Editing Wallingford, Oxfordshire (section)

== Landmarks and structures ==
=== Wallingford Bridge ===
{{main|Wallingford Bridge}}
[[File:Wallingford Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 4794537.jpg|thumb|Wallingford Bridge]]
Wallingford Bridge is a [[medieval]] road bridge over the [[River Thames]] connecting Wallingford to [[Crowmarsh Gifford]]. Wallingford has historically been an important crossing point of the Thames owing to the presence of a [[ford (crossing)|ford]] which was used before the construction of a bridge. This ford was used by [[William the Conqueror]] and his armies on his journey to [[London]] after his victory at [[Battle of Hastings|Hastings]] in 1066. The first reference to a bridge is from 1141 when [[Stephen of England|King Stephen]] besieged [[Wallingford Castle]]. The first stone bridge is credited to [[Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall]], and four remaining arches are believed to contain 13th-century elements.

Major repairs used stone from the dissolved [[Wallingford Priory|Holy Trinity Priory]] in 1530. Four arches were removed so that a [[drawbridge]] could be inserted during the siege of the castle in the [[English Civil War|Civil War]] of 1646, and these were replaced with timber structures until repair in 1751. Following a flood, three arches were rebuilt by Richard Clarke from 1810–1812 to a design by John Treacher (1760–1836) developed in 1809, and a [[parapet]] and [[balustrade]] added. The street lights on the bridge were made in the town and feature the Wilder mark on the base.

=== Wallingford Castle ===
{{main|Wallingford Castle}}
[[File:Wallingford Castle Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 1295139.jpg|thumb|Wallingford Castle]]
Wallingford Castle was a major [[medieval]] [[castle]]. Established in the 11th century as a [[motte-and-bailey]] design within an [[Anglo-Saxon]] ''[[burgh]]'', it grew to become what historian [[Nicholas Brooks (historian)|Nicholas Brooks]] has described as "one of the most powerful royal castles of the 12th and 13th centuries". During [[The Anarchy]] the castle held the [[Empress Matilda]] and her son the future [[Henry II of England|King Henry II]]. It was the site of the signing of the [[Treaty of Wallingford]], which began the end of the conflict and set the path to a negotiated peace. Over the next two centuries Wallingford became a luxurious castle, used by royalty and their immediate family. After being abandoned as a royal residence by [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], the castle fell into decline.

Refortified during the [[English Civil War]], Wallingford was held as a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] stronghold commanded by Colonel [[Thomas Blagge]]. In 1645 General [[Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Thomas Fairfax]] placed [[Wallingford Castle]] under siege; after 16 weeks, during which [[Siege of Oxford|Oxford fell]] to [[roundheads|Parliamentary]] forces, the castle finally surrendered in July 1646 under generous terms for the defenders. The risk of civil conflict continued, however, and [[Oliver Cromwell]] decided that it was necessary to [[Slighting|slight]] the castle in 1652, as it remained a surprisingly powerful fortress and a continuing threat should any fresh uprising occur.

The castle was virtually razed to the ground in the operation, although a brick building continued to be used as a prison into the 18th century. A large house was built in the [[Bailey (castle)|bailey]] in 1700, followed by a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] mansion house on the same site in 1837. The mansion, abandoned due to rising costs, was demolished in 1972, allowing [[Wallingford Castle]] to be declared a [[scheduled monument]] as well as a [[Grade I listed]] building. The castle grounds, including the remains of [[St Nicholas]] College, sections of the castle wall and the [[motte]] hill, are now open to the public.

