Aylesbury was first recorded as long ago as the year 571. It had grown up on the Roman Akeman Street, at the centre of the fertile Vale which bears its name. Its market tolls are listed in Domesday Book and its medieval market place is still the focus of town life today. The topography of the old town began to change in the early 19th century. In 1814, the Aylesbury branch of the Grand Junction Canal was opened, followed by the creation of a new High Street in 1826. In 1839, the town acquired its own railway line, bringing with it industry and an increase in population.