Wallingford
Encyclopedia
Wallingford is a market town
and civil parish in the upper Thames Valley
in England
. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire
, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year.
and lies at the foot of the Chilterns. Across the river is the village of Crowmarsh Gifford
. The two are linked by Wallingford Bridge
, a 900 ft long mediaeval
stone bridge across the river and the adjacent flood plain. The southern end of the town adjoins Winterbrook
, in the parish of Cholsey
.
, the 17th century arcaded town hall, numerous shops. There are some alleyways and a number of historic inns. Although only a small town, Wallingford has three ancient churches within the Parish of St Mary-le-More and St Leonard, the home of Wallingford Parish Church Choir, named in 2011 as Britain's favourite church choir, and a modern Roman Catholic church as well as a Quaker Meeting House dating from 1724, Baptist, Methodist and Community churches. It once had 14 churches. Amenities include the Wallingford Museum
, the Corn Exchange theatre, the Cholsey and Wallingford steam railway
, public park
s (one with a castle
ruin), a blues
festival, and the annual BunkFest
folk festival. In recent years, the town has been used as a location for filming, including Midsomer Murders
, which has also featured the Parish Church Choir. Wallingford is run by a town council consisting of 16 councillors. It is part of the South Oxfordshire
district and Oxfordshire County, having formerly been represented by the Municipal Borough of Wallingford
. The current Mayor is Colin Dolton and the County Councillor is Lynda Atkins.
and Oxfordshire, Wallingford experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. There has been a Met Office weather Station collecting data on the local climate for almost years at various locations around Wallingford and Benson. Temperature extreme's at Wallingford vary from -21.0 C in January 1982, up to 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) in July 2006. Recent low temperature's include -17.6 C during January 2010 and -17.5 C during December 2010.
. 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. It was enclosed with substantial earthworks by King Alfred the Great
in the 9th century as part of a network of fortified towns known as burh
s or "burghs" to protect Wessex against the Viking
s. These defences can still be clearly discerned as a group of four roughly square areas around the centre of the town and are probably the best preserved such fortifications in England. 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 Berkhamsted
, where he received the English surrender before marching on London
. At that time, the river at Wallingford was the lowest 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 18 towns in the kingdom with a population of over 2,000 people.
Wallingford Castle
was built soon afterwards and became a key strategic centre for the Empress Matilda
's party during the civil war
that began after her father Henry I'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 in England to receive one. 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 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
. After the opening of Abingdon Bridge
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. The brewing industry was important with two breweries
and 17 malt
ings in the town. This link was ended with the demolition of Paul's Malt in 2001.
In 1944 a Royal Canadian Air Force
Halifax
bomber with a full bomb load caught fire over Wallingford. Most of the crew bailed out, but Flying Officer Wilding and Sergeant Andrew gave their lives to steer the plane away from the town and crash it into the fields of Crowmarsh. They are commemorated by an obelisk at the junction of Wilding Road and Andrew Road in Wallingford.
The River Thames
has been a transport route for centuries and Wallingford's growth as a town relied partly on it. Coal was supplied from North East England
by coaster
to London and then by barge
upriver to Wallingford. This supply could be unreliable in seasons when river currents were too strong or water levels were too low. In 1789 the Oxford Canal
reached Oxford from Warwickshire
and the Duke's Cut at Wolvercote
gave it a connection to the Thames. This allowed coal from the Midlands
to reach Wallingford by a shorter and more reliable route than by sea and river from the northeast. In 1799 the Oxford Canal consolidated its commercial position by buying an eighty year lease on a wharf on the Thames just above Wallingford Bridge. Chalmore Lock
, a summer or low-water lock and weir, was built at Chalmore Hole, Wallingford in 1838, However, much of the time the fall was only 18 inches, and the lock was open at both ends. It fell into disrepair, and the lock was removed in 1883. The missing lock is the subject of confusion in Jerome K. Jerome
's "Three Men in a Boat
". A ferry had operated at the site from 1787 to transport horses across the river where the towpath changed banks. As the removal of the lock and weir meant that this was the longest clear stretch of the upper river, it was an ideal site for rowing, and so the Oxford University Boat Club
which had long trained here built a boathouse at Chalmore in 2006. In addition to the old Wallingford Bridge
, a new bridge was built at Winterbrook in 1993.
