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The Historical Development of
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is an old town, first recorded as long
ago as the year 571. It grew up on the Roman
Akeman Street; its market tolls are listed in the
Domesday Book. The development of
Aylesbury was initially due to the town's
position at the centre of rich agricultural land.
The town was an important staging post between
London, Oxford and Birmingham. Its importance was
reinforced by the construction of a link from the
Grand Union Canal in 1814. In 1863 the Great
Western Railway constructed a link which
reached the town, and this was added to in 1892
by a direct link to London. By the end of the 19th
Century the population had reached 9243.
In the first half of the 1900's the growth in the
town's industry and commerce was steady. The
physical expansion of the town was at first
gradual and piecemeal, mainly spreading along the
existing roads. Extensions of terrace housing
took place along and adjacent to Cambridge Street
and Bierton Road.
During the inter- war years the rate of
population growth was relatively slow; the
population in 1941 was 13000. Housing,
semi-detached in style continued to be built
along the existing roads, whilst more adventurous
styles of housing were being built in other
parts of the town. Municipal housing development
commenced at Southcourt in the south west
of the town.
Stoke Mandeville hospital was built during the
Second World War and in 1944 the National Spinal
Injuries Centre was established. In 1954 the
Stoke Mandeville Paraplegic Games were held for
the first time.
The post war period was characterised by a period
of significant growth due to the location of
national and international companies and the
designation of Aylesbury as a town to accommodate
overspill from London. The Grange School
was opened in 1954, it was said to be the biggest
school project since the war and had places for
600 pupils. Southcourt doubled in size during the
1950's helped by the use of prefabricated
building. The Borough Council bought Bedgrove
Farm for housing development.
Aylesbury, like so many other towns in the 1960s,
was the focus for a number of wholesale
development projects. The re-development of Silver
Street/ Great Western Street resulted in the
building of the original Friar's Square. These
developments led to major changes in the
character of the town centre. The changes did not
stop there. In 1990 the open market returned to
the Market Square and
redevelopment of Friars Square commenced.
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