John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School

The name Aylsham is believed to have originated around 500 AD, when a Saxon named Aegel established his homestead there. The settlement would have been called Aegel's Ham since "ham" refers to a homestead. The Domesday Book listed it as Elesham (1086). The Manor of Aylsham was owned by the crown after the Norman invasion and was given to Edward III's son John of Gaunt in 1372. Aylsham was a significant textile town through the mediaeval ages at this point and was widely renowned for its linen. John of Gaunt was a strong nobleman who had married into the family of the Duke of Lancaster. He is believed to have built a portion of the parish church, a sizable cruciform structure constructed of flint in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Lancaster red rose and John of Gaunt's arms are displayed in the north transept window. The Duchy of Lancaster amalgamated with the crown when Henry IV, John of Gaunt's son, assumed the throne. The Aylsham manor was mortgaged and ultimately sold to Sir John Hobart of Blickling when Charles I became king. The Blickling Estate and the manor moved through the hands of the Earls of Buckinghamshire before going to the Marquesses of Lothian and ultimately the National Trust. This explains why the National Trust still owns the Market Square and the Buttsland parking lot today. The youngsters from the school have strong connections with the Bure Valley Railway, which recently named a steam engine after John of Gaunt. Opening in 1977, John of Gaunt First School later became John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School.