=== St Peter's Church ===
[[File:St Peters across the river - geograph.org.uk - 1059396.jpg|thumb|upright|St Peter's Church]]

An earlier church on the site of [[St Peter's Church, Wallingford|St Peter's Church]] was destroyed in 1646 during the siege of Wallingford in the [[English Civil War|Civil War]]. Building of the present church started in 1763, the contractors being William Toovey and Joseph Tuckwell. In 1767 the interior of the church was paved, [[pews]] were added and the exterior was [[stucco]]ed under the supervision of [[Robert Taylor (architect)|Sir Robert Taylor]]. A [[spire]] designed by Taylor was added in 1776–77. A local resident, [[William Blackstone|Sir William Blackstone]], a lawyer and author of the ''[[Commentaries on the Laws of England]]'', took an interest in the building of the spire and paid for the clock face visible from his house. The [[chancel]] was built in 1904, designed by Sydney Stephenson.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hazell|first1=Zoë|last2=Crosby|first2=Vicky|last3=Oakey|first3=Matthew|last4=Marshall|first4=Peter|date=15 November 2017|title=Archaeological investigation and charcoal analysis of charcoal burning platforms, Barbon, Cumbria, UK|journal=Quaternary International|volume=458|pages=178–199|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2017.05.025|bibcode=2017QuInt.458..178H|issn=1040-6182|doi-access=free}}</ref> The church was declared [[redundant church|redundant]] on 1 May 1971, and was [[Vesting|vested]] in the [[Churches Conservation Trust]] on 26 July 1972.<ref>{{Citation|date=1 December 2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u37716|title = Who's Who|chapter = Tilby, Rev. Canon Angela Clare Wyatt, (born 6 March 1950), Diocesan Canon, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, since 2011; Adviser for Continuing Ministerial Development, Diocese of Oxford, since 2011}}</ref> St Peter's is the final resting place of Sir William Blackstone, who is buried in his family vault under the church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-peter-wallingford.html|title=St Peter's Church, Wallingford, Oxfordshire {{!}} The Churches Conservation Trust|website=www.visitchurches.org.uk|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref>

=== St Mary-le-More Church ===
[[File:St Mary-le-More - geograph.org.uk - 782867.jpg|thumb|St Mary-le-More's church]]
The Church of [[St Mary-le-More, Wallingford|St Mary-le-More]] is located in a prominent position in the town square behind Wallingford Town Hall. The church appears in records from 1077, when the [[advowson]] belonged to [[St Albans Cathedral|St Alban's Abbey]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The Victoria history of Berkshire. edited by P. H. Ditchfield and William Page.|last1=Ditchfield|first1=P. H.|last2=Page|first2=William|date=1906|publisher=Constable|location=London|doi = 10.5962/bhl.title.28982|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/28982}}</ref> The west [[bell tower]] was originally 12th century, but its upper stages were rebuilt in a [[English Gothic architecture#Perpendicular Gothic|Perpendicular Gothic]] style<ref name=":2" /> out of the stone from [[Wallingford Castle]] when it was demolished by [[Oliver Cromwell]] after the [[English Civil War|Civil War]]. The [[nave]] and [[Aisle#Architecture|aisle]] were built in the 13th and 14th century, and the [[chancel]] was built later. However, all were rebuilt in 1854 to designs by the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] architect [[David Brandon (architect)|David Brandon]].<ref name=":02"/>

The west window of the north [[aisle]] has [[stained glass]] made in 1856 by [[Thomas Willement]]. The [[pulpit]] was made in 1888 by the sculptor [[Edward Onslow Ford|Onslow Ford]]. The church tower features a [[Change ringing|ring]] of ten bells.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Hayes|first=Francis C.|date=March 1958|title=Three Bell Ringers|journal=South Atlantic Bulletin|volume=23|issue=4|pages=12|doi=10.2307/3198317|issn=0038-2868|jstor=3198317}}</ref> A ring of eight including the tenor was cast in 1738 by [[Richard Phelps (bell-founder)|Richard Phelps]] and Thomas Lester of the [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]].<ref name=":4" /> Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry re-cast the second bell of that ring, now the fourth bell of the present ring, in 1887,<ref name=":4" /> the year of the [[Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria|Golden Jubilee]] of [[Queen Victoria]]. In 2003 the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast a new treble and second bell,<ref name=":4" /> increasing the number of bells to ten.

