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Wallingford is a small market town and civil parish in the upper Thames Valley in the English county of Oxfordshire (historically in Berkshire until 1974 reorganization).
Geography Wallingford sits on the western side of the River Thames. Across the river is the village of Crowmarsh Gifford. The two are linked by Wallingford Bridge, a notable 900 ft long medieval stone bridge across the Thames and adjacent floodlands. Character and local government The centre of Wallingford has the feel of a typical old market town, with a large open town-square around the war memorial, the 17th century arcaded town hall and the church of St Mary-le-More, and flanked by numerous shops. There are some picturesque alleyways and a number of historic inns. Although only a small town, Wallingford has three ancient churches. It once had fourteen. Other amenities include the Wallingford Museum, the Corn Exchange theatre, the Cholsey and Wallingford steam railway, a number of public parks (one with a castle ruin) and the annual BunkFest folk festival. In recent years, the town has been used as a location for filming, including Midsomer Murders. Wallingford is run by a town council consisting of sixteen councillors. It is also part of the South Oxfordshire district. Wallingford has an informal twinning link with Wallingford, Connecticut, and formal twinning with Luxeuil-les-Bains, France and Bad Wurzach, Germany. History Wallingford grew up around a strategically important crossing point on the River Thames. The place has been fortified since at least Saxon times, when it was an important fortified borough of Wessex with the right to mint Royal coinage. Known as a 'burh', it was enclosed with substantial earthworks by King Alfred the Great in the 9th century to protect the population against the Vikings. These can still be seen around the centre of the town and are probably the best preserved such fortifications in England. Thereafter, Wallingford became the chief town of Berkshire and the seat of the county's Ealdorman. During the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Saxon lord Wigod allowed William the Conqueror's invading armies to cross the Thames unopposed from west to east in order that his army might march on London. At that time, the river at Wallingford was the first point at which the river could be forded. The town subsequently stood in high favour with the Normans. The Domesday Book of 1085 lists Wallingford as one of only eighteen towns in the kingdom with a population estimated at over 2,000 people. See main article: Wallingford Castle. Wallingford Castle was built soon afterwards and became a key strategic centre for the Empress Matilda's party during the civil war that had begun after her father's death. The place was besieged a number of times and the Treaty of Wallingford ending the conflict was concluded there in November 1153. The town was granted a Royal Charter in 1155 by the new king, Henry II, being the second town to receive one in England. The castle was a regular royal residence until the Black Death hit the town badly in 1349. The castle declined subsequently (much stone being removed to renovate Windsor Castle) but it became a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War. It was the last holdout of the Royalists in Berkshire, and the castle withstood a 65-day siege. Oliver Cromwell subsequently ordered the destruction of what was left of the castle and little now remains. Some of the castle rubble was used to construct a tower for the church of St Mary-le-More. Wallingford had flourished as a trading centre throughout most of the Middle Ages, and Wallingford Priory produced two of the greatest minds of the age, the mathematician Richard of Wallingford and the chronicler John of Wallingford. However, after the opening of the bridge at Abingdon in 1416, the town went into economic decline. This was only revived in the 18th century when the legal writer and Wallingford resident, William Blackstone, established two turnpike roads through the town. Famous residents and associated persons For residents, constables and prisoners at the castle, see Wallingford Castle. In the town: Wallingford used to return two Members of Parliament (cut to one in 1832 and none in 1885), and had some well-known MPs (often not resident) including: | ||||||||
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