A is for Aylesbury
It’s not a pretty town, looking like the triumphant result of a child and their lego bricks, a jumble of structures plonked here and there. But it deserves a closer look.
Let’s start our A - Z journey with a busy town that has kept its historic heart well and truly hidden. Maybe because this historic heart is marooned in an island surrounded by noisy, busy through-roads full of traffic whizzing on their way to somewhere else.
A is for Aylesbury
From ducks to an Iron Age hillfort dating back to 650 BC, the history of the town follows that of the nation; the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes, taking centre stage during the English Civil War (1642 - 1651), very much in support of the Parliamentarians against King Charles I and presents one of the most visible links with the Chilterns through the estate at Great Hampden. John Hampden’s statue stands prominently in the market square, valiantly fending off the pigeons.
A town that has recently grown too quickly, the plaything of a child and their lego bricks plonked here and there, the opinion-dividing ‘brutalist’ council HQ tower, ugly shopping centres and retail parks are the hazards to be navigated before finding the conservation area, a Georgian oasis. The elevated charming old town centre couldn’t be in bigger contrast with its pretty cottages in just a few narrow car-free streets that cling around St Mary the Virgin, whose clock tower dominates the skyline.
Some of these houses are in fact almshouses, now administered by the Thomas Hickman charity. Evidence of a need that goes back to before the 12th century when provision for assisting the poor came from the church, local hospitals and various private benefactors. Or not at all. Originally called hospitals or bede houses, by the late 17th century, demand in Aylesbury had grown due to increased migration from the countryside. It was during this time, that the Thomas Hickman charity was founded, and new almshouses sprang up across the region including; the Weeden almshouse in Chesham, the Drake almshouses in Amersham, Lady Dodds cottages in Ellesborough and the even older Ewelme Almshouse Charity in Ewelme amongst others that were built. There are plenty more, certainly in every market town.
Established from the 10th century across England, the Netherlands , the first recorded almshouse was founded in York by King Athelstan with many subsequent medieval almshouses established to benefit the soul of the founder or their family. As a result, most were regarded as chantries (saying prayers for the soul of the benefactor to speed their way to heaven), and were dissolved in 1547 during the Reformation.
A sense of space
These simple dwellings provided space for one person to live in a single room - normally as part of group that stipulated how many where intended for men and how many for women, all of whom received an allowance, or pension that could be money and goods, such as kindling. The Thames Hickman houses did not follow this pattern as you will see from walking around that the houses vary in size and style and had no prescribed limit on the number of occupants, normally one per dwelling.
Almshouses are now often multiple small terraced houses or apartments providing accommodation for small numbers of residents and can be found all over England, Netherlands and Norway. The economics of almshouses takes the form of the provision of subsidised accommodation, often integrated with social care resources such as wardens. That such an old system of welfare survives today is testament to its valued place in building communities and giving recipients independence and dignity to get on with their lives. The Almshouse Association was founded in 1946 and works to safeguard the interests of almshouse buildings and the welfare of residents.
It’s fitting that these community assets and traditions still survive, known to perhaps just a few. But I am keen to spread the word and encourage you to leave the car in one of the numerous car parks and take a slow walk, pop into the Discover Bucks museum, and nearby King’s Head pub in the conservation quarter. You won’t be disappointed.
There are a number of wall plaques and a trail to follow around the square so you spot them and discover what other industries fuelled and fowled the town’s fortunes.
Duck!
“The white Aylesbury duck’s snowy plumage and comfortable comportment make it a credit to the poultry-yard, while its broad and deep breast, and its ample back, convey the assurance that your satisfaction will not cease at its death. In parts of Buckinghamshire, this member of the duck family is bred in the abodes of the cottagers….round the walls of the living-rooms, and of the bedroom even, are fixed rows of wooden boxes, lined with hay; and it is the business of the wife and children to nurse and comfort the feathered lodgers, to feed the little ducklings, and to take the old ones out for an airing. Sometimes the "stock" ducks are the cottager's own property, but it more frequently happens that they are entrusted to his care by a wholesale breeder, who pays him so much per score for all ducklings properly raised. To be perfect, the Aylesbury duck should be plump, pure white, with yellow feet, and a flesh coloured beak.”— Isabella Beeton, Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1861
The next letter is B for….? Where should I go?
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Links you may need
Richard Waller is a small family-run business based at Long Grove Wood Farm in ancient beech woodland overlooking the lovely Pednor Valley on the outskirts of Chesham, the last remaining breeders of Aylesbury Ducks. Since 1775 no less!
To enjoy Chiltern Brewery finest beer and ale, visit the medieval King’s Head pub.
Right there is the Discover Bucks Museum, an independent charity that tells the story of Bucks from 200 million years ago to the present day. They have lots of events and an interesting collection on display curated from the 130,000 objects in the collection.