=== St Leonard's Church ===
[[File:St._Leonard's_Church_-_geograph.org.uk_-_642133.jpg|thumb|St Leonard’s Church]]
[[St Leonard]]’s is the oldest church and is regarded as the oldest surviving place of worship in Wallingford.<ref name=":52">{{Cite news|url=https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/oxfordshire/churches/wallingford-st-leonard.htm|title=Wallingford, Oxfordshire, St Leonard's Church, History & Photos|work=Britain Express|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> There has been a church on the site since [[Saxon]] times, when it was known as the Church of the [[Holy Trinity]] the Lesser. The current building still features distinctive Saxon stone work in the [[herringbone (cloth)|herringbone]] style around the north wall. Estimates for the start of construction point as early as the 6th century. [[roundheads|Parliamentary]] forces used the church as a barracks during the Siege of Wallingford in 1656. Their occupation caused substantial damage to the building. Repair works were only completed in 1700 when it reopened.

[[John Henry Hakewill]] directed a reconstruction of the church in 1849, although the Church was rebuilt in the [[Gothic Revival]] style the restoration works preserved large sections of the original [[Saxon]] Building. The church interior is noted for a series of four angel [[mural]]s painted in 1889 by acclaimed artist [[George Dunlop Leslie]] who at the time lived on Thames Street. The Church now forms part of the [[Parish]] of [[St Mary-le-More, Wallingford|St Mary-le-More]] with services being held on Sundays.

=== Wallingford War Memorial ===
[[File:Wallingford war memorial - geograph.org.uk - 950101.jpg|thumb|upright|Wallingford War Memorial]]
Wallingford war memorial was designed by Edward Guy Dawber and William Honeybone,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/2202|title=Wallingford|website=Imperial War Museums|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> and unveiled in 1921. [[First World War]] (1914–1918) – Total names on memorial: 81.<ref name=":7" /> After 1945 the memorial was updated with [[Second World War]] (1939–1945) dates and names added to the base of the memorial – Total names on memorial: 36.<ref name=":7" /> The inscription reads:

<blockquote>TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN HONOURED AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE MEN OF WALLINGFORD WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914–1918. THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE</blockquote>
<blockquote>PASS NOT THIS STONE IN SORROW<br />NO SORROW BUT IN PRIDE<br />AND STRIVE TO LIVE<br />AS NOBLY AS THEY DIED<ref name=":7" /></blockquote>

The memorial is Grade II [[Listed building|listed]].<ref>{{NHLE|grade=II|desc=WAR MEMORIAL AND SURROUND APPROXIMATELY 15 METRES NORTH OF THE TOWN HALL|num= 1048500 |date=9 February 1988}}</ref>

=== Kinecroft ===
The Kinecroft was known as the Canecroft in the 13th and 14th centuries, and in the 16th and 17th centuries as Kenny Croft. It comprises an open area of about seven acres surrounded on the south and western sides by ancient [[Saxon]] earthworks and formed part of the defensive fortifications of the town when it was an important [[Burh]] in the kingdom of [[Wessex]]. Events held in the Kinecroft include [[Guy Fawkes Night|Bonfire Night]], [[BunkFest]], The Vintage Car Rally, The Wallingford Festival of [[Cycling]] and The Circus.

=== Bull Croft ===
The Bull Croft is an open area within the town's [[Saxon]] defences. During the Saxon period the [[Parish Church]] of the [[Holy Trinity]] stood in the southwestern part of the present Bull Croft and by 1085 it had been taken over by the great abbey of [[St Albans]] and became part of the new [[Wallingford Priory]]. When the Priory was torn down by [[Cardinal Wolsey]] in 1525, the area was used as farming. The Bull Croft was given to the town in trust by Mr Powyss Lybbe in 1912 and is now used as a public park. Facilities on the site include a children's play area, [[tennis]] courts and [[association football|football]] pitches.

