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The King's Head Inn is one of the oldest public houses with a coaching yard in the south of England. It is located in the Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The oldest part of the current structure of the building is of 15th-century design;〔(National Trust )〕 however, the cellars are much older, dating back to the 13th century,〔Discover The King's Head, Aylesbury: The National Trust King's Head Guidebook 2009〕 and may have been part of the local friary. ==History== The history of the King's Head starts in 1455,〔 with the first documentary reference appearing in a conveyance between William Wandeford, a London wool merchant, and Ralph Verney, a former master of the London Mercer's Company, dated 18 December 1455. It refers to the newly built 'Kyngeshede', as well as a cellar and shop, and cottages.〔 The Great Hall is the oldest standing structure on site, dating back to the 1470s, and was built as a guest house by the Verney family (of nearby Claydon House). King Henry VI possibly stayed at the inn while on a tour of the country with his new wife Margaret of Anjou in the 15th century.〔(Britain Express )〕 Later, a stained glass panel, previously in the nearby Greyfriars monastery, was inserted in the front window of the inn showing the king and queen's individual coats of arms.〔〔(British History Online )〕〔(Aylesbury Vale District Council )〕 The other coats of arms are of Cardinal Henry Beaufort, William de la Pole and the local Botlier family. That window is still there, though it is heavily protected. From the mid 17th century onwards, the King's Head thrived as a coaching inn. The front gateway is smaller than the rear gateway, which was made larger to accommodate the growing size of carriages; the wheel knocking stones still visible at the entrance aligning the carriage wheels as they entered. In c.1750, innkeeper William Bell converted the cottages (now the public house) to accommodate stagecoaches with room upstairs for his servants. The enclosure of the courtyard with additional stables to the one at the rear, which dates back to the late 16th century, provided housing for nearly thirty horses. The hoop above the mounting block was used to light the way of the coaches by burning rags tied round it. The walls have been limewashed allowing the timbers to breathe, as standard paint will seal in moisture and cause rot. Over time the timbers will show through more as the lime wash weathers away. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「King's Head Inn, Aylesbury」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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