. The company sold the line to the Great Western Railway
in 1872, and it became known as the "Wallingford Bunk". British Rail
ways closed the line to passengers in 1959 and to goods traffic in 1965. However, most of the line has been preserved as the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
.
and Oxford
by Thames Travel
services X39 and X40 which passes through Woodcote
. Other local services are provided by Thames Travel and Heyfordian Travel.
and Fugro
and to the South East on the outskirts of the town the headquarters for the non-profit
agricultural organisation CABI
.
is the local Association Football club. Wallingford has also a Rugby Football Club, Hockey Club, Rowing Club, Cricket Club and Tennis Club. All of these clubs are based at a large multi-purpose sports facility called Hithercroft Sports Park, located on the edge of town. Hithercroft is also home to a squash club. The extensive clubhouse houses changing rooms, several bars/function rooms and a skittles alley.
is the secondary school in the area, to the north of the town, which is the successor to Wallingford Grammar School
, founded 1659. The majority of pupils from both Fir Tree and St John's continue to Wallingford School. Wallingford also draws pupils from Crowmarsh, Brightwell, Cholsey and Warborough primary schools.
Luxeuil-les-Bains
, France
;
Bad Wurzach
, Germany
;
and informal links with:
Wallingford
, Connecticut
, United States
In Spring 2009 Wallingford's then Mayor asked the European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which co-ordinates twinned town schemes in Europe, if it was possible to "de-twin" Wallingford with Luxeuil-les-Bains
after what was described as being "fed up with more than a decade of silence". The story attracted media attention, including a mention on the BBC
TV's The One Show
and quiz show Have I Got News For You
. In response to the row, the mayor of the French town asked for Wallingford not to end the relationship, and declared 2009 as "a year for getting back in touch with Wallingford".
Wallingford School students who take part in the German Exchange programmes visit and exchange with the school in Bad Wurzach
in Germany
- one of Wallingford's twinned towns.
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:
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the upper Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year.
Geography
Wallingford is on the western side of the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and lies at the foot of the Chilterns. Across the river is the village of Crowmarsh Gifford
Crowmarsh Gifford
Crowmarsh Gifford is a village in the civil parish of Crowmarsh in South Oxfordshire. It is beside the River Thames opposite the market town of Wallingford, the two being linked via Wallingford Bridge...
. The two are linked by Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge is a medieval road bridge over the River Thames in England which connects Wallingford and Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire . It crosses the Thames on the reach between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock...
, a 900 ft long mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
stone bridge across the river and the adjacent flood plain. The southern end of the town adjoins Winterbrook
Winterbrook
Winterbrook is a small settlement in the English county of Oxfordshire, which adjoins the south end of Wallingford and sits on the west bank of the Thames. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire....
, in the parish of Cholsey
Cholsey
Cholsey is a village and civil parish south of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire....
.
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 memorialWar memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, the 17th century arcaded town hall, numerous shops. There are some alleyways and a number of historic inns. Although only a small town, Wallingford has three ancient churches within the Parish of St Mary-le-More and St Leonard, the home of Wallingford Parish Church Choir, named in 2011 as Britain's favourite church choir, and a modern Roman Catholic church as well as a Quaker Meeting House dating from 1724, Baptist, Methodist and Community churches. It once had 14 churches. Amenities include the Wallingford Museum
Wallingford Museum
Wallingford Museum is an intimate and colourful museum with collections of local interest, housed in a medieval town house in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire ....