=== Town Hall ===
[[File:Wallingford Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 950097.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Wallingford Town Hall]]]]
[[Wallingford Town Hall]] was constructed in 1670 and is located on the southern side of the [[market square]] with the War Memorial in front and the church of [[St Mary-le-More, Wallingford|St Mary-le-More]] behind. The main hall and council chambers are on the first floor and feature a coved ceiling installed in 1887 to commemorate [[Queen Victoria]]'s Jubilee. The building currently hosts the Town Council for meetings and civic events. The balcony is used by the town's Mayor at annual events. The ground floor has the town's [[Visitor centre|Tourist Information Office]], and, until the corn exchange was built in 1856, the open area under the hall was used for the town's corn market. The hall is open to all residents as a venue for private hire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/town-hall/booking-the-town-hall/  |title=Booking the town hall|publisher=Wallingford Town Council|access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>

=== Corn Exchange ===
[[File:Wallingford_Corn_Exchange_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1295112.jpg|thumb|The Corn Exchange]]
The [[Corn Exchange, Wallingford|Corn Exchange]] dates to 1856. The iron arches supporting the roof of the building were cast at the Wilders Foundry on Goldsmiths Lane.<ref name=":02"/> After the [[Second World War]] the Social Security Ministry used the Building as a food and unemployment office before it fell into disuse. It was purchased by the Sinodun players in 1975 for use as a theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sinodunplayers.org.uk/w2011/heritage|title=Sinodun Players|website=sinodunplayers.org.uk|access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> They dedicated it to [[Agatha Christie]], who was president of the society from 1951 to 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sinodunplayers.org.uk/w2011/rollofhonour|title=Sinodun Players|website=sinodunplayers.org.uk|access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref> The Corn Exchange & Sinodun Players were awarded the [[Queen's Award for Voluntary Service]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://littletheatreguild.org/queens-award-for-voluntary-service-presented-to-sinodun-players-and-corn-exchange-wallingford/|title=Queens Award for Voluntary Service presented to Sinodun Players and Corn Exchange, Wallingford|date=26 July 2021|publisher=Little Theatre Guild|access-date=13 June 2023}}</ref>

=== Winterbrook House ===
[[File:Winterbrook House-geograph-1848557-by-Bill-Nicholls.jpg|thumb|[[Winterbrook House]]]]
[[Winterbrook House]] was the home of author [[Agatha Christie]] and her husband [[Max Mallowan]] from 1934 until her death in 1976 and his in 1978. It is believed{{according to whom|date=September 2023}} that she based the home of her character [[Miss Marple]], Danemead in the village of St. Mary Mead, on Winterbrook House. The house is privately owned and is part of the Agatha Christie Trail.
[[File:Bronze statue of Agatha Christie at Wallingford.jpg|thumb|upright|Bronze statue of Agatha Christie at Wallingford]]
A permanent bronze memorial to Agatha Christie was placed in front of the Wallingford Museum during September- 2023, as sculpted by Ben Twiston-Davies. It depicts her in later life seated on a bench holding a book.

=== Flint House and Wallingford Museum ===
{{main|Wallingford Museum}}
[[File:UK-Wallingford Museum.JPG|thumb|[[Wallingford Museum]]]]
Wallingford Museum has collections of local interest and is housed in the [[grade II listed]] [[Tudor architecture|Tudor]] Flint House in the High Street. Flint House is a mid-16th-century timber-framed house with a 17th-century flint [[facade|façade]]. It faces the Kinecroft, an open space in Wallingford which is bordered on two sides by [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] [[burh]] defences built in the 9th century. It is owned by Wallingford Town Council.

The museum has an extensive collection relating to the town's history. Displays include archaeology, [[Wallingford Castle]], and the town in [[medieval]] and [[Victorian era|Victorian]] times.

=== Wilders New Foundry, Goldsmiths Lane ===
Built in 1869 by Richard Wilder the new foundry was built to support the existing foundry on Fish Street. By this time there was rapidly increasing demand for the towns of cast iron working and equipment so more capacity was essential.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.wallingford.co.uk/files/14720_historical_walk.pdf|title=Wallingford Walk Through Time|last1=Dewey|first1=Judy|last2=Dewey|first2=Stuart|publisher=Wallingford Town Council|year=2010|location=Wallingford}}</ref> The Building was decommissioned in 1983 and was converted into residential flats by 1984.