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A visitors guide to the Market Town of Aylsham located some nine
miles from the North Norfolk Coast. Aylsham is a town that predates the
Norman Conquest, located near the valley of the River Bure, it was for
or over 500 years a centre for the manufacture of linen and then of
worsted. Aylsham's linens and canvases used to be nationally known.
Nowadays Aylsham has the constant hum and thrum of a
small thriving market town and is well known for hosting weekly auctions
of antiques, furniture, collectables and garden plants, which bring in
local people and visitors alike.
For Holiday Accommodation in Aylsham - Self Catering - Holiday Cottages
and Bed and Breakfast check out our Aylsham Holiday Accommodation Pages.
Interesting buildings surround the Market Place, that
speak of centuries past and it is well worth taking a wander around the
town. Both in the main shopping area and also the residential area as
there are lots of lovely redbrick and flint houses all with their own
unique quirky character and intriguing nooks and crannies .
The Blackboys public house used to be the place for
both formal and social occasions and can trace its heritage back to the
mid 17th century. During the 19th century it was the point where the
coaches from Cromer and Holt would collect and deposit their
passengers. The restaurant and bar areas of the Black Boys have
been stylised to keep that 17th Century feel with a modern ambience. The
menus cater for both traditional and more imaginative tastes using local
produce wherever possible.
The Bure Valley Railway and walk runs from Aylsham to the Broadland
Village of Wroxham, passing through 9 miles
of glorious countryside. Just up the road is the National Trust
Property of Blickling Hall with its many events and open air concerts,
all set in an historic park with miles of beautiful woodland and
lakeside walks.
The name of Aylsham is thought to be of Saxon origin.
In the Domesday book of 1086 the spelling was Elesham.
There is a plaque on the wall in the main high street to Christopher
Layer born 1683 who was hung at Tyburn in 1723. He was known as a
militant Jacobite and a supporter of bonnie Prince Charlie the
'pretender'. He plotted to put Prince Charlie back on the throne, he was
arrested and tried for high treason.
There are supermakets, pubs and cafes and Aylsham is
around half an hour from the city of Norwich with its cathedral, castle
and extensive shopping areas.
The house
near one of the entrances by the church that used to be the old Savings
Bank and still bears that name.
Nelson is said to have danced in the
assembly rooms at Aylsham.
Look at the display window of the
Barber's shop in the market square with all its old implements.
In the churchyard of St. Michaels by the
south chancel door is the rose-covered grave of the great landscape
designer Humphry Repton (1752-1818). Repton designed
Sheringham Park along with many other parks and gardens. The
church is one of the oldest building in the town.
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