s waves of housing and office development produced a massive increase in population. Whilst substantial sections of the old town surrounding the Market Place were demolished through redevelopment in the 1960s, much of historic interest survives, particularly in the delightful streets surrounding the Parish Church of St Mary. The closure of the Cattle Market during the 1980s and the development of large modern office blocks reflects Aylesbury's dramatic change into a large, commercially vibrant town.

Market Square and the Courthouse

The Market Square has several important buildings including the Corn Exchange which was opened in 1865, and the 18th Century County Hall and Courthouse. A balcony, now removed, was used to publicly execute criminals. Luckier modern defendants have included Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, but the most famous trial in Aylesbury's history took place in the Council Chamber at Walton Street, where the Great Train Robbers were convicted in 1963/4.

Date Updated: 11/03/08