Aylsham


Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, nearly north of Norwich. The town is close to Blickling, Felbrigg, Mannington and Wolterton, which are important tourist attractions.
The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 5,504 increasing to a population of 6,016 at the 2011 census. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Broadland.

History

evidence shows that the site of the town of Aylsham has been occupied since prehistoric times. The town is just over from a Roman settlement at Brampton. The settlement was linked to Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund by a Roman road which can still be traced in places. The site had maritime links to the rest of the Roman Empire. Excavations during the 1970s provided evidence of several kilns, showing that this was an industrial centre, pottery and metal items being the main items manufactured there.
Aylsham is thought to have been founded around 500 AD by an Anglo Saxon thegn called Aegel, Aegel's Ham, meaning "Aegel's settlement". The town is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Elesham and Ailesham, and as having a population of about 1,000. Until the 15th century, the production of linen and worsted was important. Aylsham webb or 'cloth of Aylsham' was supplied to the royal palaces of Edward II and III.
John of Gaunt was lord of the manor from 1372, although he probably never came to Aylsham. As the principal local town of the Duchy of Lancaster—as a result the townspeople enjoyed privileges, including exemption from jury service outside the manor and from payment of certain taxes. Aylsham's town sign commemorates John of Gaunt.
In 1519 Henry VIII granted the town a regular Saturday market and an annual fair to be held on 12 March, the eve of the feast of St Gregory. Aylsham market has remained an important feature of the town, as businesses developed to meet the needs of the town and the farming lands around it. Besides weekly markets there were cattle fairs twice a year and, in October, a hiring fair.
The Black Boys Inn is one of Aylsham's oldest surviving buildings. It has been on the same site since the 1650s, although the present frontage dates to between 1710 and 1720. There is a frieze of small black boys on the cornice. The inn was a stop for the post coach from Norwich to Cromer, had stabling for 40 horses, and employed three ostlers and four postboys.
A thatched waterpump was built in 1911 at Carr's Corner in memory of John Soame. It pumped water from a deep artesian well. The canopy is thatched in Norfolk reed.
As with other market towns in Norfolk, the weaving of local cloth brought prosperity to the town in medieval times. Until the 15th century it was the manufacture of linen which was the more important, and Aylsham linens and Aylsham canvases were nationally known. From the 16th century linen manufacture declined and wool became more important, a situation that continued until the coming of the Industrial Revolution. Thereafter the principal trade of the town for the 19th century was grain and timber, together with the range of trades to be found in a town which supported local agriculture. Annual horse fairs would bring many other traders to the town, and the weekly market would be the occasion for more local trade. The rights of the stallholders in the market place today date back to the rights established in medieval times.
Aylsham was once noted for its spa, situated south of the town; it comprised a chalybeate spring, formerly used by those suffering from asthma and other chronic conditions.
Aylsham came fourth in the world in an international competition celebrating liveable communities, winning a Silver Award in category A of the International Awards for Liveable Communities held in 2005.

Local events and attractions

The Market Towns Initiative finished in 2004, but the partnership successfully bid for funding to take part in the Cittaslow pilot project and to sustain work on traffic management and heritage. As a result, Aylsham became one of the founding towns and the first in Norfolk, of the Cittaslow movement, an international organisation promoting the concept of 'Slow Towns'. It is claimed that Aylsham did not have to change to become a member, as it was already a clear example of the type of community advocated by the Cittaslow movement.
Local entertainment in the town includes concerts by the Aylsham Band, which plays at venues in and around Aylsham. The Aylsham Players host one or two productions a year and Aylsham High School presents an annual school musical.
The annual Aylsham Show features agricultural exhibits and takes place on August bank holiday Monday at nearby Blickling Park.
The Aylsham Heritage Centre is located in a Victorian building within the grounds of St Michael's Church. Archives stored at the centre can be used to research the town's past.

Local government

In medieval times the parish of Aylsham was established as four manors, the main manor of Lancaster, Vicarage manor, Sexton's manor and Bolwick manor. The ownership of the Lancaster manor changed hands many times, before James I assigned it to his son, the future Charles I.
In the course of the events which led up to the English Civil War Charles I had to raise as much money as possible, and mortgaged Lancaster manor to the Corporation of the City of London. The Corporation eventually sold it to Sir John Hobart, and through him it passed to the ownership of the Blickling Estate. The current lords of the manor are the National Trust.
Formerly part of the South Erpingham Hundred, Aylsham was, for administrative purposes, absorbed into St Faith's and Aylsham Rural District in 1894 and became part of Broadland District in 1974. Local issues come under the jurisdiction of Aylsham Town Council which is based at Aylsham Town Hall.

Parish church

The Market Place and surrounding area is dominated by the tower of the parish church of St Michael and All Angels, a fine example of Gothic architecture of the Decorated style. The small spire on top of the 98 ft tower is also a landmark that can be seen for miles around. The nave, aisles and chancel were built in the 13th century. The tower and ground floor of the south porch were added in the 14th century. The north transept was built under the patronage of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster around 1380. An upper floor to the porch was added in 1488. The lower part of the rood screen survived the destruction visited by Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans, although some of the painted panels were disfigured.

Transport

Roads

Road transport for Aylsham was very important. It was the principal coaching point on the Norwich-Cromer road and the meeting point for other roads. Each day, the coaches from Cromer and Holt would draw up at the Black Boys, the main inn in Aylsham market place. Coaching ended with the coming of the railways in the 1880s. The town is now located on the A140 road, a route which runs between Ipswich and Cromer, via Norwich.
The town is served by bus services to Norwich and Sheringham, operated by Sanders Coaches. Both the X41 and X44 continue on to Cromer and Sheringham, some of which connect with the Coasthopper services to Blakeney, Wells-next-the-Sea and Cromer. Other services serve surrounding villages and towns, including Wroxham, East Dereham, North Walsham and Felbrigg.

Railways

There were many different plans for railways, but eventually two lines served Aylsham, with the town having two railway stations. Aylsham South was on the Great Eastern line between County School and Wroxham railway station|Wroxham]. Aylsham North was on the M&GNJR line from Melton Constable to Yarmouth railway station|Yarmouth]. Both stations were closed in the 1950s.
Aylsham railway station is the northern terminus for the Bure Valley Railway, which was built on the site of Aylsham South station in 1990. The railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway which runs to Wroxham. It is Norfolk's small gauge railway.
Several long distance footpaths with a railway theme start or pass through the town. The Bure Valley Path runs alongside the railway line from Aylsham to Wroxham, and the Marriott's Way follows the old trackbed from Aylsham to Norwich via the Themelthorpe Curve. Aylsham also lies on the Weavers' Way which passes Blickling Hall; this is the great country house in the care of the National Trust, which is about a mile and a half from Aylsham. With its dramatic symmetrical front, flanked by two great yew hedges, Blickling Hall is a fine example of a Jacobean brick-built manor house and was the home of the young Anne Boleyn.

Waterways

The ancient but natural transport route for Aylsham would have been the River Bure, but it was not open to substantial navigation. There was a scheme in the 18th century to widen the navigation from Coltishall to Aylsham and, after many difficulties, trading wherries from Great Yarmouth were able to reach a staithe at Aylsham. The end for this scheme was the devastating flood of 1912.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia. Television signals are received from the Tacolneston transmitting station. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Norfolk on 95.1 FM, Heart East on 102.4 FM, Greatest Hits Radio East on 99.9 FM and Kiss on 106.1 FM. The town is served by the local newspaper, Eastern Daily Press.

Notable people

Aylsham is twinned with