Aylesbury has been a market and county town for many centuries. This is a short history of how the county town of Buckinghamshire grew from a Saxon settlement into the largest town in the Vale. For more on the modern town, see our about Aylesbury guide.
Early origins
Aylesbury is an ancient settlement with Saxon roots, and its name is generally traced to an Old English origin meaning a fortified place. The town appears in the Domesday survey, and its position in the fertile Vale of Aylesbury made it a natural place for trade and a market.
Market town and county town
A market has been held in Aylesbury for hundreds of years, and the historic Market Square remains the focus of the town. Aylesbury has been the county town of Buckinghamshire since the 16th century, taking on the role from Buckingham. The medieval St Mary’s Church and the King’s Head, a 15th-century coaching inn now owned by the National Trust, are among the oldest surviving buildings near the centre.
The Aylesbury duck
Aylesbury gave its name to the Aylesbury duck, a white domestic breed associated with the town and the surrounding Vale, which was raised in large numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries and supplied the London market.
Railways and Victorian growth
The arrival of the railways in the 19th century connected Aylesbury to London and the wider network and helped the town grow. Industry, brewing and printing became part of the local economy, and the town expanded around its old core.
The modern town
The 20th and 21st centuries brought significant expansion, with new residential areas and, more recently, large developments on the edges of the town under the Aylesbury Garden Town programme. Local government for the area is now run by Buckinghamshire Council; its heritage and archive services, including records for family and local history, can be reached through buckinghamshire.gov.uk.