, the Corn Exchange theatre, the Cholsey and Wallingford steam railway
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a long standard gauge heritage railway in the English county of Oxfordshire. It operates along most of the length of the former Wallingford branch of the Great Western Railway , from Cholsey station, north of Reading on the Great Western Main Line, to a...
, public park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s (one with a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
ruin), a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
festival, and the annual BunkFest
BunkFest
BunkFest, a small but growing end-of–summer folk music festival, takes place in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK and combines a broad range of folk music, dance displays, a beer festival and the local steam railway.-Events:...
folk festival. In recent years, the town has been used as a location for filming, including Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, which has also featured the Parish Church Choir. Wallingford is run by a town council consisting of 16 councillors. It is part of the South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
district and Oxfordshire County, having formerly been represented by the Municipal Borough of Wallingford
Municipal Borough of Wallingford
The Municipal Borough of Wallingford was an administrative district based on the town of Wallingford, then in Berkshire, now Oxfordshire, in southern in England, established in 1834 and disbanded in 1974, when it became part of South Oxfordshire...
. The current Mayor is Colin Dolton and the County Councillor is Lynda Atkins.
Climate
As with the rest of the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and Oxfordshire, Wallingford experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. There has been a Met Office weather Station collecting data on the local climate for almost years at various locations around Wallingford and Benson. Temperature extreme's at Wallingford vary from -21.0 C in January 1982, up to 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) in July 2006. Recent low temperature's include -17.6 C during January 2010 and -17.5 C during December 2010.
History
Wallingford grew up around an important crossing point of the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. The place has been fortified since at least Saxon times
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
, when it was an important fortified borough of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
with the right to mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
Royal coinage. It was enclosed with substantial earthworks by King Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
in the 9th century as part of a network of fortified towns known as burh
Burh
A Burh is an Old English name for a fortified town or other defended site, sometimes centred upon a hill fort though always intended as a place of permanent settlement, its origin was in military defence; "it represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the...
s or "burghs" to protect Wessex against the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s. These defences can still be clearly discerned as a group of four roughly square areas around the centre of the town and are probably the best preserved such fortifications in England. Wallingford became the chief town of Berkshire and the seat of the county's Ealdorman
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
. During the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, the Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
lord Wigod
Wigod
Wigod was the eleventh century Saxon thegn or lord of the English town of Wallingford, and a kinsman of Edward the Confessor....
allowed William the Conqueror's invading armies to cross the Thames unopposed from west to east in order that his army might march on Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, where he received the English surrender before marching on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. At that time, the river at Wallingford was the lowest point at which the river could be forded. The town subsequently stood in high favour with the Normans. The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1085 lists Wallingford as one of only 18 towns in the kingdom with a population of over 2,000 people.
Wallingford Castle
- See main article: Wallingford CastleWallingford CastleWallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
.
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
was built soon afterwards and became a key strategic centre for the Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
's party during the civil war
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
that began after her father Henry I's
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
death. The place was besieged a number of times and the Treaty of Wallingford
Treaty of Wallingford
The Treaty of Wallingford of 1153, aka Treaty of Winchester or as the Treaty of Westminster, was an agreement that effectively ended the civil war known as the Anarchy, caused by a dispute between Empress Matilda and her cousin King Stephen of England over the English crown...
ending the conflict was concluded there in November 1153. The town was granted a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1155 by the new king, Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, being the second town in England to receive one. The castle was a regular royal residence until the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
hit the town badly in 1349. The castle declined subsequently, much stone being removed to renovate Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, but it became a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
stronghold during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. It was the last holdout of the Royalists in Berkshire, and the castle withstood a 65-day siege. Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
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 flourished as a trading centre throughout most of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and Wallingford Priory
Wallingford Priory
Wallingford Priory was a Benedictine priory dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Wallingford in the English county of Berkshire .Nothing remains of Holy Trinity Priory, which is believed to have stood on the site of the Bullcroft recreation ground off the High Street...
produced two of the greatest minds of the age, the mathematician Richard of Wallingford
Richard of Wallingford
Richard of Wallingford was an English mathematician who made major contributions to astronomy/astrology and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire.-Biography:...
and the chronicler John of Wallingford
John of Wallingford
John of Wallingford , also known as John de Cella, was Abbot of St Albans Abbey in the English county of Hertfordshire from 1195 to his death in 1214...
