Editing Wallingford, Oxfordshire (section)

==== The Anarchy and King John (12th century) ====
Wallingford provided refuge for the [[Empress Matilda]]'s party during the [[The Anarchy|civil war]] that began after her father [[Henry I of England|Henry I]]'s death. After the fall of [[Oxford Castle]] to [[Stephen, King of England|Stephen]] in 1141, Matilda fled to Wallingford, according to some historic accounts in the snow under a moonlit sky.<ref name="VCH">''[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43256 The Borough of Wallingford: Introduction and Castle]'', A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3 (1923), pp. 517–531. Retrieved 26 April 2011.</ref> [[Wallingford Castle]] was besieged unsuccessfully a number of times, with the [[Treaty of Wallingford]] ending the conflict there in November 1153.

The town was granted a [[Royal Charter]] in 1155 by the new king, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], being the second town in [[England]] to receive one.

During Prince John's unsuccessful revolt against his brother King [[Richard I of England|Richard I]] whilst Richard was involved with the [[Third Crusade]], John seized [[Wallingford Castle]] in 1189. The rebellion failed, and John was forced to return the castle to the king's administrators.<ref name="VCH" /> [[John of England|King John]] reclaimed the castle after his inheriting the crown in 1199. John modernised, fortified and greatly enlarged the Castle and used it extensively during the [[First Barons' War]].<ref name="VCH" />