I’m writing this while sitting in a launderette in Aylesbury. We do have a small hand-crank washing machine, but it won’t cope with a king size duvet cover, and the towels would take ages to dry. Especially in this awful weather. Over the past few days the temperature has been as low as 20 C with strong wind, hail and thunderstorms. So sitting in an launderette with a cup of coffee is not a bad thing.
Yesterday was our 45th wedding anniversary and we celebrated by going down the Aylesbury arm of the Grand Union.
As with Milton Keynes, I only know Aylesbury from travels by road, and I was never impressed. Arriving by canal is a very different story. The canal is lovely, starting with a staircase lock and another 7 locks very close together. The canal is in a very rural location with some mooring opportunities, so an ideal place to stop and chill. Or do some work as we’re intending to do later today.
Aylesbury itself does have a lovely old quarter, with the oldest courtyard inn in the country, dating back to 1455 within easy walking distance from the basin. The King’s Head is well worth a visit, either for a posh meal in the great hall, or a lovely pint of bitter in the bar. Had we thought ahead, we probably would have booked a table for an anniversary supper.
As it was, we had a delicious spaghetti bolognaise, a good bottle of wine and played scrabble.
More about Aylesbury
Aylesbury came into its own during the Anglo-Saxon era, when it was called AEgel’s burgh, meaning fortified settlement of AEgel.
Aylesbury continued to prosper through the medieval period, when it developed into an important agricultural and trading centre. The Vale of Aylesbury continues to be a fertile plane, and the town is famous for its duck – Aylesbury duck having particularly tender flesh.
Markets, fairs and coaching routes through Buckinghamshire ensured that Aylesbury continued to thrive, and during the English Civil war it was an important parliamentarian stronghold.
Many of the remaining old buildings in the town are from the Georgian era, when inns and taverns took advantage of the increased stagecoach travel between London and towns further North.
For the normal traveller, Aylesbury would be like any normal modern town – roads, shopping centres and 20th century buildings. But go off the beaten track and there are gems worth exploring just like in any other town.
Today, we’ll move halfway back to Marsworth junction, do a deep clean of the boat, Steve has some computing work to do, but most importantly, we’re going to enjoy the tranquillity of the rural countryside. Maybe I’ll even get a chance to take out the watercolours that Andy and Nat gave me for my birthday.
Towpaths and Turnpikes 
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