. After the opening of Abingdon Bridge
Abingdon Bridge
Abingdon Bridge consists of a pair of bridges across the River Thames at the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It carries the A415 road from Abingdon to Dorchester, Oxfordshire – and crosses the Thames on the reach above Culham Lock, just below Abingdon Lock.The bridge is actually two...
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
William Blackstone
Sir William Blackstone KC SL was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Born into a middle class family in London, Blackstone was educated at Charterhouse School before matriculating at Pembroke...
, established two turnpike roads through the town. The brewing industry was important with two breweries
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
and 17 malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ings in the town. This link was ended with the demolition of Paul's Malt in 2001.
In 1944 a Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bomber with a full bomb load caught fire over Wallingford. Most of the crew bailed out, but Flying Officer Wilding and Sergeant Andrew gave their lives to steer the plane away from the town and crash it into the fields of Crowmarsh. They are commemorated by an obelisk at the junction of Wilding Road and Andrew Road in Wallingford.
River
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
has been a transport route for centuries and Wallingford's growth as a town relied partly on it. Coal was supplied from North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
by coaster
Coastal trading vessel
Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....
to London and then by barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
upriver to Wallingford. This supply could be unreliable in seasons when river currents were too strong or water levels were too low. In 1789 the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
reached Oxford from Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
and the Duke's Cut at Wolvercote
Wolvercote
Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England, though still retaining its own identity. It is about northwest of the centre of Oxford, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow.-History:The village is listed in the Domesday Book as...
gave it a connection to the Thames. This allowed coal from the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
to reach Wallingford by a shorter and more reliable route than by sea and river from the northeast. In 1799 the Oxford Canal consolidated its commercial position by buying an eighty year lease on a wharf on the Thames just above Wallingford Bridge. Chalmore Lock
Chalmore Lock
Chalmore Lock was a lock and weir which operated between 1838 and 1883 on the River Thames in England near Wallingford, Oxfordshire.-History:Chalmore Lock was built in 1838 by the Thames Navigation Commissioners at a place called Chalmore Hole between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock. It was built as a...
, a summer or low-water lock and weir, was built at Chalmore Hole, Wallingford in 1838, However, much of the time the fall was only 18 inches, and the lock was open at both ends. It fell into disrepair, and the lock was removed in 1883. The missing lock is the subject of confusion in Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat.Jerome was born in Caldmore, Walsall, England, and was brought up in poverty in London...
's "Three Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat ,The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog! published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K...
". A ferry had operated at the site from 1787 to transport horses across the river where the towpath changed banks. As the removal of the lock and weir meant that this was the longest clear stretch of the upper river, it was an ideal site for rowing, and so the Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
which had long trained here built a boathouse at Chalmore in 2006. In addition to the old Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge
Wallingford Bridge is a medieval road bridge over the River Thames in England which connects Wallingford and Crowmarsh Gifford, Oxfordshire . It crosses the Thames on the reach between Cleeve Lock and Benson Lock...
, a new bridge was built at Winterbrook in 1993.
Train
In 1866 the Wallingford and Watlington Railway was opened between and Wallingford. Its relative speed and reliability enabled it to take a large share of freight previously carried on the Thames. Insufficient traffic receipts prevented the W&WR from building its planned extension to WatlingtonWatlington railway station, Oxfordshire
Watlington railway station in Oxfordshire was the terminus of the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway and opened in 1872. Watlington station was not in Watlington itself, but in Pyrton about a mile north east from centre of Watlington....
