Wallingford Walk: Town Centre & Castle【4K】

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Located in the county of Oxfordshire (although historically in Berkshire), and roughly equidistant between Oxford and Reading, is the town of Wallingford.

The recorded history of the town dates back to 821 AD where it appears in a Saxon charter as 'Wælingford', which is believed to mean 'river crossing of the Britons' in Old English, alluding to its location on the bank of the Thames. In the 9th century Alfred the Great made it a 'burh', i.e. one of a series of fortified settlements designed to protect against Viking attacks.

Following the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror's invading armies rested at Wallingford. It was here that Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, surrendered and rode east with William to Berkhamsted where the final surrender was received. Wallingford Castle was built shortly after William's coronation. Its construction was overseen by Norman nobleman Robert D'Oyly. At the time of the Domesday Survey of 1086, Wallingford was one of the biggest settlements in England, with estimates ranging from 12th largest to 5th largest by population.

In the 12th century Wallingford Castle was rebuilt in stone. Later during the same century, it was subject to multiple attacks during the civil war known as The Anarchy, which was fought between the followers of King Stephen and those of Empress Matilda - daughter of Stephen's predecessor Henry I. Matilda's forces held Wallingford Castle despite several siege attempts. In 1153 the Treaty of Wallingford was drawn up. This truce effectively ended the war, stating that Stephen could keep the throne until his death (which came in 1154), but would be succeeded by Matilda's son who became King Henry II, and who subsequently granted Wallingford a Royal Charter in 1155 in recognition of the help the town gave him in securing the crown at the aforementioned treaty.

King John made use of Wallingford Castle during the First Barons' War of 1215 to 1217, reinforcing it in the process. During the Second Barons' War of 1264 to 1267 Simon de Montfort seized the castle and imprisoned the royal family there briefly before moving them to Kenilworth Castle. Ultimately, Wallingford Castle was damaged beyond repair after the English Civil War when it was slighted by the Parliamentarians. Some of the castle's stone was used in the construction of the tower of the Church of St Mary-le-More (the one seen just after the 7-minute mark).

In 1866 a railway station opened in Wallingford courtesy of the Wallingford and Watlington Railway. This was a short branch line connecting to the village of Moulsford on the Great Western Main Line. The line itself never extended into the town of Watlington despite it forming part of the company's name. Ultimately, Wallingford station closed to passengers in 1959 and to goods in 1965. Today, the nearest station to the town is Cholsey, which is about 2-and-a-half miles southwest of Wallingford town centre. Local bus services from Reading, Oxford and other nearby settlements are available.

In 1934 Agatha Christie moved to Wallingford. This became her main residence for the rest of her life, and where she did much of her writing. Christie became president of a local amateur dramatic society in 1951, and retained the role until her death in 1976. In 2023 a bronze statue of Agatha Christie sitting on a bench was unveiled. This features at the 20-and-a-half minute mark. The town has another connection to crime drama, namely as a filming location for the fictional town of Causton in Midsomer Murders.

As part of an ancient tradition, at 9pm a bell tolls once for every day of the month that has passed. This harks back to the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings. In gratitude for William the Conqueror being allowed safe passage over the River Thames, he delayed the curfew bell from 8pm to 9pm. Anyone staying out after the bell had rung would be imprisoned or whipped. The latter part of the tradition has long since stopped!

Historically, Wallingford was part of the county of Berkshire up until 1974 when, under local government reorganisation, it became part of Oxfordshire and the seat of the South Oxfordshire District Council.

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Filmed: 30th September 2023

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 The Street / River Thames
1:58 High Street
2:25 Thames Street
4:19 High Street
6:42 St Martin's Street
7:43 Market Place
9:08 St Martin's Street
11:25 St Mary's Street
12:29 Reading Road
13:23 St Mary's Street
16:21 Market Place
17:02 St Mary's Street
18:23 High Street
20:30 Agatha Christie Statue
20:58 High Street
22:50 Castle Street
23:43 Bear Lane
24:28 Wallingford Castle