Aylesbury

Major roads throughout the region link to the national motorway network, with the M40 and M1 providing easy connections to London and the M25, as well as to Oxford, the Midlands and Birmingham. A fast mainline rail service runs to London Marylebone, while comprehensive bus and coach services provide connections to neighbouring areas as well as to major towns. Aylesbury can also be reached by water, with an arm of the famous Grand Union Canal providing a picturesque route into the town centre. Luton, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are all accessible by motorway.

Aylesbury's excellent shopping facilities feature a combination of popular high street names with traditional, independent retailers. Two modern malls located in the heart of the town house a further selection of big-name stores together with cafes and leisure facilities. A popular market is held on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while on Tuesdays, an antiques market offers a fascinating range of collectables and bric-a-brac. A supermarket superstore is located at Station Way.

Entertainment:
Arts and entertainment are equally well catered for, with a comprehensive selection of venues and events on offer. The Civic Centre, located in the Market Square, features an annual programme of top-name acts, as well as opera, ballet and a wide variety of concerts. The Limelight Theatre provides an additional venue for drama, comedy, dance and music. Film buffs can enjoy the latest releases at the town's 3-screen cinema, and a new multi-screen complex is nearing completion in the town centre.

A fascinating insight into the area's history and heritage is provided by the Buckinghamshire County Museum, which features permanent displays together with an art gallery and changing exhibitions of arts and crafts. An added attraction is the award winning Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, where interactive exhibits pay colourful homage to the writer's work.

A variety of local festivals and events add to Aylesbury's entertainment offer. Aylesbury Charter Day, an annual celebration of the granting of the town's Royal Charter, features a host of attractions including themed processions, street entertainment and a wide range of family activities. For music lovers, nearby Wendover's annual Music Festival is held from April to July. A September highlight is provided by The Bucks County Show, a traditional agricultural fair featuring exhibitions of livestock, craft stalls, live entertainment and extensive bar facilities. For those who enjoy eating out, a selection of cafes and restaurants serve a range of international cuisine, while the region's historic pubs provide traditional hospitality in welcoming surroundings.

Several major attractions are also located within easy reach of Aylesbury. The picturesque village of Quainton is home to The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, where 25 acres of grounds house a collection of historic locomotives, carriages and wagons. Special exhibits include a Victorian railway station, and 'steaming' days take place regularly throughout the year. The Chiltern Brewery, Buckinghamshire's oldest working traditional brewery , produces high quality English beers and is also the site of Britain's first Breweriana Museum.

Sport:
Aylesbury's sports enthusiasts are well catered for with a variety of venues and several high-profile local events. The Maxwell Pools and Leisure Centre is located in the heart of the town and features main and learner pools, together with a modern fitness suite. Similar facilities and an indoor sports hall are available at the nearby Guttmann Sports Centre. A 16-lane ten-pin bowling alley is on offer at the Jardines Club in Friars Square Shopping Centre, while a bowls green, putting greens and tennis courts are just some of the facilities available in Vale Park, the town's principal recreation area.

The Tour de Vale, a marshalled cycle ride through the country lanes of Aylesbury Vale, is a popular summer attraction with locals and visitors alike. However , Aylesbury's most prestigious sporting occasion is the World Wheelchair Games. Initiated 50 years ago by the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, an international centre for spinal injuries, The Games have evolved into one of the world's premier events.

For those in search of more leisurely pursuits, Vale Park with its Victorian bandstands and ornamental flowerbeds provides a beautiful setting in which to simply relax. The renowned countryside and picturesque villages of the Aylesbury Vale are all within easy reach, and canal cruises or hot air balloon flights provide an opportunity to view the surroundings from unusual perspectives. In addition, specialist wildlife centres offer the chance to get even closer to nature. The Oak Farm Rare Breeds Park and Bucks Goat Centre are working farms where visitors can view, and even feed , the animals. The St Tiggywinkle's Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham is renowned for its care of injured wild animals, and includes an information centre where visitors are given a unique insight into its work.

Heritage attractions located just a short distance from Aylesbury include magnificent Waddesdon Manor, former home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, and Claydon House, where the acclaimed BBC series Vanity Fair was filmed.

HISTORY: The town of Aylesbury boasts extremely early origins: its first significant population dates back to the Bronze Age, and major excavations have also revealed traces of an Iron Age hill-fort. In 55 BC, the Romans settled in the region, but it was not until the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in 571 AD that Aylesbury was given its name (originally, this was probably Aiglerburgh) and its population substantially increased.

The first recorded market took place in the 13th Century, and the marketplace, although reduced in size, remains the focal point of the town. During the 19th Century, Aylesbury achieved widespread fame as the source of Aylesbury Duck, and visitors flocked to purchase the delicacy from local traders.

The King's Head, one of the town's most impressive listed buildings, once fronted the market square but today is reached through cobbled passages. The Great Hall of this former inn dates from the 15th Century and features a window displaying the arms of Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou. It is said that Oliver Cromwell stayed here while on a visit to Aylesbury, which was firmly Parliamentarian during the Civil War.

John Hampden, MP for nearby Wendover, was partly responsible for the outbreak of conflict through his refusal to pay ship tax to Charles I. He went on to 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.

The Market Square boasts several other 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.

While substantial sections of the old town surrounding the market place were demolished through redevelopment in the '60s, much of historic interest survives , particularly in the delightful streets surrounding the parish church of St Mary .