. The company sold the line to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1872, and it became known as the "Wallingford Bunk". British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the line to passengers in 1959 and to goods traffic in 1965. However, most of the line has been preserved as the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a long standard gauge heritage railway in the English county of Oxfordshire. It operates along most of the length of the former Wallingford branch of the Great Western Railway , from Cholsey station, north of Reading on the Great Western Main Line, to a...
.
Bus
There are frequent buses to ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
by Thames Travel
Thames Travel
Thames Travel is a bus operator based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in England. It is the third largest bus company in the county It operates a fleet of around 34 vehicles, and employs 75 staff. Running services across the Thames region, the company carries approximately 1.25 million passengers a year...
services X39 and X40 which passes through Woodcote
Woodcote
Woodcote is a village in the civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level....
. Other local services are provided by Thames Travel and Heyfordian Travel.
Employment
The main employers based in the town are primarily on the Hithercroft Trading Estate (established in the 1970s), these include Rowse Honey, Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
and Fugro
Fugro
Fugro N.V. is a Dutch multinational company headquartered in Leidschendam. The current president is K.S. Wester.Fugro provides geotechnical, survey and geoscience services to oil, gas, mining and construction industries...
and to the South East on the outskirts of the town the headquarters for the non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
agricultural organisation CABI
CAB International
CAB International is a not-for-profit inter-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom....
.
Sport and leisure
A.F.C. WallingfordA.F.C. Wallingford
AFC Wallingford are an English association football club currently playing in the North Berks Football League.-History:The club, based in Wallingford, was founded by the 1995 merger of Hellenic League side Wallingford Town, founded in 1922, and Wallingford United, founded in 1934.In 1997-98 they...
is the local Association Football club. Wallingford has also a Rugby Football Club, Hockey Club, Rowing Club, Cricket Club and Tennis Club. All of these clubs are based at a large multi-purpose sports facility called Hithercroft Sports Park, located on the edge of town. Hithercroft is also home to a squash club. The extensive clubhouse houses changing rooms, several bars/function rooms and a skittles alley.
Schools
There are two primary schools: Fir Tree, St John's, and an infant school: St Nicholas's. Wallingford SchoolWallingford School
Wallingford School is a secondary school located in the town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. It was founded by Walter Bigg in 1659 in association with the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, formally succeeding Wallingford Grammar School when it merged with Blackstone Secondary Modern in...
is the secondary school in the area, to the north of the town, which is the successor to Wallingford Grammar School
Wallingford Grammar School
Wallingford Grammr School was a grammar school in the town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire , England, succeeded by Wallingford School when comprehensive education was introduced in 1973.-History:...
, founded 1659. The majority of pupils from both Fir Tree and St John's continue to Wallingford School. Wallingford also draws pupils from Crowmarsh, Brightwell, Cholsey and Warborough primary schools.
Town twinning
Wallingford has formal town twinning links with: Luxeuil-les-BainsLuxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-History:Luxeuil was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings at the time of its destruction by the Huns under Attila in 451...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
;
Bad WurzachBad Wurzach
Bad Wurzach is a small town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, as well as one of the biggest connected high-moor areas in Europe. It is situated 25 km northeast of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
;
and informal links with:
WallingfordWallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
In Spring 2009 Wallingford's then Mayor asked the European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which co-ordinates twinned town schemes in Europe, if it was possible to "de-twin" Wallingford with Luxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-History:Luxeuil was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings at the time of its destruction by the Huns under Attila in 451...
after what was described as being "fed up with more than a decade of silence". The story attracted media attention, including a mention on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV's The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
and quiz show Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
. In response to the row, the mayor of the French town asked for Wallingford not to end the relationship, and declared 2009 as "a year for getting back in touch with Wallingford".
Wallingford School students who take part in the German Exchange programmes visit and exchange with the school in Bad Wurzach
Bad Wurzach
Bad Wurzach is a small town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, as well as one of the biggest connected high-moor areas in Europe. It is situated 25 km northeast of...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- one of Wallingford's twinned towns.
