Aylesford is nestled in the beautiful Annapolis Valley between the North and South Mountains. It lies on the Evangeline Trails, Highway 1, between the towns of Berwick and Kingston. Aylesford is primarily a farming community in Kings County. It features some very large cranberry bogs. It is also home to a very large peat moss harvesting farm. There are also several dairy, beef, and other livestock farms in the area. Aylesford, as of 2006 had a population of 829.
The name Aylesford is a British name and is said to come from the time of George III. Aylesford began settling in Aylesford near 1770. At the time the Aylesford township ran from what is now Wilmot to Greenwich. It was later divided and the village of Aylesford was formed. Loyalists began to settle in Aylesford around 1835. The first school was built in 1824, and the current school Saint Mary’s Elementary was built in 1965. Aylesford at one point was a booming town in the center of the beautiful Annapolis Valley, but has turned into a very quiet, peaceful town.
One of the biggest tourist attractions in all of the Annapolis Valley is near Aylesford. The Oaklawn Farm Zoo is a family owned zoo that boasts a wide array of domestic and exotic animals. For several years it was home to the heaviest living lion in captivity according to the Guinness book of world records.