Notable people
- For residents, constables and prisoners at the castle, see Wallingford CastleWallingford CastleWallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
.
In the town:
- Kevin BaileyKevin Bailey (poet)Kevin Bailey is a British poet and founder of 'HQ Poetry Magazine'. He has had three books published and co-edited an anthology of poetry for the Acorn Book Company in 2000. He was born and grew up at Wallingford, in the County of Berkshire , England, where he attended the local grammar school...
, poet - Evelyn BarbirolliEvelyn BarbirolliEvelyn, Lady Barbirolli OBE was an English oboist, and wife of the conductor Sir John Barbirolli.She was born Evelyn Rothwell, and was known professionally by that name until after she was widowed, when she became known as Evelyn Barbirolli...
, oboist - William BlackstoneWilliam BlackstoneSir William Blackstone KC SL was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Born into a middle class family in London, Blackstone was educated at Charterhouse School before matriculating at Pembroke...
, legal writer - Charlie BrookerCharlie BrookerCharlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
, comedy writer and presenter - John BuckleyJohn Buckley (sculptor)John Buckley, born in Leeds in 1945, is a sculptor whose best known work is the sculpture "Untitled 1986", better known as "the Shark House" or the "Headington Shark" in Headington, Oxford....
, sculptor - Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
, mystery writer - Paul ConroyPaul ConroyPaul Conroy is an English music executive with a long and varied career of managing labels. He went from general manager of pioneering indie Stiff to senior positions with majors like Virgin Records, WEA and EMI.-Career:...
, music executive - Gary ElkinsGary ElkinsGary Elkins was an English football player; most notable for the unusual statistic of his having started exactly 100 league games for both Fulham F.C. and Wimbledon F.C...
, football player - Edgar FieldEdgar FieldEdgar Field was an English amateur footballer who helped Clapham Rovers win the FA Cup in 1880. He made two appearances for England as a full back.-Career:...
, EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
footballer and winner of the FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 18801880 FA Cup FinalThe 1880 FA Cup Final was contested by Clapham Rovers and Oxford University at the Kennington Oval. Clapham Rovers won 1–0, the only goal scored by Clopton Lloyd-Jones.-Teams:-References:**... - Peter FlanneryPeter FlanneryPeter Flannery is a British playwright and screenwriter. He was educated at Bath Spa University and is best known for his work while a resident playwright at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
, playwright and screenwriter - Dulcie GrayDulcie GrayDulcie Gray, CBE was a British singer and actress of stage, screen and television, a mystery writer and lepidopterist.-Early life and career:...
, actor - Jerome K Jerome, author, lived near Wallingford
- Max MallowanMax MallowanSir Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan, CBE was a prominent British archaeologist, specialising in ancient Middle Eastern history, and the second husband of Dame Agatha Christie.-Life and work:...
, archaeologist - James H. McClureJames H. McClureJames Howe McClure was a British author and journalist best known for his Kramer and Zondi mysteries set in South Africa....
, mystery writer - Ann PackerAnn PackerAnn Elizabeth Packer MBE is a former British sprinter, hurdler and long jumper. She won a gold medal in the 800 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo....
, athlete - Zac PurchaseZac PurchaseZachary Jake Nicholas 'Zac' Purchase MBE is an English rower.Born in Cheltenham, Purchase started rowing in 1999 at the King's School, Worcester. He competed at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 2003 and 2004...
, olympic athlete - Moses RoperMoses RoperMoses Roper was a mulatto slave who wrote one of the major early books about life as a slave in the United States — Narrative of the Adventures and Escape of Moses Roper from American Slavery.-Life as a slave:...
, former slave - Paul RothaPaul RothaPaul Rotha was a British documentary film-maker, film historian and critic. He was educated at Highgate School....
, documentary film maker - Gladys Bronwyn SternGladys Bronwyn SternGladys Bronwyn Stern or GB Stern born Gladys Bertha Stern in London, England, wrote many novels, short stories, plays, memoirs, biographies and literary criticism....
, novelist - Simon Watson TaylorSimon Watson Taylor (surrealist)Simon Watson Taylor was an English actor and translator, often associated with the Surrealist movement. He was born in Wallingford, Oxfordshire on 15 May 1923 and died in London on 4 November 2005....
, actor, translator and surrealist - Thomas TusserThomas TusserThomas Tusser was an English poet and farmer, best known for his instructional poem Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, published in 1557. It contains the lines...
, poet - John of WallingfordJohn of WallingfordJohn of Wallingford , also known as John de Cella, was Abbot of St Albans Abbey in the English county of Hertfordshire from 1195 to his death in 1214...
, chronicler - Richard of WallingfordRichard of WallingfordRichard of Wallingford was an English mathematician who made major contributions to astronomy/astrology and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire.-Biography:...
, mathematician and clockmaker - Richard of WallingfordRichard of Wallingford (constable)Richard of Wallingford , constable of Wallingford Castle and landowner in St Albans, played a key part in the English peasants' revolt of 1381. Though clearly not a peasant, he helped organise Wat Tyler’s campaign, and was involved in presenting the rebels’ petition to Richard II...
, organiser in the Peasant's Revolt - William of WallingfordWilliam of WallingfordWilliam of Wallingford was the 47th abbot of St Albans Abbey.He was a Benedictine monk at Holy Trinity Priory, Wallingford, Berkshire , England and like John of Wallingford and Richard of Wallingford, moved from this cell of St Albans Abbey to the abbey itself. He was a favourite of John Stoke,...
, builder of Wallingford Screen at St Albans CathedralSt Albans CathedralSt Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England... - Rex WarnerRex WarnerRex Warner was an English classicist, writer and translator. He is now probably best remembered for The Aerodrome , an allegorical novel whose young hero is faced with the disintegration of his certainties about his loved ones and with a choice between the earthy, animalistic life of his home...
, writer - Peter Cathcart WasonPeter Cathcart WasonPeter Cathcart Wason was a cognitive psychologist, who worked on the psychology of reason. He made great progress in explaining why people make certain consistent mistakes in logical reasoning...
, psychologist - Charles WestCharles West (author)Charles West , British crime novelist, is a former actor. He studied at RADA and performed in the West End in London, including Daddy Warbucks in Annie at Victoria Palace beginning in the 1970s and on Broadway. He wrote "Destruction Man", featuring Australian detective Paul Crook, when acting in...
, mystery writer
Wallingford used to return two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(cut to one in 1832 and none in 1885), and had some well-known MPs (often not resident) including:
- William Seymour BlackstoneWilliam Seymour BlackstoneWilliam Seymour Blackstone was an English MP in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.He was the son of James Blackstone, barrister-at-law of the Middle Temple, and grandson of the legal writer William Blackstone . Elected Conservative MP for Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England in 1832, he served...
, builder of Howbery ParkHowbery ParkHowbery Park is a 36-ha park located adjacent to the River Thames in Crowmarsh Gifford near Wallingford, UK. Its main feature is an English manor house built in about 1850 by English Member of Parliament William Seymour Blackstone. Blackstone fell into debt, largely because of the costs of...
, Crowmarsh GiffordCrowmarsh GiffordCrowmarsh Gifford is a village in the civil parish of Crowmarsh in South Oxfordshire. It is beside the River Thames opposite the market town of Wallingford, the two being linked via Wallingford Bridge... - Thomas Browne (High Sheriff of Kent)Thomas Browne (High Sheriff of Kent)-Career:Sworn to the peace in Kent in 1434. He was Justice of Peace for Kent from 1436 to 24 Dec. 1450. He was Member of Parliament between 1439 and 1444 for Dover. He was High Sheriff of Kent in 1443-4, and then MP between 1445 and 1446 for Kent. He was present at Parliament in 1447 and 1449 as...
, Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the... - John CatorJohn CatorJohn Cator was a wealthy timber merchant and landowner responsible for the layout of much of the areas around Blackheath and Beckenham, both in London — and both of which were in the county of Kent during the late 18th century.The son of a Herefordshire timber merchant and Quaker, Cator...
, timber merchant - Thomas DiggesThomas DiggesSir Thomas Digges was an English mathematician and astronomer. He was the first to expound the Copernican system in English but discarded the notion of a fixed shell of immoveable stars to postulate infinitely many stars at varying distances; he was also first to postulate the "dark night sky...
, astronomer - Sir Charles Dilke, 1st BaronetSir Charles Dilke, 1st BaronetSir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 1st Baronet , English Whig politician, son of Charles Wentworth Dilke, proprietor and editor of The Athenaeum, was born in London, and was educated at Westminster School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge...
, promoter of The Great ExhibitionThe Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October... - Edmund Dunch, member of the Kit-Kat Club
- Sir John FortescueJohn Fortescue of SaldenSir John Fortescue of Salden was the seventh Chancellor of the Exchequer of England, serving from 1589 until 1603....
, Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the... - George Parker, 2nd Earl of MacclesfieldGeorge Parker, 2nd Earl of MacclesfieldGeorge Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, FRS was an English peer and astronomer.Styled Viscount Parker from 1721 to 1732, he was Member of Parliament for Wallingford from 1722 to 1727, but his interests were not in politics...
, astronomer - Sir Thomas ParryThomas Parry (Comptroller of the Household)Sir Thomas Parry was a Comptroller of the Household to the English Queen Elizabeth I.He was knighted by Elizabeth at her accession in 1558, and held the offices of royal steward, Cofferer, Privy Counselor, Comptroller of the Household , Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries , Member of...
, Comptroller of the HouseholdComptroller of the HouseholdThe Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
to Elizabeth IElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... - George Pigot, Baron PigotGeorge Pigot, Baron PigotGeorge Pigot, Baron Pigot Bt was the British governor of Madras .Pigot was the eldest son of Richard Pigot of Westminster, by his wife Frances, daughter of Peter Goode; Frances was a "tirewoman" to Queen Caroline...
, British governor of Madras - Robert PigotRobert PigotSir Robert Pigot, 2nd Baronet was a British Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.Robert Pigot was born in London, England in 1720. In 1758 he was Major in the 10th Regiment of Foot. In 1764 he was Lieutenant Colonel...
, Lieutenant General in the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the... - Edmund PlowdenEdmund PlowdenSir Edmund Plowden was a distinguished English lawyer, legal scholar and theorist during the late Tudor period.-Life:...
, lawyer who defended religious freedom - Francis Sykes, builder of Basildon ParkBasildon ParkBasildon Park is a country house situated 3 kilometres south of Goring-on-Thames and Streatley in Berkshire, between the villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon. It is owned by the National Trust and is a Grade I listed building...
- Nathaniel William WraxallNathaniel William WraxallSir Nathaniel William Wraxall, 1st Baronet was an English author-Life:He was born in Queen Square, Bristol, the son of a Bristol merchant, Nathaniel Wraxall, and his wife Anne, great niece of Sir James Thornhill the painter...
, writer
- For more details, see Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)Wallingford was a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire . It used to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and...
External links
- Visit Wallingford
- Royal Berkshire History: Wallingford
- Sustainable Wallingford. (For the informally twinned Seattle city's counterpart site see Sustainable Wallingford, Seattle, U.S.A.)
- Wallingford History Gateway
- Wallingford Museum
- Wallingford Christian Assembly
- Wallingford Wildcats
- Wallingford flickr group
- Wallingford Choirs including Wallingford Parish Choir